Few bands seem quite as comfortable with creative unpredictability as Wardrobe Malfunction. What began as a series of spontaneous one-take experiments between multi-instrumentalists Wes Jensen and Maggie Merrifield in 2020 has gradually expanded into a five-piece whose music moves freely between psychedelia, progressive pop, funk, jazz and whatever else happens to serve the song.
Their latest single ‘Made 2’ captures that restless approach particularly well. Beginning with an immediately infectious riff, the track continually shifts shape as unexpected rhythmic changes, psychedelic textures and intricate musicianship collide with an underlying pop sensibility. There are traces of Crumb, Kikagaku Moyo and even The Beatles within its DNA, yet the resulting combination feels distinctly Wardrobe Malfunction.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Duncan - “It would have to be drums. Good talent requires hard work, however when you have a knack for something, like me with the drums, it doesn't ever feel like work.”
Griffin - “Guitar was the first instrument I ended up really intrigued by.”
Doug - “I fell in love with the piano when I was 8 years old and first started taking lessons. My teacher gave me a song book, and after our first lesson I had learned to read music and progressed through nearly the entire book before our following lesson.”
Maggie - “When I turned 7 years old, my mom gave me the choice between Girl Scouts or piano lessons and I chose piano without a second thought, so piano was my first instrument but by that time, I was already beating out rhythms on any surface I could and the next year, I was gifted a drum kit and took to it instantly. So while not my first instrument, drums were my first love. ”
Wes - “Truly it was guitar at age 7, but after a brief departure, I found my way into music through Viola in grade 6.”
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Duncan - “Grunge grunge grunge. There was a time when the only bands I would listen to were Nirvana and Alice in Chains. I'm certainly not proud of this fact, but it laid the groundwork for the type of player I am now.”
Griffin - “I was into Metallica, System of a Down, Coldplay, honestly a wide variety of different things.”
Doug - “I loved the music my parents would play. Everything from Frank Zappa/ Psychedelic Rock to smooth Jazz and R&B. The first genre I found and fell in love with on my own was Rap.”
Maggie - “I was exposed to a lot of different genres growing up, but when I was in high school, I got really into Elvis Costello, rocksteady and dub reggae, Radiohead, The Chemical Bros., The Orb, and baroque music. I still love all that stuff. ”
Wes - “Anything my parents had on - Rush, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Brittney Spears, AC/DC, and more. I would eventually start to find my own taste in music with video game soundtracks and that mid-2010’s indie wave of Foster the People, Echosmith and Vampire Weekend. ”
What was the first album you remember owning?
Duncan - “Nevermind by you know who on my iPod shuffle.”
Griffin - “Viva la Vida by Coldplay”
Doug - “The first album I owned was either Powerslave by Iron Maiden, Straight Outta Compton by NWA, the Black Sabbath Self Titled, TNT by ACDC, or the White Album.”
Maggie - “If “owning” means a physical copy, the first CD I ever bought with my own money was The Strokes’ “Is This It” and the first vinyl record I ever bought was a Django Reinhardt compilation. Before that, I had tons of film and anime soundtracks downloaded to my iPod.”
Wes - “It wasn’t an album I personally bought, but my parents got me an album called ‘Brilliant Beginnings’ when I was born. I would request this album as a child many times and it’s great to revisit it as an adult, as it has many folk songs from indigenous cultures and other countries.”
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Duncan - ““When the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around” by the Police. There's more words in the title than strums from the guitar. A masterpiece.”
Griffin - “I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell”
Doug - “Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder”
Maggie - “Something that sold a ton of copies and made a lot of money.”
Wes - “Behind That Locked Door by the one and only George Harrison.”
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Duncan - “I will practice scales until I find one that I fancy, play around in it for a while then throw the music theory textbook out the window. Something interesting usually comes out the other side.”
Griffin - “I try and actively listen to the song a couple times and hum out the melody.”
Doug - “Not really. Usually a song premise, one enticing lyrical line, or a tasty piece of music will either come to me, or I’ll discover after spending an extended amount of time with my instrument; either of which I can use to formulate a song.”
Maggie - “I try to eliminate any idea that’s too derivative of something else and that usually means not listening to much other music when I’m in a writing period. If I have a melody before the whole song is written out, I try not to put words to it too early, because that can lock you into a feel or mood and limit the songwriting. ”
Wes - “Generally I try to engage in other media. I often find myself reading a lot of high fantasy, science fiction or rewatching The Hobbit to inspire me. ”
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Duncan - “Oh man feeble little horse, Horse Jumper of Love and Shame are my favorites right now. Horse bands are thriving at the moment.”
Griffin - “I’ve been listening to Jane Remover, Andy Shauf, youbet, Mitaya, The Flying Burrito Brothers”
Doug - “Omar Souleyman, Joe (Joe Thomas R&B singer), Take 6, and Grandmaster”
Maggie - “Caroline Polacheck, Pixel Grip, Yes, Return to Forever, FKA Twigs, Frou Frou/Imogen Heap, Tigran Hamasyan, Thy Slaughter, Confidence Man”
Wes - “At the moment, I am back on a Rush binge since they are back. Alongside them, I’m listening to a lot of Rebecca Black, Olivia Dean, Slayyyter, Fcukers and Twen. ”
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Duncan - “A Pond / Wardrobe Malfunction tour would go off the chain. Love those Aussies.”
Griffin - “Honestly, Pinegrove would be awesome.”
Doug - “I would love to open a show for Hiatus Kaiyote”
Maggie - “Kikagaku Moyo if they ever reunite!”
Wes - “There are a few artists here in the states that come to mind, which would be Twen or Improvement Movement. Given a dream scenario, I think I’d want us to share a stage with Sir Paul McCartney or Liam Gallagher. ”
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Duncan - “Playing a sold out show. There's nothing like it. I'll play for 3 people or 300 people with the same energy, but having a packed house creates an energy that feels so otherworldly.”
Griffin - “Being able to connect with people and play something I’ve written live is so rewarding”
Doug - “Entertaining people on stage is the most rewarding aspect for me. Also, having a cathartic creative outlet for my ideas and emotions that also exercises my cognitive function and hand eye coordination.”
Maggie - “Being able to bring the music I hear in my head into the real world in a tangible way. I love the puzzle of trying to figure out how to craft a song that works. ”
Wes - “The most rewarding thing to me is that the work you do scales to the progress you make. That is to say, the more you put in, the more you get out. There’s nuance there, of course, but I think that’s generally true of quality music.”
And what is the most frustrating part?
Duncan - “To get to play in front of 300 people, I have to give in to the social media machine. It's a disingenuous part of such a genuine art form ”
Griffin - “Having to change my strings”
Doug - “The most frustrating part is all the songs, and the manpower and hours spent crafting and rehearsing those songs that will never see the light of day. That being said, I have no regrets, and that time and energy would only be wasted if I didn’t learn from those experiences. Sometimes, you learn that there was nothing you could have done differently, and sometimes you learn that you are completely to blame.”
Maggie - “When the muse isn’t speaking and I go through a phase of no inspiration. ”
Wes - “Probably the amount of time it takes to fully express, promote and release a track. The landscape today dictates the necessary spacing of singles and as an excited creator, I always cannot wait to share what’s next.”
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Duncan - “Enjoy the moments now when things are small because I've heard it can get complicated as things reach a serious point in our careers.”
Griffin - “Play things you enjoy, then eventually it’ll transfer into your own style”
Doug - “You can never be too skilled at your instrument or too knowledgeable in theory or music history. Always seek to improve and set standards and goals for yourself. Also, be just as invested in the business aspect as you are in the entertainment aspect. If you treat it like your job/career it will be far more likely to become that.”
Maggie - “When I was a kid, my grandmother told me never to announce what you’re going to do next before you’re sure it’s actually going to happen. It’s more so just life advice, but it does apply to music, especially when the scene is so competitive. It’s okay to be secretive about your next move and to keep your secret formula close to your chest. ”
Wes - “The first listener of your music is your band. You’re included in that, you should be listening and receiving just as much as you’re creating.”
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Wardrobe Malfunction's new single 'Made 2' is out now. Check it out in the player below.