The Humble Whigs - Athens' Latest Music Prodigy

by Carrie Dagenhard | photos courtesy of bighassle.com

Its 11:30 p.m. on February 20 and in one hour, Athens-native band The Whigs will air on Late Night with Conan O'Brien before an estimated 2.5 million viewers. Precisely at this time, drummer Julian Dorio is traveling along a snowy back road in Pennsylvania with guitarist/vocalist Parker Gispert and bassist Tim Deaux.

"Conan is enormous!" says Dorio. "He's quite the presence anyway, but when you see him in person, it's like looking at a big caricature."

Dorio says they told "a few people" that they were on the show. Apparently, being on national TV still hasn't hit The Whigs. Or maybe it's because they're seasoned professionals-they appeared on Letterman in January as well. Either way, Dorio seems completely relaxed. This band takes modesty to a whole new level.

University of Georgia graduate Kelly Wilson, who says she bonded with the band over a common love of Sun Chips and Pabst Blue Ribbon at an Asheville, NC show, admits she was deeply impressed by the band's lack of ego. "They seem really chill. They didn't act like rock stars," she says. "And they will add you on Facebook."

Wilson also mentions that the band is still very much a presence in the Athens community. "I saw Julian at Little Italy not too long ago," she said. "It's just cool that they still hang out around here and don't really think about people recognizing them."

The Whigs formed in 2002 while attending UGA and landed the chance to open for both The Killers and Franz Ferdinand before releasing their first record. Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip was recorded over the summer of 2005 in an empty fraternity house using equipment they purchased on eBay that they could barely afford, and later sold back. The guys then drove to record stores and dropped off copies of their album.

"Being a musician probably isn't the most rational career path," Dorio says. "We didn't have a lot of money or resources, so we were forced to be clever."

Being clever paid off: The Whigs were nationally recognized before they had even graduated. Two years ago, Rolling Stone said The Whigs might be "the best unsigned band in America," rating them among the "10 Artists to Watch."

Murphy Wolford, who has booked shows at local venue Tasty World for nearly 11 years, does not seemed at all surprised by the band's success. "I see as many bands as anyone, and they are one of those special bands that jumped right out the first time I saw them," says Wolford. "It seems they always knew they had a spark of something and they should just let the music do the talking."

Somehow, The Whigs managed to book shows out-of-state while finishing their last semester at UGA. According to Dorio, they would attend class Monday through Friday and book shows on the weekends, although they would skip class when necessary.

"The problem came when we started booking shows in Chicago and New York," Dorio says. "We would drive 13 hours, play a show, and drive 13 hours back. It was like 'Hey! I'm going to go run an errand in New York. Be right back!'"

In 2006, the band signed with ATO Records, who produced their second album Mission Control, released this year. Dorio said that while doing things on your own is great when you're getting started, there comes a point when you can't finance everything by yourself.

"We're fortunate because we work with a label that allows us to do what we want to do," Dorio says. "We have a mutual trust. When you have a good home, you welcome the criticism and adjustments."

Rob Schnapf, who has worked with groundbreaking acts like Beck, Elliott Smith and The Vines, worked with the band on Mission Control. "It was crazy to be sitting in L.A. with Rob Schnapf," Dorio says. "Sometimes we all just look at each other and say 'this is a great day!'"

But the boys haven't forgotten their musically fertile birthplace. In the footsteps of the B-52's, R.E.M. and Widespread Panic, The Whigs have put the Athens music scene back on the sub-culture radar. Dorio refers to the scene as "something that cannot be stopped," adding that people should be careful not to pigeonhole it as simply a place for college rock. "There is so much more going on," Dorio says. "Athens has grown so much and there are so many different types of music being played."

Dorio also adds that Athens is very supportive of artistic growth. He says that the town has a genuine love for the music it produces. "And we love Athens," he says. "Not all college towns are so musical."

According to Dorio the secret to success is hard work. They tour relentlessly, focus on their music, and the rest, Dorio says, is just "the icing."

Wolford agrees. "If you look back over the last 30 years of Athens music this is what the legends are made of: work ethic," he says. He also adds that the guys are also really good people. "I would trust them to baby-sit my kid. That may not help their street cred, but it's the damn truth."

While The Whigs are a household name on the alternative circuits, Dorio claims the hometown response is simply "pretty good."

"I mean, we're not R.E.M."