Indie-dance duo Trey and Theo, known as Argonaut&Wasp, are breathing new life into a scene oversaturated with dime-a-dozen Soundcloud producers. Their newest single, “Always,” brings to mind artists like Miike Snow or old-school Ratatat with its’ funk-rock guitars and filtered, hazy vocals. We chatted with the pair about their music, unusual name, and more. Stream the track while you read our interview, and connect with Argonaut&Wasp on Soundcloud.
Hey guys! Tell us more about your newest single, “Always”.
Our newest single, “Always” is about friendship. It speaks to the difficulty of keeping in touch with old friends, but also remembering how valuable they are. When you see an old friend it is as if no time has gone by. We (as a generation) are so concerned with constant connection (social media) that we lose touch of what a relationship really means. “I said it’s okay, take me out cus’ I’m lonely…and it’s always harder to be somewhere else and I wonder why, I’m waiting on a friend like you.”
What’s the backstory behind the name Argonaut&Wasp?
During an English class, Roots of American Journalism, we had a lecture on the journalist and fiction writer Ambrose Bierce. He was the father of famous satirists like Edgar Allen Poe. His bitter wit, fascination with death and horror made his style and prose strangely appealing to me. One of his most famous works was The Devil’s Dictionary, he took words and phrases and redefined them in his own terms. For example: “Painting: The art of protecting flat surfaces from the weather and exposing them to the critic.”
However, what obsessively drew me into his story was Bierce’s famous disappearance. To this day no one knows what happened to him, his body has never been found. His last known communication with the world was through a letter he wrote to a close friend, dated December 26th 1913, with which he closed by writing “As to me, I leave tomorrow for an unknown destination.” After doing some personal research into his fiction and journalism works, I discovered two columns he wrote for during his early career called “The Argonaut” and “The Wasp”. I loved the name. Brought it up to Theo and he said we could only be named argonaut&wasp if he was the Argonaut—I didn’t put up too much of a fight. (Trey)
When did you first start making music? Has your style progressed or changed over your careers as artists?
Trey and I started making music together in the fall of 2013 but since then have grown into a full live band, with Alec Donkin (Bass), Adam November (Guitar), and Chris Corsico (Drums). We work together to develop a sound that is truly unique. Since our inception, our music production has definitely become more detailed and carefully crafted. We know more about music production, music theory, and technically we have gotten better at what we do!
You’ve got a unique sound that’s hard to classify into just one genre. How would you describe your music in three words?
Dance-rock, synth jocks.
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