A Chat With John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees

It's been close to two years now since I first heard Thee Oh Sees (then The Ohsees), and I can honestly say that I'm still just as intrigued. It's no small feat when a band can make you clinch your teeth and truly want to blowout all your speakers, then turn around and completely overtake you with the softest melodies and most beautiful reverb you've ever heard. Their newest album "The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In" is definitely one of those teeth-clinchers. Thank God they've got such an extensive catalog, because nothing will satisfy you after listening to Thee Oh Sees except for more of the same.

PC: What about the original OCS project did you like enough to have kept it up now for more than 6 albums and a handful of EPs?

JD: Once Patrick Mullins left, shortly after the recording of "Sucks Blood," I lost interest in doing solely mellow stuff. Although enjoyable at that time, it was time to move along. I still write the occasional mellow number.

PC: How long have you been playing music and what inspired you to pick it up in the first place?

JD: I've been playing drums for maybe 15-17 years and guitar for like 14 years. AC/DC is always my answer to that question because I was obsessed as a young teen.

PC: Can you recall, as a child, the first song that gave you the chills it was so good?

JD: Maybe "Misty Mountain Hop?" My folks liked the stoner stuff quite a bit, so I guess that would explain a lot.

PC: The album artwork for Thee Oh Sees really compliments the eeriness and distortion of the music itself. Who makes the majority of the art that goes in and onto the albums?

JD: Usually it has been me, but "The Master's Bedroom..." and the upcoming "Help" are both dominated by the art of William Kiehn.

PC: Do you feel that the addition of a full band over the years has helped to fully carry out your original vision or turned it into a completely different animal?


JD: Different animal..me-ow.

PC: You must be thrilled to have a voice like Brigid Dawson's backing yours. How did she come to be in the band?

JD: I do love her. We met through online dating.

PC: Are there any new artists or bands that you've come across lately that have really floored you?

JD: The Fresh & Onlys, Ty Segall, and Chris Woodhouses' super secret no one's heard em home recordings..

PC: Which of the two would you say gives you more satisfaction as a musician: piecing together a new Oh Sees soundscape in the studio or unveiling one for the first time on a live audience?

JD: Both are so different, but if I had to choose I would say live ...that is a great feeling when you pull it off.

PC: Are there any live acts touring right now that you've been itching to play with?

JD: Not off the top of my head, money would be nice though...so maybe Radiohead will hear my call...scratch that, they are terrible.

PC: Finally, what can listeners expect next LP/EP-wise and how do you see the band's sound changing in the next couple of years?

JD: A full length on In The Red called "Help"...maybe a single or compilation track here or there...I think it sounds better than the last one, but I get sick of my shit by the time it is released so hard to say...it's a burner though, I think.

"Help" is out now on CD, MP3, and pink vinyl.