We recently had an opportunity to interview The Recreation Station, an indie (electro) folk-rock band originating from the great land of Madison, Wisconsin.
Below Shawn Wiederhoeft answers questions as I try to learn more about the band and their music.
Let’s jump in. Who are you? Where are you from? And what style of music do you create?
My name Is Shawn Wiederhoeft, I am originally from Green Bay WI, (Packer-ville!) but have been living in Madison for about 5 years now.
My style ranges from pure sand in your eyes folk, to phat beatz electronica. Heh, but my current project is mostly indie(folk) rock with some electro elements thrown in for good measure.
I really dig the album cover. Who did the art work? How did you decide on the album title – Room For The Sun?
Ha, thanks! My sister actually did the artwork for it all the way over in Portland, she does a lot of awesome illustrations/comics, and has written a full length Graphic Novel as well in “The Picket Line”
The name was born from a seemingly eternal winter up here in Wisconsin. It was essentially me putting my best foot forward in the thaw, and deciding that no matter what I was going through, there is always room for the sun.
What led you to choose the name Recreation Station for the band?
Well my sister got us a gig once at Mother Fools for a variety show type thing. She asked me what we should put our name down as, and I suggested Recreation Station. To be honest, I don’t remember exactly what brought it on…I do remember that I really dug the name of the band “Welcome Wagon” and one night was trying to figure out a name that would roll off the tongue in a similar fashion. The style of music was very whimsical and fun, so Recreation Station seemed a good a fit as any! Now, does it refer to a radio station, or train station? … its been promoted in both ways – so its up for interpretation!
Did the band come together initially for that coffee shop show in 2008? Or were you already thinking/playing with the idea of walking this path?
It came together officially for that show. But I wouldn’t even call us a band at the time. We were just a brother and sister playing songs that we both wrote at one point in time. We had a number of past projects before that like Pilot and Painter, and Stegabach, to name a few. But Recreation Station was the first one to stick.
What first motivated you to immerse yourself in music – playing instruments and writing songs, etc?
Both of my parents played guitar, and when I was young my mom would take me to the nursing home with her to play and sing songs for the elderly. I just watched and listened at the time, but thats what got the ball rolling. Although I was always humming and singing in my sleep, I didn’t take up the guitar and start writing songs until I was about 14.
What did you listen to growing up? What do you listen to now? Have your tastes changed over time?
I listened to everything on the radio back in the 90s. I wasn’t into anything particular until High school. At that point I was really into Weezer, Everclear, and a few other bands I am not to proud of (early Weezer excluded!) Ha, now I find myself listening to a lot of bands my friends suggest to me. Ranging anywhere from Future Islands, to PHOX, a local group rising above the noise.
What is the indie music scene like in your area of Wisconsin?
I have been on the outer edge the past few years. Though as I am digging deeper into it, I find its like anyplace with a creative fabric – lots of great bands to be heard. We have some great venues here in Madison, and we are close to Milwaukee and Chicago. So its a nice place to get your feet wet.
Do you actively gig? Any tours?
We are currently practicing for a few shows on the horizon, but we aren’t on an official tour or anything. We are still getting everything ironed out for live performance!
(The Wurst Festival on May 26th @ The High Noon 5:15 pm)
How has the Internet / social media helped (or hurt) you promote your music and connect with fans? What’s the biggest challenge you face?
Its been a HUGE help. Facebook alone lets us keep in contact with fans, and allows them to spread the word via sharing posts, videos, the album, really anything we put out. The biggest challenge is growing your fan base. We have a strong core of great fans who will be at as many shows as they can make, the trick is growing that number.
Anything you’d like to share with aspiring musicians or songwriters? Something you wish you knew when you first started?
I think the biggest thing I have learned is to never force things. If a song isn’t coming, take a break and do something else. I have spent far too much time beating myself up over a song that wasn’t coming to me fast enough. If its not coming, wait until it does.
Where can we grab the album? Where can we connect with Recreation Station online?
You can download it here: http://recreationstation.bandcamp.com
Our Facebook page is Here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Recreation-Station
Any last thoughts? Shout outs?
A big thank you to everyone who has bought and downloaded the album! We have a lot on the horizon, so follow us on Facebook and stay tuned!
