Milwaukee’s surf band –The Revomatics – made their first Lake Effect appearance two years ago when they released their first album, We Come In Peace. Since then, guitarists Drew De Lutio and Joe Weigel, bassist Peter Flessas and drummer Jeff Schneider have performed locally and toured the Midwest, spreading their sounds of reverb-laden guitar to diverse audiences. They have also opened for the likes of The B52s, surf legend Dick Dale and Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes.
The band is about to release their second album, Nocturnica, in which they have drifted away from their original resurgence of classic surf rock sound to a newer and grittier interpretation of the genre.
"It wasn't so much a conscious decision that we made, I think we just naturally started to gravitate away from more traditional sounding surf music and realized that there was a lot of room for more instrumental music...and there was a lot of people that were really receptive to that," says guitarist Drew DeLutio.
Touring outside of Milwaukee, The Revomatics also found that in order to grow, they needed to play to different audiences. Bassist Peter Flessas notes that Milwaukee is not as receptive to established bands made of experienced musicians. Instead, the band has found that the city focuses on young musicians just starting their career. However, he says that performing in different states ignited their drive and reminds them to simply enjoy playing music.
"It's a lot easier at this point (in my life) doing a band," says Flessas. "I feel that I've made all the mistakes - or most of them - at this point and it's just a wide open road now and we just cruise along."
For Nocturnia, the band recorded the songs live in a studio, versus recording separate tracks as they did for their first album.
"The goal for the band was to go in and record something that kind of captured what we sound like on stage," explains guitarist Joe Weigel. "And on stage we do tend to have an edgy abrupt sound."
"There's a lot more character on this," DeLutio adds. "And we played so much between the last album and when we decided to record."
