By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, January 19, 2018
On Saturday, February 3rd, northern NJ experimental rock, alt-pop wonders Will Wood and the Tapeworms are set to release their newest album, The Real, coupled with a benefit concert for mental health research at Roxy and Duke's Roadhouse in Dunellen, NJ. Check out our interview with frontman/singer-songwriter/instrumentalist Will Wood, below.
Tell us about your new album. How would you describe your sound? How does it compare to your past work?
Will Wood: The Real is a delirium tremens vision. A synesthetic rainbow. A neon hurricane. A staggering 21-track record so bold and brash we can’t fit the whole thing onto a CD. Recorded at sold out shows in 2017, in front of hundreds of face-painted Tapeworm Hosts screaming in tongues only we can decode. It’s a dangerous listen -- pump this through your headphones and just try not to pump it so loud you blast your own eardrums out. It’s a death wish. It’s a lifestyle. It’s an entheogenic Gaspar Noe film soaked in blood and glitter. Am I selling it? A 9-piece big band playing whacked-out versions of old tunes, and solo performances of new tunes -- it doesn’t sound like anything we’ve put out before, thank god. I can’t stand to stand still.
How did you get started with music? What's been your personal journey? What has inspired you to do what you do?
I was more raised by tight-shirt, high-collared, cardigan-draped, pseudo-intellectuals in the hallowed halls of Spencer Preparatory School in Connecticut than I was by the couch-locked accountants who adopted me and called me "son." Music was a requirement. I wanted to play violin. But my hands were too heavy, my precision lacked, my arms incessantly shook with an essential neurological tremor, and I was sat down at a piano in grade three. I was not allowed to give it up until it was too late. I had already written a garbage tune about the hallucination of a six-legged cat I had seen in the common room. Write one song, you’re done for. I’m stuck now. Like a confirmed cigarette smoker. I’ll be doing this even when they’ve punched a stoma in my throat, stuck tubes up my nose, and cut off my feet.
What words of advice or encouragement would you give to someone who wants to follow a similar passion, or is maybe facing obstacles similar to what you've faced?
Don’t.
But if you must.
Ignore anyone who tells you not to.
Especially me.
Tell us about the benefit concert you have coming up. What can people expect? Beyond that, what's next on the horizon for Will Wood and the Tapeworms?
The upcoming album release party/benefit concert at Roxy & Duke’s on February 3rd is a fundraiser for the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. This massive charity foundation provides huge financial grants to talented scientists in the field of mental health research. They’ve raised over $300,000,000 so far in grants, and researchers they’ve awarded grants to have gone on to receive over $4,000,000,000 from other foundations partly due to the BBRF’s influence. This, we feel, is an opportunity to try and make a concrete, positive difference in the world. Every little bit counts. The show is set to be our biggest show yet -- featuring Super Snake, Electric Sensei, Bobby Mahoney, and of course yours truly. It will be soaked in blacklight, covered in confetti, and packed to the brim. We’re almost sold out. Hurry up and get your tickets here: https://goo.gl/zsDvrC. Tour dates are coming soon.
Finally, how can people find you online?
You can follow us on Insta & Snapchat at @tapewormsmusic, and like us on FB at Facebook.com/willwoodandthetapeworms. You can also sign up for our newsletter on willwoodandthetapeworms.com to be kept in the loop on everything. If that’s not enough, supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/willwoodandthetapeworms can get you deep into the inner circle -- see what’s happening behind the scenes, get free merch, hear unreleased music, and get oddball little packages in the mail.