Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Chicago quartet Wilmette have been turning heads with their pop-punk and hardcore amalgamation. Thanks to the release of the brand new single “Playing Dead,” they are earning even more eyes and ears. Guitarist Griffin Guge took a few moments to roll the dice in our latest interview series.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the new single for “Playing Dead.” For our readers not yet familiar with you, what can you tell us about the band and your sound?
Our sound has always been what we feel like doing in certain points in our lives. We’ve gone from hardcore/grunge to a mixture of that and pop punk. Currently, I would say we keep a little of that original melancholy sound and blend it in with accessible tones that are just undeniably engaging.
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?
For me personally, it was My Chemical Romance. I was just at the right age when they were taking off and it was the first time hearing something like it.
You’ve been at this all for a while, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?
We played a relatively large show a few years back and we had a plethora of technical difficulties with our backing tracks. My regret is not being prepared to just power through and do things more organically.
How would you compare the recording of 2020’s self-titled EP in comparison to “Playing Dead” and the upcoming debut full-length?
Our recording this time around definitely go outside the lines of our 2020 release. We recorded at “always be genius” again so there are some consistencies, but we experimented a lot.
The world has been going through some shit over the last few years. What affect, if any, have the cultural or political landscapes and isolation of the last few years had on your music?
Honestly a lot of our material was written at the start of the pandemic so I think it actually had little effect on it.
What’s the state of the scene from your point of view? We are living in a “just deal with COVID” world and everything about this timeline is some level of completely fucked. Where do you see the future of the music industry headed in the wake of pandemics, lockdowns and the proliferation of social media?
I feel like the state of things caused bands in the scene to write more and play less shows. I can see a trend of bands being primarily online
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
One band that comes to mind is Slumped. We played a show with them a few years back and they were absolutely amazing.
Beyond the album release, what’s next for the members of Wilmette?
After the album release we definitely want to embark on more touring.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
