Jason Estopinal: What inspired the name Ra Ra Riot?

Wes: That came from a friend of Milo's.

JE: Any special meaning behind the name?

Wes: Nah, it's just kind of like.... It sounded appropriate for a boisterous and fun band.

JE: Well you're definitely well-pegged for your name.

Wes: (laughs)

JE: When and where was Ra Ra Riot conceived?

Wes: Well, Milo I think wanted to start a band with a violin and either a harpsichord, or no, autoharp, and he met Rebecca in an electronic music class. I had known him (Milo) from like a few years back, and so we all kind of (got together) in January of 2006 to jam.

JE: Who are the members of Ra Ra Riot and what contributions do they make to the unique sound?

Wes: Well there's Milo who I just mentioned, who's the guitar player, and Matt who is the bass player, and John the drummer, and Rebecca plays the violin, Allie plays the cello, and I sing.

JE: I realize the sensitivity of a subject such as the tragic passing of a dear friend, so feel free to completely ignore the question if you need to, but if at all possible, will you describe the character of John Pike to those of us who did not get to know him directly?

Wes: He was a character. He was a very interesting person. He was, you know, the comic relief, and one of the biggest driving creative forces for the band. He was just real interesting and creative.

JE: I appreciate you answering that question, because I know it's a sensitive subject. He must have brought so much to your music. What were his main contributions?

Wes: It's kind of hard to quantify. You know, he was a very talented and creative person. He was a great lyricist, and he helped write half the lyrics. You know, he was always searching for better melodies, and better drum beats.

JE: Can you talk a little about the chemistry of your band and the roles you each have?

Wes: It's kind of hard to describe that, you know. It's just part of your life, but we all try to stay positive and joke around. All the roles change all the time, we're kind of a fluid... We all do different things well, and we like to joke around a lot.

JE: I guess when you're stuck in a van together for that long, you kind of have to find the humor in things.

Wes: Ya, exactly.

JE: What is the role of literature in the song writing process, and what sort of things are you guys reading for inspiration and motivation? (At this point, our cell phones decided to no longer coexist in harmony, and cut out in the middle of the interview. Wes does mention his affinity for classical literature amidst cellular static, intermittent silence, and eventual disconnection.) How is this current tour wrapping up?

Wes: It's been awesome. This tour has been a great experience. It's the first time we've made it to the pacific time zone, going to all the states on the West Coast. So we were pretty pumped about that kind of stuff, and the Editors and Biffy Clyro were great to tour with and great people. And great venues too.

JE: And just looking at your MySpace , you guys are heading to Europe for a little while, how exciting is that?

Wes: Very (laughs). Very exciting.

JE: Even just to visit it's exciting, and you guys get to go over and play your music.

Wes: We're doing a show in Iceland which we're pretty pumped about. It's a place that we won't get to go to very often.

JE: What, if any, are the plans for a full length release and when can we expect that?

Wes: I'm gonna guess April. We're recording in November and December at Bear Creek outside of Seattle.

JE: Thank you so much for the interview, and best of luck to you guys. 

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