By Tom Semioli

This interview feature, the first ever by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, appeared in Shout NY, December 2001

“The lyrics to the first track ‘Bang’ came to me during a masturbation session” recalls Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘ singer Karen O. “Nick’s guitar and I rival each other like two people fucking!”

Taking their overt sexual and musical cues from late 1970s classic Gotham City rock, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs parlay more than a few obvious points of reference, namely; the swagger of the New York Dolls, the Velvet Underground’s sexual abandon, and the Ramones’ penchant for skipping the foreplay. Yet the unholy trio of singer Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase are not merely inspired by the act of balling as it were.

Armed with nihilistic rhythms fused with Brill Building melody, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ eponymous EP documents the lucid frustrations of the urban post-adolescent id. From a technical standpoint, the primal configuration of voice, guitar and drums appears razor thin minimalist and bereft of harmonic interplay, “Nick plays through two amps” counters Chase, “which eliminates the need for a bass player.” Go figure!

The less-is-more-or-less attitude has helped the Yeah Yeah Yeahs garner recognition in underground rock’s most competitive environs in less than a year. After one rehearsal, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs had enough material cobbled together for their official live bow - an opening slot for the White Stripes at the Mercury Lounge. They followed up their ragged yet acclaimed debut with a string of successful gigs supporting local heroes such as The Strokes, Moldy Peaches, and The Walkmen, among others. Their need to release a definitive collection became obvious- however the process of making Yeah Yeah Yeahs a reality took a few scant days in the studio from start to finish.

“The record is basically rough cuts” reflects Zinner, who also swears his allegiance to analog recording and early takes. The songs – which typically emerge from O and Zinner’s riffing until their half-completed ideas are molded into final form by Chase, were self-produced and recorded with tea and sympathy from engineer Jerry Teel (Knoxville Guns, Chrome Cranks & The Honeymoon Killers, Boss Hog).

Although the Yeah Yeah Yeahs apparently make no attempt to sound ahead of their time, they’re not entirely out of it either. Witness the EP’s final anthemic cut, “Our Time,” with the unintentionally topical refrain “…it’s the year to be hated!”

“After the terrorist attacks, people have been demanding to hear that song at our shows,” O reveals, waxing poignant in a moment of clarity she never could have predicted. “It’s become a rallying call to arms. It’s events like these when people look for songs that bring everyone together.” Observing the burst of patriotism at sporting contests, religious gatherings, and political campaigns, Chase chimes in “yeah, we’re all New Yorkers now!”

Some of us more than others.