If you’ve talked to anyone who regularly sees live local music, one name seems to come up quite a bit. The self-declared cabin-fi acid surf outfit Warren Hixson has left quite the impression on everyone. It could be seen early on that the group had promise when they astounded WRIR listeners during their live performance on Paul’s Boutique. The collection of tunes they performed was mostly new, but also included the cut “Baby Boogie” from their recent full-length Cruel Whims. This was soon followed by a well-received appearance at Cous Cous. There group is really attempting to set a new standard for the local scene.
While chatting with Warren Hixson frontman and chief songwriter Brent Delventhal, one thing becomes apparent. The thought process put into how he approaches this project revolves around succinct yet ambitious ideas. While discussing our mutual love for long-running indie rockers Guided By Voices, Delventhal mentions that he has never really loved an entire record of theirs. While all of them contain many good songs, there are always outliers that just aren’t up to par with the other songs included. It therefore makes sense that Cruel Whims includes only ten songs. This allows each song to receive more attention from Delventhal, so they can be properly fleshed out.
Although Warren Hixson only recently began to attract attention here in Richmond, the band has actually existed for several years. Delventhal got his start playing in bands in Gainesville, Florida, and formed Warren Hixson in 2005, after moving to Jamestown, Colorado. There is definitely a clear difference between Cruel Whims and the older Warren Hixson records. Over the course of half a dozen previous releases, Delventhal jumped from EPs to double records, even to acoustic freak outs captured for release. It was an exercise in never restricting himself to any preconceived notions. Warren Hixson might always be Delventhal's brainchild, but it doesn’t have to stick to any particular expectations.
Cruel Whims is filled with the symptoms of an identity crisis. “Baby Boogie” is a sonic assault that emerges from the realm of garage rock and even has a few nods to contemporaries like Deerhunter. “Dress Like A Policeman” is an examination of the way respect can be demanded through the roles of authority. “Paint The Sink” is a grand embodiment of a twisted summertime jam that feels lifted from yesteryear. “I Feel like Tim Robbins” is a peculiar sentiment that resonates with Delventhal’s adoration of the cinema. It's a reference to the Shawshank Redemption scene in which The Marriage of Figaro is played over the public airwaves at the prison. It depicts a moment when music could seemingly change someone's life, a thought that Delventhal couldn’t seem to shake.
Cruel Whims was written in Colorado during a rough time for Delventhal. These tumultuous months led him to travel to Richmond and eventually to settle here. Assembling a band upon arrival featuring members of Sports Bar and Novios, he has already been hard at work writing new material. The new songs don’t feel too far removed from the Cruel Whims sessions. They exist as expressions of a songwriter who has a clearer, more positive mindset. With the recent acquirement of Nelly Anderson, aka Nelly Kate, to the Warren Hixson lineup, it’s easy to see how the strengths of this band are resonating throughout the community.
This wasn’t the first time that Delventhal had worked with Anderson. He helped to engineer her 2012 full-length, Ish Ish, and in his eyes, it was one of the greatest experiences he had working with another artist. He loves to record, and the ideas that Anderson wanted to express on her record were compelling and exciting to him. The two have also discussed at length where they each want to head in terms of success. They are both in for the long haul where music is concerned, but they do ponder what lengths to which they are willing to go so that they won’t bankrupt themselves chasing this dream. By the same token, they both have considered the best way to achieve the level of musical quality that they are aiming for. Delventhal sees the process as one of comparing his own work to personal favorites like Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. It might be impossible to ever attain that standard, but at the very least, you can determine goals based on the work of other artists.
As our conversation came to a close, Delventhal mentioned that he had been reading a lot of books about building houses made of mud. The writers of one of the books mentioned that, by creating this book, they were providing a service for the world at large by informing people about the possibility of constructing a house this way. In many ways, Delventhal sees the way he approaches music in a similar fashion. It’s not so much a service he is providing as that his music is a serious endeavor, through which he hopes to contribute to the art form as a whole. It makes no sense to him not to explore this creative realm in as many ways as possible. This is what sets Warren Hixson apart from any other random band. Delventhal's musical explorations are tremendous in their scope, and are already getting people revved up for what should be an exciting follow-up to Cruel Whims.
Warren Hixson are performing at Steady Sounds on October 26th, which will act as a proper release party for Cruel Whims. If you purchase the vinyl at this show, you will receive a bonus cassette tape with outtakes and demos from the CW sessions.