INTERVIEW AND PHOTO BY JOE FITZPATRICK
Featuring former members of COWABUNGA! and BATTLEGHOST, Richmond’s latest pop punk sensation is CENTERFOLDS. Though they have only released two songs, they are currently on the verge of being one of the most anticipated breakout bands of 2014. I spoke with vocalist Tommy Wiseman to get to know this band better and what we can expect from them in the next few months.
In December, you guys released a two-song sampler. How has the response to that been so far?
It’s been extremely positive. We just put it out to find a drummer, and we got Logan pretty soon after.
Who played drums on the songs?
Me and Ben programmed the the drums, but we are really glad to have Logan now as our full-time drummer. A lot of kids have been asking about when we will be putting out an EP, so we are really excited to get that out as soon as we can.
Who is the primary song writer for your band?
Everybody really. Ben and Ryan write the music, and I do the lyrics. We just want to write honest music and write what we want to write. We like to stick to stuff like what we listened to when we were growing up.
What are your influences?
We are big into REAL FRIENDS and FOREVER CAME CALLING, but we also like older bands like SIMPLE PLAN, NEW FOUND GLORY, and GREEN DAY. Also, KNUCKLE PUCK from Chicago is really cool. They got a good thing going on.
I saw on your Twitter that you will be playing some shows soon. Are there any that you can announce yet?
Next month, we are playing in Richmond with BROADSIDE and OLD AGAIN at Sound Check Studios, and April 24th we are playing with DIAMOND YOUTH, TURNOVER, and I AM THE AVALANCHE at The Camel.
How much progress have you made on your EP?
We are going to re-record “Losing Sleep”, and we have four new songs as well, so it will be a total of five songs. Our bassist dropped out of the band afteer we released the first two songs, so our sound is a bit different. It’s a bit more punk influenced but with the same pop punk sound. It’s gonna have a lot of catchy jams.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO NEW MUSIC FROM CENTERFOLDS
Did you intentionally name your band after a strip club?
No, but it is named after the best part of a nudie mag.
Having played in other pop punk bands, do you think the pop punk scene is still thriving in Virginia?
i think it comes in cycles, but currently it’s on the up and up. However, it’s definitely not as big as it once was. But bands like BATTLEGHOST, BROADSIDE, IN COURAGE, and RANDOM HOLIDAY are still thriving.
Other than the bands you already mentioned, who are some of your favorite local bands, rappers, or solo artists?
IAN MARSH‘s country music is off the chain. Also, DISTANCES and LIKE YOU TO ME from Maryland are really tight. Another band that rips is MY ENEMIES & I. They are also some of my best friends.
I know you guys are big wrestling fans, so I was wondering what your thoughts are on CM Punk retiring?
I think he’s a bitch. Daniel Bryan is number one! YES! YES! YES! Well actually, Stone Cold Steve Austin is number one, and Dan O’Brien is number two.
If you could have a pizza play date with anyone, who would you choose?
That’s a tough one. The rest of the band aren’t big drinkers, but I would have to stay Stone Cold Steve Austin and the biggest case of Coors Light.
