Admittedly Batwings Catwings first caught our attention because we liked the name, but then we listened and it turned out we liked the music too. Bowlegs’ friends Foot Village had a hand in getting the band together when they happened to pass a megaphone, in mid-concert, to Dana Poblete (the now Batwing singer) onstage. Batwing drummer and electronics man Clay Johnson witnessed Dana wailing her heart out and soon sent her some backing tracks, asking her to write and sing on them.
The Los Angeles band released their debut EP, Peacock Collection, last year which was then followed with their excellent Radio 7″. And with an exciting 2012 there for the taking we caught up with Clay and Dana to get the info:
Bowlegs: First thing’s first – where did the band name come from?
Clay: We were texting back and forth what would make a good band name and just thought Batwings Catwings sounded cool. Plus we like the gentleness of cats and the darkness of bats. We are fluffy people that like darker stuff like r-n-r!
Bowlegs: Loving the track Radio – what influenced that specific track?
Dana: I always wanted to do a song with our old guitar player Pepper that started with just me and him. He sent this minimal track, I think with the intention of adding to it, but I was really feeling it the way it was so I just wrote on it in like half an hour. When songs come quick like that I know it’s a song I’m really going to love, which is what we want to make. The track is really straightforward, no BS, just music, and that feeling inspired the lyrics too.
Bowlegs: And the video is cool too – who came up with that idea?
Clay: Dana and I were sifting through ideas and she came up with the main concept and together we built on that.
Dana: We wanted to make a video that is like the song – no frills, just a subtle flash, and meaningful. We asked our buddy Kid Static to be in it because he just looks awesome on camera – he’s expressive, and has a natural rhythm.
Bowlegs: So with the release of the Radio 7″ last month, what happens next for Batwings?
Clay: We are already writing a bunch of new stuff and planning on putting out another 7″ or EP around the middle of the year, just looking for a label to put it out on. BWCW hope to have enough material to even put out a full length if we need to. The new stuff is so sick; we are stoked about it!
Bowlegs: Your music has attitude, and its fair share of noisy guitars, but it takes in elements of pop and a more epic persona – is that how you approach your songs?
Clay: We kind of just go for a feeling, the types of songs we come up with are all over the board. From purely electronic sounding stuff, to simple guitar driven songs, to elements of both. We all like so much music, like most people these days I suppose. We definitely are not too shy to be poppy – that is the stuff that we all usually listen to anyways.
Bowlegs: What band would you all agree was an influence on the band?
Clay: Hmmm, Dana, what do you think? Fugazi? Prince? Nirvana?
Dana: Wow, I don’t think it could possibly be one band. People seem to really think Nirvana, but we’re all pretty eclectic.
Bowlegs: What was the last album you listened to?
Clay: Um, let’s see. Honestly, it was this holiday mixetape from a club that I am in. A bunch of my rad buddies make these ill mixes and we share them among each other. It had Run DMC’s Christmas in Hollis on it for sure, a funny ass R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and other obscure songs for the holidays like a Beck’s Little Drummer Boy song and a Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie song XXXmas.
Dana: I was listening to Washing Machine by Sonic Youth on a chilly beach the other day and realised that’s exactly what that album was made for, which got me so stoked on it again. But right now I’m listening to In Search Of… by N.E.R.D. They’re from my hometown and I’m feeling nostalgic.
Bowlegs: Will you be touring anytime soon?
Clay: 2012 is going to be nutty fun for us! We are going to SXSW, UK/EU tour April 6-15, and have some badass local shows here in LA and around California too. You can go to our blog to see the shows and other stuff.
