Meet the Paybacks!
by Melody Licious
Okay, you’ve heard me prattle on about Detroit’s great music scene and incredible bands like the  White Stripes, The Ruiners, The Go, Inside Five Minutes and many, many more. Here’s an in-depth conversation with the leader of one of my all-time favorite rock bands (from Detroit or elsewhere!) and one of the coolest chicks in town – Wendy Case of The Paybacks! Take notes as Wendy gives us an inside look at Detroit’s thriving scene and her band’s place in it.
Melody: Tell us a little bit about the background of the members of the Paybacks, and about how the band came together.
Wendy: In the early/mid '90s, Ann Arbor had a really thriving garage scene. I was fronting a garage party band called Ten High and we used to play a lot with the Hentchmen who were, at the time, really young. They were fronted by (and still are) John Szymanski (aka Johnny Hentch) who I just adored. So that's how John and I met. Around the same time, the Detroit garage scene was picking up steam with the Detroit Cobras and a new, really sonic, hard rock band called Rocket 455 was forming. I'm not entirely sure when Marco joined Rocket but, about 2 years down the road, they became the shit in Detroit. Hard-charging, aggressive, ass-kicking rock. Hard to beat. So that's how I first became aware of Marco. Mike joined the Hetchmen when they moved to Detroit -- so everybody sorta knew each other. I moved to  Detroit in '97 and when I finally got to the point where I was ready to start playing music again (around 1999), Marco threw his lot in with me. Our first drummer was Pat Pantano (Come Ons/Dirtbombs) and our first bassist was Marc Watt (Dirtys). When Pat left to do the Come Ons (link to: www.thecomeons.com) full time, Mike stepped in and, when we parted ways with Watt on the eve of our first show, John filled in on bass. The lineup just sorta stayed that way.
M: The Payback’s debut release, Knock Loud, is greatly anticipated by music lovers here in Detroit. It’s finally finished and in stores now, but why did you make us wait so long?
W: Our CD release party was April 20th at the Lager House in Detroit with the Dirty Sticks (ex-Cobra Jeff Meier's new band) and the Sights (link to: www.thatsightsband.com) who, in my opinion, are hands-down the best band in the city right now. Why did it take so long? Because we're a bunch of lazy musicians and we'd rather drink than work.
M: In my opinion the CD release party was a smashing success -- the Lager House was so packed I couldn't even breathe! How does it feel to be Detroit's 'rock band of the moment'?
 W: Awwwww shucks, Mizz Melody -- that's a pretty nice thing to say. I guess my feeling is (and I don't want to sound like a blowhard here), whatever praise or attention is coming our way these days is something that we've earned. It took a lot of work and a lot of nerve for this band to get to this point and there's still a lot of ground to cover ahead. We're grateful to be acknowledged -- but mostly, we want to do the best work possible. And that just means staying focused on our original goal -- which is to make music we can all be proud of and perform it with some flair.
M: "Black Girl," from the new record, is one of my favorite songs of all time. Where did the idea or inspiration come to write this?
W: Everybody in town used to spend a lot of time hangin' out at the Garden Bowl Bar -- that's sorta where the scene really started happening. At night, you'd see all the bands in town. But if you went there in the late afternoon, you'd see lots of retired city workers and local construction guys hanging out. It was a really mixed crowd, racially, of mostly men. I was in there one day and these black guys started talking about the "blackest" girlfriends they'd ever had. I was really impressed with how lovingly and with what detail they described the various colors of their various girlfriends' skin. It occurred to me that, most of the references to black women in our musical culture at the time were really derogatory. All "bitches and hos." A black woman couldn't be sexy or desirable without being a "bitch" or a "ho." So  I decided to write a song about how hot black women are that showed them a little more respect. I'm sure it'll be misinterpreted to death -- but that was my intention.
M: Tell us about the "Cheap Paybacks" show you did in Detroit last fall where you played only Cheap Trick tunes. Is C.T. a big influences of yours?
W: It was mostly a lark for Halloween -- but it was fun as hell. And, yes, we all love Cheap Trick along with AC/DC, Alice Cooper Band, Judas Priest, KISS, etc. Hentch and I are serious garage geeks, but this band is really about the stuff we all loved as kids. It's influenced by bands we grew up with.
M: Lately whenever I see or hear of the Ghoul, the Paybacks aren't far behind. What is the band's relationship with him?
W: We love the Ghoul -- that's another guy we grew up with. We love him and he seems to love us, so it's like a mutual admiration society. His crew are all great people too.
M: Last year the Paybacks appeared on a compilation called the Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit from the Sympathy for the Record Industry label. How was that experience for you?
W: Like it was for everybody who appeared on that comp, it was a big boost for us. At the time, it just  seemed like a fun concept. I don't think anybody, including Jack [White, from the White Stripes], knew what kind of numbers it was going to do. We were particularly flattered that he elected to put our track up first on the program because there's a lot of great stuff on there. It was a cool thing for Jack and for Sympathy to do -- we're proud to be a part of it.
M: Even though you were on the Sympathy comp you ended up releasing Knock Loud on Get Hip Records. How did you hook up with them?
W: Because of our previous bands, all of the Paybacks have known Gregg and Barbara and their label for years. They've been linchpins in the indie garage scene for a long time and they have an excellent reputation -- plus they're very sweet people. When they came to Detroit last year, they saw us play the Magic Stick and Gregg came backstage raving. He said something to the effect that, if we did the album with anyone else he would break all our fingers -- and we didn't want that to happen so...
M: You went to art school in San Francisco and I know you used to do some pretty amazing paintings. Has you love of music replaced your love for painting, or were you just sick of trying to wash paint out of your hair?
W: Oh God... the truth? I went to art school because I didn't know what else to do with my life. I find that most people who write or play music usually draw, paint or sculpt as well. It was something that I could do with a level of skill that would probably win me a diploma -- and it did. It never really came in handy for much, but I learned a lot while I was there and had a damn fine time while I was at it. I figure I'll go back to painting when my fingers get too crippled to play guitar anymore -- it sounds like a good "retirement" pastime.
M: How does San Francisco’s music scene compare to Detroit's?
W: I wouldn't have a clue what San Francisco's like now but, from '82-'88, which is when I was there, it was the plundered last vestiges of a great subculture. There were all these great, powerful people still there from the punk scene -- Crime, the Nuns, Flipper, etc., but drugs had really taken a toll on the whole thing, so it was kind of like the wind had been let out of the sails. There was still cool stuff happening, but no real communal spirit anymore -- speed and heroin had ruined it. Detroit, on the other hand, is just getting started -- and we don't seem to have those kinds of problems around here. Everyone feels optimistic, creatively ambitious and mutually supportive -- which are all of the elements you need for a flourishing scene. We drink more than any other humans on earth -- but that won't destroy what's happening here. I'd say, if anything could kill it, it's the interlopers with the big checkbooks -- but that's going to take awhile and, in the meantime, everybody's just having fun.
M: You write a lot about heartbreak and dealing with assholes. If you really listen to the lyrics of some of the Paybacks' songs it's like learning a lesson in love and life. And you sure have given me a lot of good advice. How did you get so wise, and do you have any advice for all the young musicians (male or female) out there?
W: Awww, hell. Again, thanks. My best advice is not to let anybody tell you what to do or how to live your life. If you need direction, ask for it -- from someone you trust. But don't let people push you around or talk you into doing things that go against your natural judgment. It'll just make you miserable. Of course, I only learned that after being dragged over the railroad tracks a couple of times. And, while there is a song on that album that deals directly with an asshole (he's this idiot producer I know -- I've sung it right in his face before while he clapped along... hahahaha), most of those songs are about love and sex -- how it feels when you want it, and how it feels after you get it. Simple human drama -- the highs and lows.
M: Just a random question, who is your favorite dead rock star and why?
W: Dennis Wilson -- drummer of the Beach Boys. Not only was he a desperately unheralded talent, especially as a songwriter, but he had a great joy for life and a serious self-destructive urge. I sympathize with both. He was also waaaaay hot -- which never hurts.
M: What is next for the members of the Paybacks as far as touring, recording or side projects?
W: We'll probably launch some kind of summer tour but, for now, we're just doing some spot dates. We have June dates in Pittsburgh and NYC. We also covered "Surrender" for a comp coming out on the NY label Bankshot! Records later this summer.
The Paybacks will be performing Friday, June 28th at the Warsaw, located at 261 Driggs Ave, in Brooklyn, NY. Other bands on the bill include the Cynics, the Rezillos, Chargers Street Gang, Gore Gore Girls and Mondo Topless. Visit www.thepaybacks.com or www.gethip.com for more information on the The Paybacks.
Melody Licious
Detroit @ Nite |
