All this month we are sitting down and speaking to the New England based band Salem Wolves. The band formed in 2015 and since then have been rocking the music scene with with Providence garage rock genre. This week delve into the world of live shows.

How do you warm up your voice for a show – do you have a specific routine?

For Gray it’s a shot of whiskey, consumed no sooner than 15 minutes before the show is about to begin. Not for beginners, to be sure, but (as the poet Scott Steiner once said, and we’re paraphrasing): I’m a genetic freak, and I’m not normal. 

How long do you have to rehearse new songs before you perform them live?

We go from writing to playing songs live remarkably quickly; usually, if we feel a song is written and under our fingernails (or close to it) we’ll start adding it to sets to start testing it out live and see how it goes over. 

Tell us about your fans – what are they like? What is the vibe like in the audience when you perform?

Our fans are absolute freaks, and we love them dearly. It’s taken us a long while to find the folks who respond to our songs (some might even argue the bulk of them are still out there, somewhere, oblivious to the existence of their new favorite band!) and the ones who do have a certain “joyful outsider” perspective that we cherish.

What is your favourite song to perform live and why?

“Black Books” is one of the first songs the band wrote and is still one of our favorites to play because it compels people to sing along. 

What is the hardest song to play live?

“Breaking Grounds”

What things do you ask for in your rider for shows?

Whatever they’ll give us.

The best thing about performing live?

You get to do the best job in the entire world while getting free drinks. 

The most challenging thing?

The load in, without roadies. 

Where are you performing in the next few months?

Our next big show will be the album’s release: August 3 at AS220 in Providence. We are working with a local wrestling promotion – TCW (Tiverton Championship Wrestling) – to host wrestling matches in between the musical performances. A good time will be had by all, except (of course) the bad guys trying to do bad stuff. Those guys are going to get drop kicked something fierce.