Ep. 257: JR Wasilewski discusses Less Than Jake’s “Walking Pipebomb”

Chris DeMakes A Podcast

Chris DeMakes

Music History, Music Commentary, Music, Music Interviews

4.9 • 923 Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, Chris is joined by his Less Than Jake bandmate JR Wasilewski to break down the writing and recording of "Walking Pipebomb" from the band's Uncharted EP. JR shares how a Dance Hall Crashers song sparked the initial idea, how his signature guitar style shaped the sound, and why the demo remained nearly identical to the final version. The conversation explores the band's collaborative songwriting process, the balance of musical tension and release, and how impactful lyrics can elevate a song’s meaning. With Less Than Jake’s 2025 Summer Circus tour on the horizon, this episode offers a deep dive into the creative forces driving the band’s latest music. Chris DeMakes A Podcast is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Get 30% off your first YEAR with DistroKid by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/demakes For bonus episode of The After Party podcast, an extensive back catalog of past After Party episodes, early ad-free releases of new episodes of Chris DeMakes A Podcast, full video versions of episodes, and MUCH more, head to the Patreon at http://www.ChrisDeMakes.com Follow Chris DeMakes A Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdemakesapodcast/ Join the Chris DeMakes A Podcast community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2643961642526928/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Distro Kid.
0:08.7	Hey, rude boys and rude girls.
0:10.9	Today we kick off our month-long lead-up here on Krista Nakesha podcast to less than Jake's summer circus tour,
0:17.0	which is set to launch Saturday, June 7th in Atlanta, Georgia, along with our pals, The Suicide Machines, Fishbone, Fight Me Bambi, and Catbite.
0:25.6	Leaving things off here today is none other than less than Jake's saxophonist and vocalist,
0:29.9	J.R. Wazelouski.
0:31.5	Together we break down the writing, recording, and inspiration behind the single,
0:36.4	Walking Pipe Bomb, taken from less than Jake's
0:39.2	2024 EP, Uncharted. For those who don't know, J.R. is the band's secret weapon. He not only writes
0:47.0	killer songs like this, but he brings in music theory and an approach and feel all his own,
0:53.4	which is perfect, because a band like ours is truly a sum of all its parts.
0:58.0	I told JR I didn't have too much to say about the song when he initially wrote it,
1:02.0	his demo being about 80% of what we actually ended up recording.
1:06.0	Sometimes you need to know when to step back and let the song guide you, which is precisely
1:11.0	what I did.
1:12.5	Roger came to the table too with some really cool lyrical ideas to tie the whole track together.
1:18.0	Life is strange.
1:19.3	What's it all about?
1:20.3	Well, you're just going to have to stay tuned to find out.
1:22.7	Hey, hey, have you heard?
1:26.7	Krista makes a podcast?
1:28.3	Hey, hey, have you heard?
	...

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