Meeting the guys of Isla Vista’s rocking garage band, Savage Henry

It’s a Monday night and the guys of Savage Henry (all UCSB students) are hanging out at their base on Trigo.  Walking in reveals a more lively environment much different from their neighbors on the dimly lit block  — chill, yet full of energy. On one wall are a bunch of acoustic guitars stacked against one another.  In the background, music plays rather loudly.

Their place acts like a hub of some kind – people constantly walking in and out, engaging in casual conversation, opening beers and having a good time. (One guy even came in with a huge bag of fresh arugula.)

The whole atmosphere was just full of good vibes.

Isla Vista has had a long and great musical history, with stories going all the way back to the mid to late 1960s.  The community has turned out many impressive artists like The Oles and of course the more widely known artists such as Steve Aoki who made beats in the Biko house, and Jack Johnson who resided on the 66 block of Sabado Tarde.

Music has always been an important part of the IV scene, with sounds going beyond those being played from laptops, and rather from garages and backyards of bands playing reggae, rock, or eclectic instrumental sets.  Savage Henry, having won UCSB’s 2016 Battle of the Bands, is one of IV’s bands keeping the tradition alive, adding to the community’s list of talented artists.  Making sure to not disturb the atmosphere inside, the guys decided to head out to the front porch to talk about their music and their experiences as a band in Isla Vista.

All photos courtesy of the artists

Rae Ann:  So how did Savage Henry form?  What is the history of how you guys met?

John:  So Wilder and I started playing music together in 8th grade and kind of just played throughout high school.  We’ve known Andrew for a long time as well, and he just kind of picked up the guitar midway through high school and started jamming with us too.  Junior year, we did Battle of the Bands, and it was us three plus two other friends of ours and we were called The Beatles.  Exactly like The Beatles, so that was kind of funny.  

We didn’t win it, but everyone thought we should’ve won it.

Wilder:  It was rigged. [Everyone laughs simultaneously]

John:  If you look up YouTube conspiracy videos, there are a ton of them on that battle of the bands [laughing].  You could find them, yeah.  So anyways, fate brought us together here at Santa Barbara – the three of us.  So we obviously decided to make another band and we needed a new drummer.

Wilder:  So, Will was entertaining.  There was a weekend when John had gone home and there was this girl I knew who was in a sorority and they had this backhouse, or the garage really, that four guys leased out.  I got to know them one night and they said they wanted to play shows.  I was like, we can play shows!  I didn’t really have a band and told them that if they could find a drummer, we could do it.  One guy was like, “I’ll find you a drummer!”  The next day, he sends me a phone number and I was like, “who is this?”  And he was like, “It’s your drummer”.  I call it and he [Wilder] was asking about a glass table which I don’t have and so he hangs up on me.  Point is, he shows up and plays a show with me and Andrew.  And after that, we asked him if we could call him our drummer.

Andrew:  The first time we met him, we played a show.

Wilder:  Yeah, we met him, he drove to our house.  We didn’t even play anything.  We packed up the car by the time he rode up.  We drove over to the house on Del Playa and just fucked around.

Will: We just jammed.  We didn’t practice beforehand at all.

Andrew:  That was the first day we met each other.

Wilder:  Three songs in and I asked you if you knew Moby Dick [the badass Led Zeppelin instrumental] and that was that. [Laughs]

Will:  Also, it wasn’t as simple as this guy having my phone number.  My phone number got relayed between like four different people.

Wilder:  Yeah, so still really have no clue on how we actually met, but we did and it worked.  It worked really well.

Wilder on lead vocals, bass, and guitar  

Rae Ann:  What about the name?

John:  If you’re familiar with the work of Hunter S. Thompson.  He did Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  There’s a part in the book/movie where they’re driving to Las Vegas and they pick up this hitchhiker who is this really innocent young kid, and they’re all like high on shrooms or something.

The kid is like asking them all these questions like, “what are you guys all doing in the desert?”  The attorney who is played by Benicio Del Toro turns around and says, “We’re hunting this scag dealer named Savage Henry because he ripped us off, so we’re going to go find him and kill him.”  That’s how they scare him to get out of the car and leave him alone.  That’s where the name comes from.

Andrew:  But we’re having some trouble with it.

John:  Yeah, there’s another band called Savage Henry and the Infamous One Pounders and they have stuff on iTunes and everything.  

Andrew:  They’re like screamo.  Like, rockabilly screamo.  

John:  Yeah, they’re weird.  So, we’re just trying to find a solution.  We don’t know where it’s going to go from here.

Andrew:  The music is going to keep coming.

John:  Yeah, the band itself is not in danger.

Salvaje by The Band Formerly Known As Savage Henry

Rae Ann:  So I know IV has kind of been a hub for a lot of famous musicians like Jack Johnson and Steve Aoki and many of others.  How did you guys end up here and what were your first impressions of IV as a music scene?

John:  Um, my first impression of IV as a music scene during was my senior year of high school visiting here with a friend of mine who also got in.  We were staying with one of his older friends and we were like drinking at his house and he told us of this party he knew of and we should go to it.  I’m like, “oh shoot, my first college party, what’s it going to be like?”.  It was like a 70s themed dance party and all the music was like funk.  So that’s when I was like, okay there could be good music here in Isla Vista.  And after I moved up here, I learned about the whole history of The Olés and just watched other bands out here.  Definitely for me, I saw opportunity because in my experience at least, every band that I saw was just trying to be like The Olés.  We have this term we use that’s just Sublime cover bands of Isla Vista essentially, and so that to me was an opportunity for room for a good rock and roll band.  Because now everyone’s trying to do that beachy vibe which is cool and it’s very fitting, it’s good stuff, we all love Sublime, but it’s just like opportunity for something new.

Wilder:  I finished high school in Virginia so I just wanted to be back in California and play music.  I wanted to be able to surf by my house.  I came to visit Isla Vista and we all played music on that trip.  I came back, and I was like, there’s already a kind of life waiting for me there.  And as soon as I came back, I had a little bit of time off, and spent six months just kind of coming up here every chance I got and I loved it here.  I knew the music existed, but I didn’t really fall in love with it here for the music scene.  I have great people here.  It’s something to show up into. And, I don’t know.  We were going to make a band.  Fuck all the other ones.  We were going to make a band.  It was just that simple.

Will on drums 

Rae Ann:  So adding on to that.  What do you guys think makes Isla Vista so special, especially for musicians like yourselves?

Will:  I’d say the proximity and all the young people and people who are willing to have live music late at night.  It’s so easy.  And like, people could just walk a block, or walk down the road to go see a live show or something so you get really good turnouts and it’s in a college environment.

Wilder:  It doesn’t matter what time in the afternoon we’re playing.  If there’s someone making news in the garage for an extended period of time, someone’s going to roll through and be just excited to know its happening.  They’re excited to meet you for no good reason other than the fact that you’re making it happen.  And then they’re going to go about on their merry way and both of your days are a little bit brighter and yeah.  There’s just no place like that.

[Just then, the house dog Ruca comes in and everyone is distracted by her cuteness.]

Rae Ann:  So would you guys say that Isla Vista has some influence on your guys’ sound?  

John:  I mean, I’d say we are pretty true to our sound.  I’d say it has more influence on our setlist choices just ‘cause like, we kind of know our audience.  We know the types of environments we’re going to be playing.  So that definitely influences our setlist choices.  But in terms of other IV bands, The Hypno Rings have definitely influenced us.  I know their guitar player Matt has definitely given me something to shoot for as a guitar player, you know?  And just learn more.  And they’ve definitely kind of influenced us in showing us that different things are possible in Isla Vista; like you can do an extended instrumental jam and people will still enjoy that.  That’s kind of the music we kind of love and we’ve been kind of incorporating that more and more into our sets.

Will:  The Hypno Rings aren’t quote on quote a typical Isla Vista band.

John:  Yeah, they’re all instrumental, all extended jams.  Different time signatures and key modulations.  Just really interesting stuff.  Very trippy and psychedelic at times and kind of mechanical and technical at others.  It’s just always really really fun listening to them.

Andrew:  We love The Hypno Rings.

Wilder:  Also, my godfather was in a band back here in the 70s.  He knew one of my professors, and from the little bit of intro into what their lives were like, there’s been a tradition here to setting the scene to people’s days and festivities and I want to be a part of that.  I think we all want to be a part of that.  Just helping make the ruckus.  It’s epic.  It’s fun.  It makes me happy.  

Andrew on piano/keys and bass 

Rae Ann: Where are your guys’ favorite places to play in IV?  Are there any main venues or houses?

Andrew:  The garage a.k.a. The Savage Den.  We practice in there tons of times.

John:  Yeah, definitely The Savage Den.  Also, favorite spot last year was probably on 67 Trigo at our friend Michael’s humble abode.  That was a really fun one all the time.  

Wilder:  Also, let it be known that slam dancing is sweeping the nation.  [Everyone laughing]  It’s coming into your homes and it’s ruining your afternoons.  But, it’s making your evenings.  

John:  Slam dancing.  Don’t do it.  Don’t slam dance.  

Wilder:  Slam dancing is a legal definition in the city ordinance actually.  

John:  It’s very similar to moshing or regular dancing, but there is some kind of a difference that makes it illegal.  [Everyone laughing]  So, if the cops are there and you’re slam dancing, they’re going to shut you down.  

Wilder:  They will take photos and they will send them to your landlord.

John:  They carry camcorders around so they can capture the slam dancing so if you wanted an example of slam dancing since I don’t really know what it is, if you went maybe to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and asked them to see some of those videos, the video evidence of slam dancing, maybe they can show you.  If you tell them it’s for journalistic purposes, yeah.  If you mention Savage Henry, they might not cooperate with you.  

Wilder:  I’ve only had one conversation with a cop.  Actually, two.  Both friendly.  

Will:  Dude, it was like the same cop that busted up like, four of our shows.  

Wilder:  That wasn’t the same cop that was at the Harbor house.

Andrew:  No, he wasn’t at slam dancing.  

John:  Yeah, that was not a friendly interaction.

Wilder:  Because there was the Harbor house guy that was like, “I’m sorry I’m going to have to shut you down.  But you guys sound great.  Sorry.”

John:  Yeah, that guy was fine.  But the other guy…  I don’t know if I’d call that interaction friendly.  Yeah, that wasn’t a good night.

Wilder: I had words to say to that man…

John:  So basically here…  Where else do we like to play?

Will:  I like playing oceanside DP.

Andrew:  Our friend Mitch’s house was righteous.  

John:  Yeah, Mitch’s old house on 66 Del Playa and The Dolphin House, yeah that’s a fun one.  

Rae Ann:  So what are other bands in IV you guys enjoy listening to?  You guys mentioned The Hypno Rings.

Everyone simultaneously:  The Hypno Rings!!

John:  And expect big things out of The Openers.  I really like them.  They’re a very new, up and coming band.  Still kind of like getting their act together, but I really enjoy working with them.  They’re really great guys.  Very professional and they’re really good.  Their first show that we heard was very good.  I was pleasantly surprised.  So expect great things out of them.

John on lead guitar

Rae Ann:  Great, so what is happening now with your guys’ band?  I really like the song Slander.  Are you guys working on any new songs at the moment?  EP?  Anything?

Andrew:  Well we have maybe two or three albums worth of original music that we’ve written over the past two years and we’ve only managed to record around like six of them and we’ve released those three, some are still in the mixing process and some still need to be recorded, but basically like, we don’t have a lot of time like for all of us to just like record.  And that’s like our main issue.  But, we have the music.  We just don’t necessarily have the means to record.

John:  Yeah, the three songs you heard as well as the other four that we have just sitting in limbo right now were all done in the garage here.  Just with a very basic set up in the garage recording it.  It’s very DIY and Slander is the one song that we had mixed which was by Will’s friend Ben.  We sent it to him, and he mixed it for us.  So that’s the one song that’s like actually mixed.  The other two, I just kind of did it.  I didn’t really know what I was doing.  I kind of just went in there and did the best I could to make us sound good and that’s why you could tell there’s a kind of obvious difference in the way it sounds when you go from that first song to the other two…  Slander is the one song that is actually mixed and actually done right.  So, that’s kind of what we’re waiting on now.  Just kind of waiting on all those other songs to Ben so that he could mix them and do them properly and you know, probably put those out and yeah.  It’s just a matter of sitting in the garage and recording track by track ‘cause we’ve only got like one really good recording (through instrument microphone) so we’ve got to just do it track by track.  

Rae Ann:  So how do you guys balance doing music and doing schoolwork or is it kind of just like let’s take a break and write something or is it something that you guys do individually and like bring it together?

John:  Yeah, I think that’s how I would characterize it.  It’s been very individual, and then we’ll bring what we’ve been working with to the band and that’s where it kind of evolves.  Especially ‘cause like what we’ll try to do is like we’ll just try to work the song into our live set, even if it’s just an instrumental and we’ll just play it live.  The more you play it, the more you hear it as a group and it just kind of starts to mature and turn into a whole song.  So it like start of starts off as an individual process and then it kind of like takes shape when the whole band gets their hands on it you know? So that’s how it usually is.  But then, we’ve been able to find time.  Like, luckily this quarter, our schedules are lined up so that like now, Monday nights and Wednesday nights are when we’re usually all around so we can practice and do whatever work we need to do.  And then on weekends, depending on when we’re playing and when people are working and stuff, we can probably get in like one practice in on the weekends.  It just depends.  

Wilder:  We all just play when we can.  The four of us, cannot help ourselves but play music. I’m so excited that our garage has just turned into what it has. I hope it continues to turn into it.  To come home any day and to find someone posted in the garage making music and practicing their own thing.  Will taking over it at times, making the whole house vibrate.  Playing incredible metal.  Because we stole him from some other band.  They’re wonderful, but they’re heavy.  

Andrew:  Give us your metal background!

Will:  I got two other bands.  One is sort of like an alternative rock grunge band called Emporia.  We haven’t really done much in a while but we have music on Bandcamp and all that.  I just recently joined this metal band in the Bay Area and its like pretty extreme music.  We got an EP out.  It’s called House of Wolves. So that’s also on Bandcamp.  Check it out if you like heavy music and awesome drumming. [Laughing]  

Rae Ann:  Okay, so last question.  What are your guys’ future plans as a band?

Wilder:  I’ll probably make breakfast tomorrow.  

Rae Ann:  That’s a good plan.

Will:  Yeah, just take it as far as it goes.  

John:  Yeah, definitely.  Like, we’ve been somewhat looking at getting signed.  Although you know.  That’s kind of a long shot these days with just a lot of bands.

Andrew:  We’ve just been trying to do this as far as we can.  None of us really have a concrete idea as to how much longer this will last, but we’re just trying to enjoy the ride and hopefully with the right people listening, we’d get opportunities and we’ll hopefully see them through.

[For the whole duration of the interview, more and more people continued to flow in and out the house including a member of The Hypno Rings, and Beau who happened to be one of Savage Henry’s biggest fans and had something to say.]

Beau:  Hey, my name is Beau and I’m Savage Henry’s number one fan.  Been around since there were only around four or five guys at their shows, and now they’re fucking making everyone lose their minds.  Savage Henry kind of just gets me by most days I could say.  Looking forward to the boys shows during the weekends.  I just downloaded a couple of their songs off Bandcamp for free and uh, yeah!  I’d say Slander is my favorite song now, but that kind of changes everyday, kind of goes through phases. I’d say Savage Henry wets my whistle for sure!  And, yeah!  Really, yeah!  It’s always fun to shake my tail feather and let loose with the boys!  That’s what it’s all about! I don’t know why I’m starting to talk in my Australian accent. But, uh yeah!  Cheers!  

Facebook: The Band Formerly Known as Savage Henry

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@raeannvarona