Freshly Pressed – Wotts “be kind”

Ottawa-based indie-pop two-piece Wotts mixes retro and modern influences to create a sound all their own, as evidenced by the recent EP, garden, released this past summer. Their latest single, “be kind”, serves as a farewell to those with whom they never had closure, with a nod to 90s rock. We caught up with Wotts to chat about the new song, the band’s origins, their musical influences, and – as a bonus – we snagged their pizza recipe.

From The Strait: Tell us about the new single, “be kind”.

Wotts: “be kind” was a lot of fun to make because we basically flipped our regular song writing process on its head and went into full experimental mode. We knew we wanted to make a shoegazey dream pop track, but had no idea how to do it. I remember reading a Washed Out interview and he basically talked about how he just did stuff spontaneously and trusted his gut. We embraced that approach and it was super liberating.

From The Strait: How did Wotts first get together?

Wotts: It started as a fun project with friends. We couldn’t really play any instruments, so we relied on producers to make beats for us and we’d just add a little guitar or whatever here and there. The more we did it, the more we wanted to learn, so eventually we figured out how to play stuff and produce our own music. Years later, we’re down a couple bandmates but still having a lot of fun!

From The Strait: Who would you say are your biggest musical influences, and how have they helped to shape your sound?

Wotts: We’re heavily influenced by ‘nostalgic pop’. There’s a bunch of artists we can point to, but I’d say the top three are Tame Impala, Brothertiger and M83. To us they have this genius ability to craft songs with 80s and 90s vibes, but they do it in a way that isn’t cheesy. On top of that they add a little contemporary secret sauce to keep it sounding fresh and unique. I’d probably come off cocky if I said that’s what we’ve been doing, but those three are definitely a big reason why our sound is what it is.

From The Strait: What first made you want to be a musician? Was it a song, an artist, or just an undeniable pull to make music?

Wotts: I’d say Tame Impala’s “Lonerism” album did it for me. I’d always been on the cusp of wanting to start a band, but that record blew my mind. The music from it was obviously a huge factor, but it was reading how it was made that really lit the spark. Outside of Dave Friedman mixing here and there, Kevin Parker did everything himself and he admitted multiple times that he had no idea what he was doing. It’s silly to think now, but I remember learning about that DIY backstory and feeling super empowered.

From The Strait: What are some of your non-musical hobbies right now?

Wotts: Huge golf guy right now, trying to break 80. Also doing a Masters degree so my biggest hobby is just reading annoying articles. Aside from that, I enjoy having a nice glass of wine and using my ouija board to summon spirits from beyond.

From The Strait: What questions would you like to be asked in an interview? (And what’s your answer to it?)

Nobody ever asks how to make a bomb pizza in the oven!

You will need:

* 1 cup (250 ml) warm water
* 1 tsp instant yeast
* 1 tsp sugar
* 2 cups (300 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 450 and put a sheet pan in. We’ll start with combining the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let that sit for 10 minutes and then add to flour with the salt. Knead that together into a smooth ball and let sit in an oiled bowl for an hour. Roll out your dough and add your toppings. The sheet pan should be nice and hot now so throw your uncooked pizza directly onto that, it’ll give it a nice crispy bottom. Bake for 15-20 or until the dough is nice and crispy golden brown. Eat with a good beer and spicy oil. Enjoy, courtesy of your friends in Wotts!

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Check out “be kind”, the latest single from Wotts!

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