Q+A: The Villains, 'The New Norfolk Sound'

It only took 2½ years for the Norfolk-based band The Villains to usher in what they’re calling “The New Norfolk Sound” – with a CD release party at the Taphouse in Norfolk on Friday.

The 13-song disc has Steve Baise and Eric Thornton on vocals/guitars, Jamie McGuffey on drums and Kenny Andrews on bass/backing vocals putting a new spin on an old sound.

“It’s just something I started saying because of Frank Guida, which is the original Norfolk sound. I don’t write it as good or the same, but pretty close to the same style as him, which is rooted in the ’50s with girls and cars,” said Baise, songwriter and former member of 1989’s New York City punk rockers The Devil Dogs. Baise toured in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada and, of course, the United States while with the band. He moved from New York 10 years ago, when the Dogs broke up, “I basically grew up in Jersey, and living down here reminds me of Jersey.”

Last year, The Villains released a single in vinyl format: A side, “Villain;” B side, “Favorite Song.” “I like records,” he said. “Plus it’s kind of a calling card.” The band tries to maintain the fundamentals of songwriting, while having fun with the rock ’n’ roll, he said.

One message the band wants to get out, and what they feel separates them from other bands, is oldies music. “Listen to how they did it in the ’60s and ’70s and how simple the chord structures were. Nobody knows the standards.”

This is how Baise answered our questions. 

If the band could write its own headline, what would it be?

Who are these guys?

Has the band ever been stiffed by a venue and, if so, what happened?

Yes, in New York City. I guess we didn’t get the 20 people in to see us in order to get paid.

If the band was signed to a record deal, how would it spend the advance?

Equipment. Playing for the USO.

Give us an original song lyric, and tell what it means.

“Just Like Your Dad.” Most men are just like their dad, and when we hear them complain of something their dad did/does they have to be reminded they’re … “just like your dad.”

Patty Jenkins, (757) 446-2298, patty.jenkins@pilotonline.com