Guitarist, singer and songwriter Wess Willis remembers vividly how the band CURSE was conjured up — basically from the corpse of another band.
“We had been slogging it out locally and on West Coast tours for a few years and it was just brutal,” recalls Willis. “The songs I was writing at the time were trending darker and more aggressive, and felt less and less at home within that band. Once it all fell apart, I took the new material and actually approached an artist friend to create a new visual identity around the name CURSE. There was a clear vision for what the new project would be right from the start.”
This was followed up by some shows in Brooklyn and Jersey along with conversations with record labels, “right until the pandemic kicked us in the teeth,” says Willis.
ED Magazine spoke with Willis of CURSE — courtesy of Bob Chiappardi and StripJointsMusic.com — about how the band, comprised of Willis and Stephan Hawkes, has kept itself occupied during the pandemic, the single “Burdens” and the band’s upcoming debut album.
ED: For people that may be unfamiliar with your band, what would you like to tell audiences and prospective listeners about CURSE?
WILLIS: I’d like them to know we mean what we say. Sometimes rock and roll can feel like a costume in 2021. You see a lot of retro-fetishization, or people using rock elements to sell what is really just a goofy pop song. But there’s still room for real, forward-thinking rock bands if you push yourself musically and write about what’s real to you. Obviously there’s no guarantee anyone will like it, but we did not come to bullshit.
ED: Have you found during the pandemic you’ve relied more on music than usual — either as a means of escape, combating boredom, having more time to experiment, etc.?
WILLIS: I’ve actually had to work harder to stay connected to the larger music world. With no shows or even as many long drives to front-to-back albums, it’s been more AirPods and Spotify which just isn’t the same. On the creation side, it was nice to not worry about deadlines or release schedules. We started writing “Burdens” about two years ago, but were able to give it space to develop during the shutdown. A lot of artists did the same so it’s been interesting to hear everyones “pandemic albums.”
When I think about my favorite albums, it’s frequently the weirder or just braver songs toward the end that have stuck with me. If someone is on track nine, they’re with you to the death and you can just really go for broke and take chances. I’m also a believer in albums being a cohesive whole, not just “all the songs we had right now”. So, I’m excited to forge all of the past few years of work into a single piece of art. — Wess WIllis
ED: Is “Burdens” a direct reflection on your own evangelical upbringing? How deeply involved were you in your puritanical culture — how does that compare to your current life as a musician?
WILLIS: I was a professional religious person at multiple points, so, real deep. Coming out the other side has not been all strippers and cocaine (just the first one, pandering!). The bigger difference is the feeling of choice and autonomy. No one is watching or guiding you, you make your own calls and deal with the realities. Where “Burdens” fits into that theme is the idea of of going so deep into something you lose yourself entirely. Because religion is so amorphous there’s no end, you can’t “win”, it’s just year after year of hoping you measure up. Though, ironically, music can be the same!
ED: What are you most excited about in regards to your debut album?
WILLIS: Right now I’m most excited about writing the back half of it. We all love bangers and you need a lot of them. But when I think about my favorite albums, it’s frequently the weirder or just braver songs toward the end that have stuck with me. If someone is on track nine, they’re with you to the death and you can just really go for broke and take chances. I’m also a believer in albums being a cohesive whole, not just “all the songs we had right now”. So, I’m excited to forge all of the past few years of work into a single piece of art.
Sometimes rock and roll can feel like a costume in 2021. You see a lot of retro-fetishization, or people using rock elements to sell what is really just a goofy pop song. But there’s still room for real, forward-thinking rock bands if you push yourself musically and write about what’s real to you. Obviously there’s no guarantee anyone will like it, but we did not come to bullshit. — Wess Willis
ED: What do you have planned as far as live shows the rest of the year or looking ahead to 2022?
WILLIS: In 2022, all we want to do is get back on the road. Tours are still getting cancelled left and right so it’s dicey, but it’ll happen eventually. Everybody’s ready to get out of the studio and see these songs in real life.
ED: StripJoints services DJs at gentlemen’s clubs nationwide, so, in your words, why would “Burdens” be a good choice to play at a gentlemen’s club?
WILLIS: “Burdens” is mid-tempo and very danceable, but there’s a darker edge to it. It has a confident, almost sinister swagger. If you have a dancer with tattoos and sharp teeth who likes Nine Inch Nails, they could definitely make this song work.
