Although The Partridge Family may be first thing that comes to mind when you think of a family band, War Tapes just might change that preconception. While siblings Becca and Neil Popkin clearly prefer their "heart-quaking doom pop" to silly television cheese, there's something inescapably enduring about this particular family affair. Their music might reference the atmospheric goth rock of the '80s, but for bassist Becca, and lead singer Neil, one thing is certain: the family that plays together stays together.
Auren Suicide: Congratulations! Your record [The Continental Divide] recently came out.
Becca Popkin: Thank you!
AS: How are you feeling now that it's done?
BP: Making the album was a really long process for us, actually. We started recording when we could. We were never really able to block out a long period of time to go into the studio. We did it when we could, around our work schedules. And then, while we were recording, we'd write new songs and then we'd want to record those. So we'd end up constantly writing and then recording and writing and recording. Our sound would constantly change and then we'd want to re-record our older stuff that we'd already spent time recording, so it became a really long process -- so much so that when our CD came out in May it metaphorically felt like we'd given birth to our little baby. It was a long process, but really fun and definitely one that made me want to get back in the studio and record more.
AS: So you already have material for your second record?
BP: We do. We're in a constant process of writing. When we're in our rehearsal room, and were supposed to be rehearsing our set for a show, we inevitably start writing. And writing. And writing. So we're ready to start recording again. It's fun. Never-ending and crazy, but so fun.
AS: You seem like a really creative person. You took the album photos, you designed the jewelry you sell as merch -- is the band just an extension of who you are? Always making stuff?
BP: Yes. It's just like the recording. It is another thing that is just non-stop. When I'm home I always have to be doing something. I just constantly feel the need to make and make and make. The War Tapes jewelry has been so fun. It was something that I did at first to take on the road just to see what would happen, and people really liked it. Now there are War Tapes necklaces and earring and hair clips...all sorts of things. And then there's my photography...it really comes down to the fact that I always want to be doing something. I think it's ADD [laughs].
AS: Well, at least it's productive.
BP: There are not enough hours in the day for me.
AS: Was being in a band ever in your plans? I know this if your first band, but you did study guitar?
BP: Music has always been around me. I took piano as a little kid and then I moved on to guitar. But as much as I loved music and going to see bands play, I never thought I'd be in a band. When my brother [Neil Popkin] and I were little kids we used to have a family band and we'd torture all our relatives. That was my idea of a band. So when [War Tapes] happened it was so unintentional. Neil moved out to LA and just like, got a show. But then realized, "Oh shit, I don't have a band," and asked me to play. It just happened. Even now I think this whole thing is really weird.
AS: But it does sound like you had a very musical family and childhood.
BP: Definitely. Our dad played guitar and our mom was super into playing us music all the time. We'd go through all her old records.
AS: Who's the older sibling, you or Neil?
BP: I'm older.
AS: So what's it like to be in a band with your little brother?
BP: It's crazy. The best part is that your family is always your family. You can push a family member further than you can push a friend. So there is a strong dynamic between us. When things are good they are really good and when things...well...it's a strong energy. We know we're never going to break up as a band, because we're family. It's a really comforting, cool feeling. It also allows my brother and I to be closer than I think we otherwise might have been.
AS: Can you escape the family dynamic? Can you look at each other as just musicians who are working together? Or is there always that kind of brother-sister thing?
BP: I think sometimes we forget we're related! That's a good, because we can just function as people in a band. It's not just that me and Neil have a bond that no one else can come in on. It's very much like everyone [in War Tapes] feels like family. We're all so connected right now, that at this point we might as well all be brothers and sisters. We all look at each other that way.
AS: From what I've read, you and your brother seem to have pretty different musical tastes.
BP: Yes. I'm more of the Brit-pop girl.
AS: Who are some of your favorites?
BP: Pulp for sure. Suede, The Verve, Blur, Lush...gosh, there are so many. I pretty much only listened to British music for a really long time. Everyone in the band has their own stuff that they're really into but there are some bands that we all like. So it all eventually comes together.
AS: It does. I also have to say that your backup vocals are so good!
BP: Wow! I get really shy about my vocals so I really appreciate that.
AS: They are! Anyway, thanks for talking to me. Your brother is supposed to call me in a few minutes.
BP: You know what? I'm going to remind him to call you. I am the big sister, after all!
[Two minutes later]
AS: Hello?
Neil Popkin: Hi! What's up?
AS: I just talked to your sister, she's awesome, I must say.
NP: Yeah, I like her.
AS: [laughs] So tell me a little bit about making your record.
NP: It was a long process because we didn't have the means to record. We couldn't do very many songs at once. It took us a couple of years to get the recordings up to speed to where we had them sounding like we wanted them to sound. It was a work in progress. We'd do a little here and a little there and then we'd go play a bunch of shows and then come back and then realized we could do better and scrapped a lot of them and did it all again. We learned a lot as a band and our sound grew into its own because of that long process. Now that we've done that whole ordeal we've developed our own formula for recording which is great.
AS: The record sounds major-label quality. It's very well recorded.
NP: Thank you!
AS: So what is that winning formula?
NP: I think it has to do with getting each individual band member's performance as good as possible. We spend a lot of time on each individual element where, for example, guitars are the only thing we're concentrating on. We also have it so everyone in the band can give notes on anything. It takes a long time but it's a matter of all of us being perfectionists. The recordings didn't always sound that good [laughs].
AS: What's your favorite song on The Continental Divide?
NP: I think it's "She Lied."
AS: That was my favorite, too!
NP: That's cool!
AS: That one, and also "All the World's a Stage."
NP: That song is really special to us. This record is really personal. It's about figuring out where you're going and re-evaluating your life. That's the theme of this record. The next record, I think, will be more about the way the world works, not necessarily about personal dilemmas.
AS: What about moving? I know you and Becca are from Boston. What changed when you moved to LA?
NP: My whole life was in Boston and when I moved here, I had nothing. It was depressing at first but I love the fact that I had that era in my life. It was a big change.
AS: So why move in the first place?
NP: I was just bored with Boston. I didn't think there was much more I could do out there. At the time I was working at a club, and I was DJing. I was playing in bands. But I didn't have anything that was my own. And I didn't know exactly what it was that I wanted to do musically, but I knew that I wanted to be creatively involved, not just be a member of a punk rock band, where I was playing guitar. I wanted to start my own band.
AS: What's the dynamic like being in a band with your sister?
NP: It's cool. It has brought us much closer together.
AS: She said the same thing.
NP: We were always friendly but growing up we never really hung out everyday or anything like that. She went to [college] in Washington DC and we didn't go to the same high school so we were never super close. We played music together when we were little kids, but then she went off to school and I did a lot of growing up in those four years she was away. We are closer than we've ever been. Also, the fact that she and our drummer, William [Mohler], are married ads another cool element.
AS: I didn't know that! This really is a family band.
NP: This is a total family band. Matt [Benett], the other guitar player, is my best friend. We're all really, really close. We have arguments that most bands might not have, because we are so close to one another. But in that respect we also get the chance to delve deeper into stuff that other bands might not get to do. We say what's on our mind. It ends up helping us in the long run.
AS: Do you like being on tour?
NP: I love it.
AS: What's your dream tour? If you could play with anyone?
NP: Echo and the Bunnymen. The Cure, a band on that level. But really we're down to tour with anybody. We just want to play as many shows as possible. Last year we went on tour with Tiger Army and we weren't sure how that was going to work out. But we were very well received. It was great.
War Tapes' debut album, The Continental Divide, is out now on Sarathan Records. Keep up with the Popkin's via their Twitter @WarTapes.
Auren Suicide: Congratulations! Your record [The Continental Divide] recently came out.
Becca Popkin: Thank you!
AS: How are you feeling now that it's done?
BP: Making the album was a really long process for us, actually. We started recording when we could. We were never really able to block out a long period of time to go into the studio. We did it when we could, around our work schedules. And then, while we were recording, we'd write new songs and then we'd want to record those. So we'd end up constantly writing and then recording and writing and recording. Our sound would constantly change and then we'd want to re-record our older stuff that we'd already spent time recording, so it became a really long process -- so much so that when our CD came out in May it metaphorically felt like we'd given birth to our little baby. It was a long process, but really fun and definitely one that made me want to get back in the studio and record more.
AS: So you already have material for your second record?
BP: We do. We're in a constant process of writing. When we're in our rehearsal room, and were supposed to be rehearsing our set for a show, we inevitably start writing. And writing. And writing. So we're ready to start recording again. It's fun. Never-ending and crazy, but so fun.
AS: You seem like a really creative person. You took the album photos, you designed the jewelry you sell as merch -- is the band just an extension of who you are? Always making stuff?
BP: Yes. It's just like the recording. It is another thing that is just non-stop. When I'm home I always have to be doing something. I just constantly feel the need to make and make and make. The War Tapes jewelry has been so fun. It was something that I did at first to take on the road just to see what would happen, and people really liked it. Now there are War Tapes necklaces and earring and hair clips...all sorts of things. And then there's my photography...it really comes down to the fact that I always want to be doing something. I think it's ADD [laughs].
AS: Well, at least it's productive.
BP: There are not enough hours in the day for me.
AS: Was being in a band ever in your plans? I know this if your first band, but you did study guitar?
BP: Music has always been around me. I took piano as a little kid and then I moved on to guitar. But as much as I loved music and going to see bands play, I never thought I'd be in a band. When my brother [Neil Popkin] and I were little kids we used to have a family band and we'd torture all our relatives. That was my idea of a band. So when [War Tapes] happened it was so unintentional. Neil moved out to LA and just like, got a show. But then realized, "Oh shit, I don't have a band," and asked me to play. It just happened. Even now I think this whole thing is really weird.
AS: But it does sound like you had a very musical family and childhood.
BP: Definitely. Our dad played guitar and our mom was super into playing us music all the time. We'd go through all her old records.
AS: Who's the older sibling, you or Neil?
BP: I'm older.
AS: So what's it like to be in a band with your little brother?
BP: It's crazy. The best part is that your family is always your family. You can push a family member further than you can push a friend. So there is a strong dynamic between us. When things are good they are really good and when things...well...it's a strong energy. We know we're never going to break up as a band, because we're family. It's a really comforting, cool feeling. It also allows my brother and I to be closer than I think we otherwise might have been.
AS: Can you escape the family dynamic? Can you look at each other as just musicians who are working together? Or is there always that kind of brother-sister thing?
BP: I think sometimes we forget we're related! That's a good, because we can just function as people in a band. It's not just that me and Neil have a bond that no one else can come in on. It's very much like everyone [in War Tapes] feels like family. We're all so connected right now, that at this point we might as well all be brothers and sisters. We all look at each other that way.
AS: From what I've read, you and your brother seem to have pretty different musical tastes.
BP: Yes. I'm more of the Brit-pop girl.
AS: Who are some of your favorites?
BP: Pulp for sure. Suede, The Verve, Blur, Lush...gosh, there are so many. I pretty much only listened to British music for a really long time. Everyone in the band has their own stuff that they're really into but there are some bands that we all like. So it all eventually comes together.
AS: It does. I also have to say that your backup vocals are so good!
BP: Wow! I get really shy about my vocals so I really appreciate that.
AS: They are! Anyway, thanks for talking to me. Your brother is supposed to call me in a few minutes.
BP: You know what? I'm going to remind him to call you. I am the big sister, after all!
[Two minutes later]
AS: Hello?
Neil Popkin: Hi! What's up?
AS: I just talked to your sister, she's awesome, I must say.
NP: Yeah, I like her.
AS: [laughs] So tell me a little bit about making your record.
NP: It was a long process because we didn't have the means to record. We couldn't do very many songs at once. It took us a couple of years to get the recordings up to speed to where we had them sounding like we wanted them to sound. It was a work in progress. We'd do a little here and a little there and then we'd go play a bunch of shows and then come back and then realized we could do better and scrapped a lot of them and did it all again. We learned a lot as a band and our sound grew into its own because of that long process. Now that we've done that whole ordeal we've developed our own formula for recording which is great.
AS: The record sounds major-label quality. It's very well recorded.
NP: Thank you!
AS: So what is that winning formula?
NP: I think it has to do with getting each individual band member's performance as good as possible. We spend a lot of time on each individual element where, for example, guitars are the only thing we're concentrating on. We also have it so everyone in the band can give notes on anything. It takes a long time but it's a matter of all of us being perfectionists. The recordings didn't always sound that good [laughs].
AS: What's your favorite song on The Continental Divide?
NP: I think it's "She Lied."
AS: That was my favorite, too!
NP: That's cool!
AS: That one, and also "All the World's a Stage."
NP: That song is really special to us. This record is really personal. It's about figuring out where you're going and re-evaluating your life. That's the theme of this record. The next record, I think, will be more about the way the world works, not necessarily about personal dilemmas.
AS: What about moving? I know you and Becca are from Boston. What changed when you moved to LA?
NP: My whole life was in Boston and when I moved here, I had nothing. It was depressing at first but I love the fact that I had that era in my life. It was a big change.
AS: So why move in the first place?
NP: I was just bored with Boston. I didn't think there was much more I could do out there. At the time I was working at a club, and I was DJing. I was playing in bands. But I didn't have anything that was my own. And I didn't know exactly what it was that I wanted to do musically, but I knew that I wanted to be creatively involved, not just be a member of a punk rock band, where I was playing guitar. I wanted to start my own band.
AS: What's the dynamic like being in a band with your sister?
NP: It's cool. It has brought us much closer together.
AS: She said the same thing.
NP: We were always friendly but growing up we never really hung out everyday or anything like that. She went to [college] in Washington DC and we didn't go to the same high school so we were never super close. We played music together when we were little kids, but then she went off to school and I did a lot of growing up in those four years she was away. We are closer than we've ever been. Also, the fact that she and our drummer, William [Mohler], are married ads another cool element.
AS: I didn't know that! This really is a family band.
NP: This is a total family band. Matt [Benett], the other guitar player, is my best friend. We're all really, really close. We have arguments that most bands might not have, because we are so close to one another. But in that respect we also get the chance to delve deeper into stuff that other bands might not get to do. We say what's on our mind. It ends up helping us in the long run.
AS: Do you like being on tour?
NP: I love it.
AS: What's your dream tour? If you could play with anyone?
NP: Echo and the Bunnymen. The Cure, a band on that level. But really we're down to tour with anybody. We just want to play as many shows as possible. Last year we went on tour with Tiger Army and we weren't sure how that was going to work out. But we were very well received. It was great.
War Tapes' debut album, The Continental Divide, is out now on Sarathan Records. Keep up with the Popkin's via their Twitter @WarTapes.
Still, it was interesting to read and I wish them luck.