Heartless Bastards’ Erika Wennerstrom on her first loves
More Gotta Start Somewhere
No matter how successful entertainers become, they’ll inevitably always remember the first gig—whether it was disastrous, wonderful, or absurdly strange. Gotta Start Somewhere embraces these nostalgic moments by asking established entertainers to retell the story of the first time they ever graced a stage. In this very special Valentine’s Day edition, The A.V. Club talks to Heartless Bastards’ Erika Wennerstrom about her first crush, first love, and first time on stage before the band plays Lincoln Hall Feb. 14 with Precious Blood and Hacienda.
The A.V. Club: Who was your first crush?
Erika Wennerstrom: I don’t know if it was my first, but I was maybe in third grade and I had a crush on some guy. I don’t even remember his name. I was really shy and I put a postcard in his desk from Florida that said something like, “From your secret admirer.” Then I found out it was the wrong desk. Everyone got to class and the wrong guy pulled out a card. No one knew it was me, though, thank God.
I don’t know if I was one of those people who was boy-crazy. I didn’t have every New Kids On The Block doll. I liked pop music, but I was never that crazy about whoever. If I had a little crush on someone, it probably lasted three weeks.
AVC: What about your first date?
EW: To be honest, I don’t even remember who or when my first date was. I have no idea. I guess that’s probably kind of lame, but I didn’t really date. When I was younger, I had the same boyfriend for nine years.
AVC: So your first date was that good, huh?
EW: Exactly. I don’t even know if I went on random dates when I was 15, or even 17 for that matter.
AVC: So you didn’t date that nine-year guy until later?
EW: No, we didn’t even start dating until I was like 20.
AVC: Do you remember writing your first love song?
EW: I usually try to avoid love songs, personally. When I was in a relationship, you don’t want that person knowing that you’re singing about them. At one point, I was even in the same band with that person, so you try to keep it… I don’t know, I just don’t.
I also feel like writing love songs when you’re not in love is just a bunch of bullshit because it’s like, “Oh, I’ll write a love song because people like love songs.” I didn’t want to go that route.
AVC: Do you remember the first show you ever played?
EW: One of my first times playing in front of people, I’d been writing songs for myself at home, but then I met the manager of Guided By Voices in Dayton, my hometown. Bob Pollard was having a birthday party and I asked the guy if there was any way I could play some songs.
I remember I was nervous because I was a huge fan. I dropped my pick about halfway through. I stopped the song and had to start the whole thing over. I was 19 years old, maybe even younger. 18.
AVC: Were you nervous because it was your first time or because Bob Pollard and Guided By Voices are such a big deal in Dayton?
EW: When I was in high school, The Breeders started to get really big and then Guided By Voices after that. I was a big fan of Guided By Voices and of Bob Pollard, but it was also really new for me to get up in front of people in general. I don’t know if at that point it was easy for me to differentiate between the two. I mean, it was one of the first times I ever played in front of people, and I’m nervous in general in that sort of environment.
AVC: What about the first Heartless Bastards show? What was that like?
EW: The first Heartless Bastards show was at a club called The Comet in Cincinnati. It was August 21, 2003. Back then we were so loud. Our amps were just so, so loud. We must have been just one giant wall of noise. We played with this band The Legendary Shack Shakers and another group, The Henchmen, out of Detroit.
