Interview with Sune Rose Wagner of the Raveonettes
(photo by C Davey Wilson)
The Raveonettes have just released Beauty Dies, the group’s third in their ongoing series of fall EPs. Following the release of their September release, Sometimes They Drop By, Culture Bully’s Chris DeLine caught up with Sune Rose Wagner to discuss the series. The band will be hitting the road in the new year following their expected fourth EP, stopping by a few select dates in January.
Chris DeLine: What spurred the idea to release a string of EPs rather than lumping the tracks together as a follow-up to Lust, Lust, Lust?
Sune Rose Wagner: It’s a little bit more interesting to write and record four songs at a time than having to concentrate on 12-14 songs for a full length. This way you can do something new and exciting on all three of them. I wish people just recorded singles instead of albums, actually.
CD: How many releases are you planning before the year’s end? How will they contrast with Remixed and Sometimes They Drop By?
SRW: Four releases in all. The first one was free and then three more to go for people to buy. The next one is called Beauty Dies and it’s a crazed out, dark and twisted EP. The third one is a Christmas EP.
CD: Are the songs that you’re including in the series from older sessions or are you recording these as you go?
SRW: Two or three songs are older songs we never really used or songs we used for one specific thing, like an exclusive for something.
CD: How did you guys transition the electronic component of the Remixed EP into Sometimes They Drop By?
SRW: We’ve always used electronic drums and elements in our music and have always recorded with computers and beats, but never really used synths, so it was interesting and new for us. It’s by no means a genius electronic epic but rather a very minimal, drone of an EP.
CD: Lust, Lust, Lust was a bit of a shift in direction from Pretty in Black – and the first two installments of the EP series continue that transition. What has helped influence this shift away from a sound that some might say is reminiscent of the Golden Age of Rock ‘n Roll?
SRW: Pretty in Black was an album we always wanted to do. Mix the old with the new and make it shine and be very glossy and pretty. I’m extremely proud of that album. We have many facets to our music so sometimes it’s hard for us to come up with a specific [idea] for an album. That’s why the EP thing works really well for us, plus we write all the time and work really fast.
CD: Have you been considering touring at all once the series of EPs have all been released?
SRW: We’ll definitely do some shows in January on both coasts. In the meantime we’ll just write and record so we can release music whenever we want to.
The Raveonettes “Black/White” (mp3)