talking to ra ra riot about ’80s trends

Hanging out with a bunch of cool bands on a snowy mountaintop might sound like the ultimate dream. But thanks to awesome music website The Wild Honey Pie, it’s actually something that goes down IRL. No, seriously. This winter, the Brooklyn-based media and events company held a contest to send a bunch of music lovers up to Vermont's Stratton Resort to watch fireside, mountaintop performances from bands like Wilsen, The Orwells, Tei Shi, and Ra Ra Riot. We had the chance to hop on the bus and head up to the ‘80s-themed wintry wonderland to experience The Wild Honey Pie’s #OnTheMountain2 recording sessions.

Read our interview with Ra Ra Riot below, and head over to The Wild Honey Pie for the official videos from the weekend rager, coming soon.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

Rebecca: It’s not that exciting but it was for my 30^th birthday. My mom is so sweet…but she never really nails it. She’s like, “I got you a gift. I am so excited you’re going to love it.” I was like, “Fuck,” because I am really bad at faking emotion. I was like, “Oh, shit, she’s really excited about it.” So finally, I think I had asked for a bike or something, and I got a little box. I opened it and it was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. My mom totally nailed it.

Wes: Last year, my now-fiancé took us on a trip to a wolf sanctuary in upstate New York and it was awesome. We were kind of amongst a lot of children, it was an educational thing, but we got to hang out with some real wolves and it was awesome.

Matt: My cool Uncle Jean got me a Calvin and Hobbes book for Christmas when I was, like, seven or eight that forever altered the course of my life, so that was one of my favorite gifts ever, the Lazy Sunday book.

Milo: I think it was my 4^th birthday, I got a ukulele from my parents and I called it my red guitar. I still have it, it’s on display at my apartment and I still play it sometimes. It’s come in handy a few times since. 

Are you guys reading anything right now?

Matt: I used to get really nauseas reading in the car but I learned how to do it on tour, otherwise you go crazy. Right now I am reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I’m about halfway through but it’s definitely one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.

Wes: I am sort of between books, but the last book I was reading was a Brian Eno book called A Year with Swollen Appendices, which is just really a diary of his from 1995. It was interesting, but more interesting were the appendices in which he waxes philosophical and musical musings. Now I’m not really reading anything other than blogs.

Milo: I’m currently reading a book that’s basically a book of conversations with Werner Hertzog, the filmmaker. It’s called A Guide for the Perplexed. It’s fun because you get to pretend like you’re talking to him a little bit and it’s sort of like him just saying cool things, inspiring things, talking about origins of his ideas and filmmaking. It’s super cool.

Rebecca: I’m reading a book, I can’t remember the title of it. It’s about start-ups. 

If you could redo the soundtrack to any movie what would it be?

Milo: It could be cool to redo the soundtrack to Blade Runner 2 or the new Mad Max movie.

Matt: Hell, yeah. Or the new Twin Peaks series.

What's the worst, or best, ‘80s trend?

Rebecca: Double layered slouch socks with leggings. They just did nothing. Yeah, you guys really escaped that one, with Keds.

Wes: Something I like was the fluorescent color boom. That’s something that I do sometimes incorporate into my personal style.

Matt: I’d have to say polyester pullover Major League Baseball jerseys. I don’t think anything really bad came out of the ‘80s. I can’t think of one bad thing.

Milo: DeLoreans are one of the best things to come out of the ‘80s. 

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions yet?

Rebecca: I never make New Year’s resolutions. It’s like, if you need to make an improvement on something, it doesn’t just have to be on New Year’s.

Matt: No resolutions, just livin’.