Bowlegs loves a bit of whistling. Perhaps it stems from a childhood spent listening to Roger Whittaker, although that may only be a coincidence. Whatever the reason, when we heard the opening of ‘Boyfriends’, the second track on ‘Pink Graffiti’ – the stunning album by Secret Cities (eight out of ten from Bowlegs), we were well and truly hooked. So, we thought we’d catch up with front-man Charlie Gokey for a chat about albums, influences and heckling.

Bowlegs: Which album has been a major influence in your life, and why?

Charlie: The Olivia Tremor Control – ‘Black Foliage’. Marie and I have been in this band together since we were kids, but we’ve never lived in the same town. Consequently, our music is born and lives almost exclusively in the realm of recorded sound. Listening to ‘Black Foliage’ when we were just getting started made me feel like, rather than hindering us, that situation opened up endless possibilities for detail work, sound manipulation, etc. ‘Black Foliage’ showed us a way to think about music that has touched everything we’ve done, from our aesthetic to our avoidance of real recording studios.

Bowlegs: What was the last album you bought?

Charlie: Just bought a used copy of ‘The Use of Ashes’ by Pearls Before Swine in San Francisco. Unfortunately, because we’re on tour and I’m away from my record player, I haven’t been able to listen yet.

Bowlegs: Which bands have you been listening to this week?

Charlie: We’ve been spinning Ava Luna’s new EP pretty often, plus Free Energy.

Bowlegs: Name an up-and-coming band Bowlegs should look out for?

Charlie: Gospel Gossip. They’re dear friends of mine from Minneapolis who’re going to be famous in the very near future if there’s any justice in the universe. I’ve seen them live maybe a dozen times and it’s still one of my favourite live shows ever. Plus Ava Luna, this incredible NY band we were fortunate enough to play with in Philly. Mind blowing show.

Bowlegs: What was the last gig you went to?

Charlie: Technically, last night when we played in Portland. I’m having a hard time remembering the last time I went to a concert that we didn’t play: it’s been a while.  Maybe Real Estate at a DIY space in Iowa City called Public Space One.

Bowlegs: Who is the best band you have ever shared a bill with?

Charlie: Mates of State. They headlined a small festival we played in Tucson, and however you feel about their recorded output, seeing them live is a life affirming experience. Plus they still look at each other with puppy dog eyes when they play. Maybe the cutest thing on earth. Free Energy played that show too, which was unsurprisingly awesome. They’re one of my favourite new bands.

Bowlegs: What was the first gig you ever went to, and who did you go with?

Charlie: I grew up in Fargo, ND, and the only venue in town was 21+. I didn’t get to see my first real rock concert until about age 16, when I convinced my dad to go see Low with me in Minneapolis. He’s a trooper for sitting through a concert that’s probably kind of boring for a non-Low fan, but I loved it. That band still has a really special place in my heart.

Bowlegs: What made you realise that being a musician was the career of choice?

Charlie: The first time a venue provided free beer and pizza. There’s nothing quite like that moment when you first realise that you’re getting paid to eat free pizza and drink free beer, then make music and dance around. That still seems insane to me.

Bowlegs: What is your favourite music documentary?

Charlie: Embarrassingly, I don’t have enough patience for music documentaries. I tried to watch ‘The Shield Around the K’ once, but I didn’t make it more than a quarter of the way through.

Bowlegs: What was the last film you saw, and was it any good?

Charlie: Just saw ‘Waltz with Bashir’ last night, which was pretty awesome. It feels weird to call something so heavy and brutal ‘beautiful’, but as far as something like that can be beautiful, it was.

Bowlegs: Name three great books Bowlegs must read?

Charlie: Italo Calvino – ‘Invisible Cities’ (kind of the inspiration for our name, the actual title was already taken); Benjamin Kunkel – ‘Indecision’, George Orwell – ‘Homage to Catalonia’.

Bowlegs: What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Charlie: A fuzzy humanoid shape. Just broke my glasses; still need to get them fixed.

Bowlegs: Name a song that takes you back to a certain time in your life?

Charlie: A venue in Atlanta played the Olivia Tremor Control’s ‘Dusk at Cubist Castle’ before our set (for which I am still grateful). It’s one of my favourite albums of all time, but I haven’t listened to it in forever. It was probably hearing this recently that made me immediately think of OTC when answering the first question. Anyway, listening to ‘Dusk at Cubist Castle’ in Atlanta, I had a vivid memory of listening to that first track in the car (on headphones) at the outset of a family road trip. I was about 15, Marie and I had just decided to start a band, and I was making grand plans for it.

Bowlegs: What is your favourite album cover of all time?

Charlie: The cover for this old LP of Debussy and Ravel. It’s a drawing of a woman dancing set against an orange background, and I’ve hung it up in every apartment I’ve ever lived in.

Bowlegs: What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

Charlie: When we stopped outside of LA, Ryan and Trevor (who play guitar and extra drums for us on tour) tried to use a gas station restroom. There was this guy sort of guarding the door while his kids were inside, and he turned to them and asked, ‘What, you guys gotta poop?’ When they didn’t leave, he started chewing them out like, ‘If you’re in such a goddamn hurry, why don’t you fucking go next door!’ Of all the surreal and hilarious things that happened to us on the road, that might have been my favourite.

Bowlegs: Do you think music videos are important and do you like making them?

Charlie: They certainly can be important and beautiful, but my experience with them is limited. We have one (as of yet unreleased) video, made by my very talented friend, Evan Meaney. I think it’s beautiful, but we weren’t super involved in making it. I do like the idea of making a music video, though.

Bowlegs: Are albums still important or is it more about individual tracks?

Charlie: I’m kind of old fashioned this way and still think of the album as the most important medium for pop music. However important songs might be for promotional and commercial purposes in the digital age (or whatever), it’s still important to me that an album stand as the accomplishment, the work to be evaluated, the full experience of an artist’s music. Then again, we’re talking about pop music here. Taking this sort of thing too seriously makes me feel like a jerk.

Bowlegs: What do you have planned for the next six months?

Charlie: There’s a new single on the way in the next month or so, then probably two shorter tours and SXSW.

Bowlegs: What is on your iPod?

Charlie: I use it as an external hard drive, so about 75% of it is taken up by the rough tracks that we’ve recorded over the last five years or so. The remainder is mostly Italo, old psych records, new favourites like Free Energy, and old classic albums I never want to be without.