Milwaukee quartet Heidiboxer started out as an acoustic duo with Will Buege and Dave Kenyon. But when drummer Dan Vierck and bassist Steve Buege were added, the band’s rock and roll sound remained informed by Heidiboxer’s acoustic roots.
For proof of that, check out the band’s new self-titled debut long-player, which follows on the heels of a successful four-song EP that sold more than 4,000 copies locally.
With influences that range from The Shins to Wilco to the Beatles, it’s little surprise that the group tapped Chicago’s King Size Studio and engineer Mike Hagler to record the disc. After all, that combination spelled success for Wilco, My Morning Jacket and The New Pornographers in the past.
We recently caught up with Will Buege and Kenyon to learn more about the history of the band and the recording of the 13-song “Heidiboxer.”
OMC: Tell us a bit about the history of the band. It started as an acoustic duo didn’t it?
Will Buege: Yeah, I heard Dave first play at this open-mic style show in high school. We began practicing together and right away it was evident that our musical styles complimented each other very well, so shortly thereafter we began performing as an acoustic act.
My brother Steve was fronting the Madison-based punk band called “Inept” at the time. In 2002, the sound guy at one of our shows expressed interest in us, and he just happened to be a drummer. At this time, Inept wasn’t really playing many shows, so Steve jumped on board as bassist, and Heidiboxer was formed. It was just a few months and we found ourselves recording a four-song demo, but that lead to our first roadblock. Shortly after leaving the studio, Steve got terribly ill and couldn’t perform, so we canceled shows, our drummer took off on his Harley, and we went on a bit of a hiatus.
Then in the spring of 2005, with a healthy Steve and a renewed vigor to conquer the world, we began looking for a new drummer. We found him in Dan Vierck, who was a high school classmate of Dave and I. We really haven’t looked back since, as we spent the better half of 2006 recording our self titled debut album.
OMC: Did that beginning have a big effect on how the band sounds now?
WB: I think so. Not only were these songs first created to be played live acoustically, but the writing relationship that Dave and I developed early on has contributed to how we function in our creative process when writing now. Although our sound has evolved dramatically from two acoustic guitars, the philosophy is still in tact, and I think it’s to the benefit of the listener.
Dave Kenyon: A lot of the songs on the album are songs that Will and I had been playing for years as an acoustic duo. It was our hope that the songs would eventually evolve into what they have today, but it wasn’t until Steve joined on bass and Dan on drums that we developed a sound of our own.
OMC: What’s in a name?
WB: The name “heidiboxer” is a term that comes from my family, from my sister in particular. You see, one year she got my brother and I boxers for Christmas. Then I got them for my birthday, and seemingly every other gifting opportunity that presented itself was met by a new pair of boxers from my sister, whose name happens to be “Heidi.” This gifting trick quickly grew infamous within our family and garnered its own nickname, “heidiboxers.”
OMC: Did the success of the EP put some pressure on the band when it came time to record the full-length disc?
WB: I don’t think we felt too much pressure. We were just excited to get back into the studio and make our best album to date. We knew we had grown as a band and were eager to record that growth, but at the same time we were very patient and cautious not to rush the project until we were all collectively satisfied with the tracks. It was a very comfortable process working with the talents of Engineer Mike Hagler and Producer Joe Sauer.
DK: Definitely. As an acoustic act, Will and I strove to write complimentary parts and melodies to fill out the songs. It’s the same thing now: During writing, we all take the time to help each other write their parts so everything works together.
OMC: Can you tell us a bit about Joe Sauer and the experience of working with him on the disc?
WB: Joe is an amazing guy. As a musician, I think most of us tend to have doubts from time to time about our music, but Joe provided just the right amount of encouragement to get us through the project, and to always be getting the sound we wanted. He let us keep artistic control throughout, but also contributed … in a manner that gained our trust.
DK: Joe has been such a driving force behind the band. Our random meeting was the turning point for Heidiboxer. In the months leading up to the studio, Joe was at every practice helping us refine the songs so that we’d be ready to record. It’s in those months that we really found our sound. In the studio, Joe could always put in an extra hour (or two) than we thought we could -- the man doesn’t need sleep. He really pushed the project along and kept us on track.
OMC: The record appears to be getting some play. Which stations in Milwaukee are spinning it?
WB: I know that “Quiet Conversation” has received some plays on 102.1 Independent Alternative Radio.
DK: As part of their Sunday scene.
OMC: What do you think sets the band apart? What accounts for all the good attention Heidiboxer has been getting lately?
WB: I think if anything sets us apart from other bands it’s our relationship and camaraderie that we share, our strong work ethic, and our desire to stay independent. We work extremely hard to keep our operations internal and not under the control of a record company. I think the mentality at the local level is that the goal is to get signed, and then your problems will be taken care of. We feel that just isn’t the case with 90 percent of the record deals that get signed. So many bands tear themselves apart, but we get along so well. We are a band of brothers.
DK: We all work hard at it. We’re not afraid to take risks that other bands in our position might be afraid to take. We’re constantly working to get our music into peoples’ hands, and that’s the only way that you’re going to get attention.
OMC: Are you already thinking about the next one?
WB: Yeah, it’s definitely on my mind, but first we need to get ourselves out there working from our self-titled debut.
For proof of that, check out the band’s new self-titled debut long-player, which follows on the heels of a successful four-song EP that sold more than 4,000 copies locally.
With influences that range from The Shins to Wilco to the Beatles, it’s little surprise that the group tapped Chicago’s King Size Studio and engineer Mike Hagler to record the disc. After all, that combination spelled success for Wilco, My Morning Jacket and The New Pornographers in the past.
We recently caught up with Will Buege and Kenyon to learn more about the history of the band and the recording of the 13-song “Heidiboxer.”
OMC: Tell us a bit about the history of the band. It started as an acoustic duo didn’t it?
Will Buege: Yeah, I heard Dave first play at this open-mic style show in high school. We began practicing together and right away it was evident that our musical styles complimented each other very well, so shortly thereafter we began performing as an acoustic act.
My brother Steve was fronting the Madison-based punk band called “Inept” at the time. In 2002, the sound guy at one of our shows expressed interest in us, and he just happened to be a drummer. At this time, Inept wasn’t really playing many shows, so Steve jumped on board as bassist, and Heidiboxer was formed. It was just a few months and we found ourselves recording a four-song demo, but that lead to our first roadblock. Shortly after leaving the studio, Steve got terribly ill and couldn’t perform, so we canceled shows, our drummer took off on his Harley, and we went on a bit of a hiatus.
Then in the spring of 2005, with a healthy Steve and a renewed vigor to conquer the world, we began looking for a new drummer. We found him in Dan Vierck, who was a high school classmate of Dave and I. We really haven’t looked back since, as we spent the better half of 2006 recording our self titled debut album.
OMC: Did that beginning have a big effect on how the band sounds now?
WB: I think so. Not only were these songs first created to be played live acoustically, but the writing relationship that Dave and I developed early on has contributed to how we function in our creative process when writing now. Although our sound has evolved dramatically from two acoustic guitars, the philosophy is still in tact, and I think it’s to the benefit of the listener.
Dave Kenyon: A lot of the songs on the album are songs that Will and I had been playing for years as an acoustic duo. It was our hope that the songs would eventually evolve into what they have today, but it wasn’t until Steve joined on bass and Dan on drums that we developed a sound of our own.
OMC: What’s in a name?
WB: The name “heidiboxer” is a term that comes from my family, from my sister in particular. You see, one year she got my brother and I boxers for Christmas. Then I got them for my birthday, and seemingly every other gifting opportunity that presented itself was met by a new pair of boxers from my sister, whose name happens to be “Heidi.” This gifting trick quickly grew infamous within our family and garnered its own nickname, “heidiboxers.”
OMC: Did the success of the EP put some pressure on the band when it came time to record the full-length disc?
WB: I don’t think we felt too much pressure. We were just excited to get back into the studio and make our best album to date. We knew we had grown as a band and were eager to record that growth, but at the same time we were very patient and cautious not to rush the project until we were all collectively satisfied with the tracks. It was a very comfortable process working with the talents of Engineer Mike Hagler and Producer Joe Sauer.
DK: Definitely. As an acoustic act, Will and I strove to write complimentary parts and melodies to fill out the songs. It’s the same thing now: During writing, we all take the time to help each other write their parts so everything works together.
OMC: Can you tell us a bit about Joe Sauer and the experience of working with him on the disc?
WB: Joe is an amazing guy. As a musician, I think most of us tend to have doubts from time to time about our music, but Joe provided just the right amount of encouragement to get us through the project, and to always be getting the sound we wanted. He let us keep artistic control throughout, but also contributed … in a manner that gained our trust.
DK: Joe has been such a driving force behind the band. Our random meeting was the turning point for Heidiboxer. In the months leading up to the studio, Joe was at every practice helping us refine the songs so that we’d be ready to record. It’s in those months that we really found our sound. In the studio, Joe could always put in an extra hour (or two) than we thought we could -- the man doesn’t need sleep. He really pushed the project along and kept us on track.
OMC: The record appears to be getting some play. Which stations in Milwaukee are spinning it?
WB: I know that “Quiet Conversation” has received some plays on 102.1 Independent Alternative Radio.
DK: As part of their Sunday scene.
OMC: What do you think sets the band apart? What accounts for all the good attention Heidiboxer has been getting lately?
WB: I think if anything sets us apart from other bands it’s our relationship and camaraderie that we share, our strong work ethic, and our desire to stay independent. We work extremely hard to keep our operations internal and not under the control of a record company. I think the mentality at the local level is that the goal is to get signed, and then your problems will be taken care of. We feel that just isn’t the case with 90 percent of the record deals that get signed. So many bands tear themselves apart, but we get along so well. We are a band of brothers.
DK: We all work hard at it. We’re not afraid to take risks that other bands in our position might be afraid to take. We’re constantly working to get our music into peoples’ hands, and that’s the only way that you’re going to get attention.
OMC: Are you already thinking about the next one?
WB: Yeah, it’s definitely on my mind, but first we need to get ourselves out there working from our self-titled debut.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
