Everyone's favorite purveyors of boy-girl, jangly-jaded guitar pop--Versus -- hail from New York City and feature the three Baluyut Brothers (Richard, James and Ed) on guitars and drums, and Fontaine Toups on bass. The band's latest album, the provocatively-titled "Secret Swingers, "was recently released on Caroline / TeenBeat. In between bites of sushi, Richard and Fontaine agreed to endure a few prying questions from Grip's distinguished beat group writer Stephen Head before a late 1996 gig at Charlottesville's Tokyo Rose club.
Grip: How is "Secret Swingers" a departure from your other releases?
Richard Baluyut: I guess "Secret Swingers" is a departure in that, like, we tried to tone down. . . have the words be more simple, kind of speak more directly to a person. There's not as (many) lofty themes. It's essentially just about, you know, the secrets and the lies that you tell to other people.
Fontaine Toups: It's also a departure from the 'indie rock' tag we're always getting-- like signing with Caroline and just trying to be more outward instead of just being 'indie rock.'
Grip: Where was the cover shot taken? What's the story behind that?
Fontaine: The Plaza in Manhattan. It's the Presidential Suite.
Richard: The Beatles stayed there.
Fontaine: Apparently the Beatles stayed in the suite where we took photos. Our friend Andrew snuck. . . well. . . he lied and said he was taking pictures of bathrooms for a book proposal, and we went in there for two hours and changed our clothes really quickly and took these pictures. It was pretty fun.
Richard: I think they thought we were doing a porno movie the way we were dressed.
Grip: So how come you guys hopped from TeenBeat to Caroline?
Fontaine: Well, we still have. . . TeenBeat's putting out the vinyl, Caroline's doing the CD. We still wanted to be associated with TeenBeat 'cause, you know, we like Mark (Mark Robinson-- TeenBeat czar and member of Unrest and Air Miami).
Richard: We also wanted it to be a bigger deal. We'll see if it is.
Grip: What's been your worst moment on the road thus far?
Fontaine: Well, that would be easy-- the crash that we had in Bismarck, North Dakota. We were basically driving on a sheet of ice and it was snowing, and we didn't realize the roads were that icy, and we went to change lanes and just, like, spun around off the highway and hit a pole. There was this huge dent in our van and we had to get it towed. It was pretty frightening.
Grip: How did you kill time up there?
Richard: We drank like fish. Every bit of alcohol we had on us we drank.
Grip: What's your ideal audience when you're playing a show?
Fontaine: I like a loud audience. I like a verbal audience. . . you know, an audience that moves around.
Grip: One that shouts out requests?
Fontaine: Yeah, I like that 'cause we'll play requests. I don't know what Richard's ideal audience is.
Richard: One that heckles but doesn't mosh.
Grip: What's the most ridiculous aspect of being in a band?
Fontaine: Reading reviews
Richard: Doing a video.
Grip: You've done one? For what song?
Fontaine: "Yeah You" (from "Secret Swingers")
Grip: What's your favorite Versus song?
Fontaine: Um. . . (long pause). That's tough. Ask Richard. I'd have to think about it.
Richard: Right now, it's "Wind Me Up." It's on "The Stars Are Insane."
Fontaine: I don't know.
Grip: How do you explain the success of the Presidents of the United States?
Richard: They use only five strings total. The simpler the better I guess.
Grip: What's the most embaressing slab of vinyl in your record collections?
Richard: Vinyl, not CDs?
Grip: CDs can count too.
Richard: You mean 'embarassing' in that we still like it?
Grip: The first record that you'd disown.
Fontaine: I can't think of anything embarassing, but I'm sure if someone walked in, they'd probably find something that they would think is embarassing.
Richard: A Liz Phair single. I like the first record a lot, but then after that, she put out this single and. . . I don't know.
Grip: Okay, here's a SAT question. Complete the analogy: Whiny angst-ridden confusion is to Sebadoh what ______ is to Versus.
Fontaine: Urrr. . . (looks at Richard). You're good at that.
Richard: I'll do it too but you go first.
Fontaine: I can't think of it. . . I'm thinking.
Richard: Parachute pants
Fontaine: (pause) Electrical.
Grip: Where do you guys see yourselves in ten years from now?
Richard: Living in L.A. and having two kids.
Grip: 2.3 kids or just two?
Richard: Just two.
Fontaine: I'll be living in the country somewhere, maybe in the desert, far away from civilization.
(This interview was originally published in Grip Monthly #2, Nov. '96)