Sarah Tillman

Why? “The Hollows”

Why? Why Y? Much like the character Ellen from Pete and Pete, L.A. RECORD was on its own quest for the answer Why? Rebecca Balin speaks with Yoni Wolf about love, loss, vegan sausages and Why?’s new album “Alopecia” due out March 11, 2008.

So you’re at home and you just got up. Are you still in your pajamas or are you dressed?
I’m in my pajamas.
I won’t ask for anything more personal.
Thanks!
What were you listening to while recording Alopecia?
The most audible difference between Alopecia and Elephant Eyelash in my mind and influence wise is that this new one is more rap. There’s a lot more rap on it. I’ve always listened to rap music since I was a teenager but I went through a long period of not enjoying it that much or not really actively listening. But I guess this past couple of years I sort of got back into a little bit. To be honest, I was listening to a decent amount of Jay-Z, Eminem, Lil’ Wayne, those kinds of people. I think they’re really talented rappers. I think that they’ve influenced me. This is the first time ever I actually sat down to write rap and I did that for maybe three or four songs on the record and that’s a lot more than ever for me.
Have you actually used Purell so much that your hands bled?
Yeah, chaffing! It’ll dry you out.
What was it like when you interviewed Bob Mould?
It was an artist on artist interview. He had some really insightful things to say. I just thought it was kind of cool that he’s been doing this for so long, and I’m about to round 10 years of doing it and he’s just been doing this for a ridiculous amount of time.
On Drowned in Sound you said that on Elephant Eyelash you were trying to win someone over, and on Alopecia you’re saying that you can’t. Are you currently heart broken?
No. I’m over it.
What did you mean by the word “can’t”? You felt that you couldn’t try anymore? Or you just didn’t want to anymore?
There was a breaking point, you know? I think the second song on the record I wrote at the breaking point. I just felt like a zombie for about six months. I didn’t really feel anything for a long time. I’ve actually been dating this girl right now and I like her. It’s crazy to me that I actually like somebody. So that’s pretty cool, but then I go on tour for about three months and she moves to New York. So that sucks. But I’m glad that I actually feel something. It reminds me that I actually can and that’s great. I get so caught up. I had thought that there’s this one person and that this was my destiny—‘the one’ and all this other business that this girl before this one didn’t see, but I saw it and it’s crazy shit, you know? You can’t start thinking like that, though. I thought I’d never feel something for anybody else. That I never could. I’d date girls and be like, “Oh Okay.” I’d get bored and then it’d be like whatever. But I like this one actually so that’s cool.
I didn’t mean to pry too much into your personal love life.
I was just talking about that last night. I just did a bunch of interviews and I was talking to the new girl about it and she asked me how much I did tell these people? And I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ I just have trouble not telling fans stuff. It’s just in my nature. If someone just asks something then I’ll tell them. That’s just how I am. She’s like, ‘You can not say stuff…’ I’m never going to do that. I talk about my personal life too much.
But that’s the point of interviews. People want to get a feel for you.
Yeah, you’re right. I ‘m about to cook up these Field Roast Vegan Sausages.
So you’re playing the Natural History Museum with Yacht. I believe the subject has something to do with evolution?
I don’t believe in evolution. But I believe in museums and that they’re trying to bring in a younger audience. and we’re a part of that. Don’t you think that’s what they’re doing? They’re thinking, ‘How can we get younger people to come so that the next generation actually funds our shit and come out? Well, rock music, of course.’
Have you seen any good documentaries lately? I’m really into band documentaries.
I saw a great documentary about Leonard Cohen. I thought it would be about his music career, but it was about before he started making music. It was made in the early ‘60s before he became a musician, when he was just a poet living in Montreal—made by this Canadian film board or whatever. It was like “This is Leonard Cohen, he is a poet from Montreal and blah blah blah” Really kind of stiff in a way but he had all these cool things to say. And he looked so young and handsome.
Are you crushing?
No, I’m not crushing.

WHY? WITH YACHT PLUS DJs ALE AND MATTHEWDAVID (DUBLAB) ON FRI., MAR. 7, AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 900 EXPOSITION DR., LOS ANGELES. 5 PM / FREE FOR MEMBERS/ $6.50-$9 / ALL AGES. NHM.ORG/FIRSTFRIDAYS. WHY?’S ALOPECIA RELEASES TUE., MAR. 11, ON ANTICON. VISIT WHY? AT ANTICON.COM.