Mary Timony made her name in forward-looking indie-rock bands Wild Flag, Helium and Autoclave.
Her latest project, Ex Hex, is decidedly backward-looking. The power trio isn’t interested in innovating. All it aims for is perfect three-minute glam rock songs, with crunchy guitar riffs and hooks that lodge in your brain. It succeeds on all counts on its debut album, “Rips.”
amNewYork spoke with Timony about the band.
Most of your bands seem so serious. This one seems like pure fun.
I wanted to write songs that would be fun to listen to and put on the stereo and dance around to. I was thinking about Casey Kasem’s Top 40. ? I think with this band I’ve become less of an artist and more of a craftsperson. I’m trying to craft something rather than express my deepest feelings. I guess I don’t feel as angsty as I did when I was younger. Now I just want to make music I love to listen to.
What do you like about the glam-rock sound?
I think it’s just the music I fell in love with when I was 12. I remember my brother listening to Slade and Kiss and thinking it was really cool. ? I was trying to write songs that would be on the radio in 1981.
What’s different about working with this band?
Wild Flag was kind of a project band. It was really fun, but different. It didn’t feel like a real band. We were really busy for a year. [Wild Flag singer/guitarist and ‘Portlandia’ star Carrie Brownstein] has her own thing. It never felt like everyone’s No. 1 priority. This feels like a real band. It feels like a gang.
Will Wild Flag ever play together again?
I don’t see it happening, but I have no idea. I don’t think so. Carrie is doing her thing acting, which is great. Maybe, but there’s no plan right now.
