The Raveonettes have always been an ambitious band. The Danish duo, consisting of Sune Rose Wagner (guitar/vocals) and Sharin Foo (bass/vocals), broke into the international music scene in 2003, scoring a major label contract as soon as they could get a band together to play shows. After releasing two full-lengths with the help of a major label, their newest record, Lust Lust Lust, is their first to be released independently (Vice). This time around, they are taking a new approach to their minimalist, nostalgic rock sound, by ridding themselves of their mid-century image and focusing on what matters most to them, the music.
The concept of The Raveonettes (whose name is a combination of Buddy Holly’s Rave On and the Ronettes) began as the work of Wagner while he was living in LA and playing in a surf rock band in 1999. “The LA music scene was terrible. I went out every single night for a month and couldn’t find one single band that I was nearly attracted to,” he admits. “I wanted to do it myself, I guess you can say as a retaliation to the music scene.“
Upon going home to Denmark, Wagner asked Foo, who he had known through mutual contacts, to start the band. “Our number one goal was to make it internationally,” Wagner says. “Sharin and I connected on that level. We were so self-confident, and that set us apart from other bands.” The Raveonettes developed a sound like a 1960s pop band that really liked distortion. They kept their harmonies close, guitars jangly and minimal, and drum beats simple.
Rolling Stone editor David Fricke discovered the duo after they quickly put a band together for Denmark’s SPOT Festival. His admiring review resulted in many label offers for The Raveonettes, who eventually signed with Sony Records. Their debut album, Chain Gang of Love, was a collection of charmingly dark, fuzzy songs in the key of b flat major that bode many comparisons to The Jesus and Mary Chain’s debut, Psychocandy. Their 2005 follow-up, Pretty in Black, was cleaner and more radio friendly. The duo turned down the distortion, turned up the reverb, varied their key signatures and featured legendary guests Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes and Moe Tucker of The Velvet Underground.
Under the umbrella of the major record label, Wagner and Foo felt burned out from constantly touring and promoting themselves. “It was a dream come true,” Foo says. “It established our international career. We are very lucky and privileged [to be part of a major label]. But I didn’t think that it would came to a point where we didn’t play great shows or invest ourselves.”
“It’s a good time to be independent,” she continues. “We’ve never compromised musically. It’s a personal experience for us.” Wagner says, “There’s no use for major labels anymore. You can do it yourself, be your own publicist, and produce it without a corporation.”
As a drummer and self-taught guitarist, Wagner is responsible for the majority of the Raveonettes sound. “I write three to four songs a day,” Wagner says. “When I wake up, I know melodies, guitar lines…” His large collection of songs is his diary. “People don’t realize it, but a lot of the things I do are random,” he says. As for production and recording, he tends to keep first takes. He claims that there are musical blemishes on every Raveonettes record. “I find the mistakes charming,” he says. Foo considers her band mate to be a musical mastermind, noting that the songs for Lust Lust Lust were chosen out of 100 of Wagner’s demos.
Musically, Lust Lust Lust is a return to Chain Gang of Love. It’s noisy, there are few chords, and the vocals are soothing. “In typical Raveonettes fashion, it’s romantic and dirty,” Foo says. “But there is a coldness to it.” Wagner adds, “[The album] is exactly how I envisioned it. I wanted something groovy, mellow, and with an edge.”
“The third track, “Lust,” is a dark song with a drum-machine backbeat, dark, ambient guitar lines, and sad but pretty lyrics. Its style prompted the overall feel of the record. “As we get older, it takes much longer to get satisfied with things,” Foo says. “This is a more modern album.”
Setting it side by side to their other records, it looks distinctly different. There is no nostalgic movie poster, let alone much color at all, and Foo and Wagner are not on the cover. “We got fed up with looking at ourselves,” Foo says. “When people think of the Raveonettes, they think of Sharin and Sune,” Wagner says. “There was too much focus on what we looked like.”
Wagner is looking forward to the upcoming tour, which starts just after the release of the new album. They plan to keep both travel arrangements and their show simple, with only Wagner, Foo, and a drummer on board. “I think a three-people tour works best,” he says laughing. “It looks good on stage. We don’t need a tour bus.” These days, Wagner considers the East Village of New York his home, while Foo resides in Los Angeles. Although they live on separate sides of the country, Wagner and Foo are together for most of the year, touring and, for part of 2007, making the album. “Obviously, it’s not the optimal way of being in a band,” Foo says. “When we’re together, we bounce ideas sitting next to each other.”
“We miss each other socially,” Wagner says. But the idea of home seems to be temporary. “I’m [in the United States] for music. Anything can happen.” he says. “Ten years from now? Maybe I’ll be in Denmark raising a family and ending it. I’ll be proud knowing that I’ve made a name for myself.”
-Kristine Capua
The Raveonettes: www.theraveonettes.com
Vice Records: www.vicerecords.com