I Was Totally Destroying It

Horror of second album averted.

Chapel Hill, N.C. natives I Was Totally Destroying It have been playing their indie power pop since 2007. Made up of current and former members of Saddle Creek's Sorry About Dresden, they have toured with Conor Oberst, Cursive, Polvo, and Billy Bragg. The band has two singers, one male and one female, and after they released their self titled debut to good reviews, the two started dating. As couples in bands tend to do, their relationship spilled into the music, and culminated in both a breakup and the songs that would make up their second album, Horror Vacui. This is a classic theme for an album, adding them to the list of Fleetwood Mac, Richard and Linda Thompson, and many others.

It's because of this rocky relationship that where most artists struggle with making their second album, I Was Totally Destroying It's Horror Vacui has surpassed their previous recordings. Although past efforts have always seemed well polished, this one manages to capture a rawer side of I Was Totally Destroying It. The music itself has more emotion, as the band slightly increases the anger and aggression of it's sound. Though the romantic relationships may be completely over, the band has pressed forward, and looks to continue doing so, hopefully keeping the emotion that has made this the album that it is.
- Examiner

The opening track, Beneath You All The Way, feels like when your early morning caffeine hits your blood stream, and you immediately get energized and ready to start the day. It is a great track to start off with. The following two tracks, Done Waiting and Former Boy Wonder are equally upbeat, and hold the listener's attention. The two slower paced songs following, which I enjoyed very much, are Cup of Tea and Evergreen. Come Out, Come Out picks the pace back up, and it stays that way for the track Greens Means Go, which I'll call a happy little number. It puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Turn My Grave mellows you back out and features two part harmony by John and Rachel that is fantastic. Forfeit The Win is up next, and gets your body moving again. This one had a Foo Fighters feel to it. I love how the closing track, The Ocean, starts off with just a piano and Rachel's vocals and quickly turns into yet another head-bobber of a tune.

Throughout the album, John Booker and Rachel Hirsh take turns on lead vocals, while also harmonizing and working off of each other. This works beautifully for these two, as their voices are very well-suited for each other. Rachel's vocals immediately reminded me of Aimee Mann, now solo artist formerly of the band Til Tuesday. The music on this album has a very current, radio-friendly feel. The production of Horror Vacui as a whole is top notch. I get the impression that I Was Totally Destroying It never does anything halfway. My dealings with Todd Berry, their label manager at Greyday Records, have been equally pleasant. I'll have to give this one a perfect score of five stars, as well. What can I say, I love this. I plan to listen to it often and tell my friends. - Raleigh Music

Maybe in a broad musical context, I Was Totally Destroying It isn't breaking any new ground with their sophomore release, Horror Vacui, but when you consider where they were in 2007, the band has come a long way.

The hooks come early and often, the tunes are hummable and, Horror Vacui begs to be cranked up with the windows rolled down. The themes don't differ much from the standard lost love fare, but they are sung with such commitment that I believe most of the band have actually felt these emotions and not just assumed what a break up was like.

Those who stick around for the last third of the album are greatly rewarded. "Come Out, Come Out" is a flat out great song. The band trades in its power chords for a percussive, driving rhythm and a horn section reminiscent of Spoon's "The Underdog." It opens defiantly with Rachel Hirsh singing, "I want to be young/ to be a wreck and wrecked upon/ I want to get out/ and be a ship without the anchor."

Two tracks later comes the lovely "Turn My Grave," a slow duet with a bright and comforting acoustic guitar and glockenspiel foundation. The comfort doesn't last long as threatening, dark tones creep in on the singer's vocals, bringing the song to a wonderfully unsettling close.

IWTDI is a pop band through and through, but their Horror Vacui varies the sound enough to keep the record well-rounded and to even draw in some new fans. - Triangle Music

The band "I Was Totally Destroying It" wowed crowds during South by Southwest Thursday night.

The band played a late night gig at the Easy Tiger in Downtown Austin. They made the 2,600 mile trip from their home in North Carolina this week.

“SXSW is an honor to come out and play and everything and it's the first time we have ever done it and it could also be the last time we play,” guitarist Curtis Armstead said.

Drummer James Helper said it was an experience unlike any other.

“I’ve never had more fun than every time I am up on stage. It is the best time of my life,” he said.

While keeping an eye on the competition, band members said they gave it their all on stage.

“We show up and there’s a million bands down the road and you have to pass 30 bands’ tour buses before you can park your own. You have to carry your gear up about fifty flights of stairs a day to play forty-five minutes worth of music and it is all completely worth it,” bassist Joe Mazzitelli said.

Keyboarder and vocalist Rachel Hirsch said the performing on the stage was all about having fun.

“There are some nights where for some reason I will get really, really nervous and there are other nights where I just don’t care and tonight was just one of the nights where I decided to have fun,” she said.

The band members recently decided to make the music their full time job. - Your News Now

Horror Vacui digs deep, far into places most are familiar with – failed relationships and failed personal constitutions. On the surface Horror Vacui is sonically similar to IWTDI’s fantastic self titled debut and last fall’s Done Waiting EP. Horror Vacui is up-tempo, moving and exhilarating. It’s also far more dynamic than its predecessor that concentrated mostly on catchiness and powerful hooks. It made for something incredibly fun and relative, but it bore few skeletons.

Horror Vacui does. It’s filled with songs about mistakes and complaints, a confessional during and after the fallout of a relationship. What’s under the surface is harder to absorb than the sugar coated high wire act the band puts on. After taking it in lyrically the album shows its layers, making the album more relatable, more effective, than one might have intended. Pain makes for great art at the sacrifice of its creators. Horror Vacui is no different, as it was constructed around a romantic relationship on the outs. But the album bears no finality; it’s as much about the storm as how two people deal with the aftermath of it all.

The album is rich with needing and needling, of trying to communicate without actually doing so. On ‘Former Boy Wonder’ vocalist John Booker bears confession as he sings “Through trials and blunders/As a man I'm not enough.” It’s rare that we get anyone to fess up anymore, let alone in the gut wrenching frankness Booker gives here. I haven’t heard anyone say there weren’t man enough this way since Kravitz’s full album apology Mama Said. On ‘Cup of Tea’ you feel for Hirsh when she sings of trying and regressing, “Cause you're my cup of tea/And it may burn my tongue, the flavor might be wrong/But I guess it's what I want/Yeah, stuck with what I’ve got.”

Booker and Hirsh go back and forth on ‘Caterwaul’ and Booker declares in a muted speaker-toned voice “And I cannot find an emotion/To keep us safe from the wolves at the door.” It’s a frantic, nightmarish number built on crazed, tribal drumming and near psychotic keyboard playing. ‘Done Waiting’ and ‘Come Out, Come Out’ are standout tracks here and ‘Come Out, Come Out’ pleads for untamed youth and exploration, easy on the nautical metaphors and strong on wants and desires. Hirsh sings blatantly, “I want to be young/To be a wreck and wrecked upon/I want to get out/And be a ship without the anchor.” To be a wreck and be wrecked upon says so much more lyrically than prurient lyrics by the Katy Perry’s of today. ‘Come Out, Come Out’ comes off like a party anthem blend of Bow Wow Wow and The Replacements where the narrator wants for experience, of freedom on the sea but unaware of the wrecks already sunk there. But it’s the acoustic number ‘Turn My Grave’ that finds the band exploring, not relying on sonic extremities, and finding tenderness in their singing strengths.

IWTDI throws many shots in the summer night air with their new album, but several echo the melancholy of fall, no matter how much punch they put in the recordings. It’s a great rock record, one that hits the heart as much as the adrenaline button. What’s better is that it fails to take sides, leaving the listener feeling for either party. Horror Vacui is a step forward for IWTDI, for its growth as musicians and for their personal measures. - Bootleg Magazine

IWTDI have been a commercially viable emo/indie-rock guitar band for four years, but having mastered the form on two pervious LPs, they seem itchy on Preludes to break out bigger. While they haven't changed their slant, the production/arrangements are cleaner, leading them more towards anthem-oriented modern rock like the multitudes that filled MTV's 120 Minutes through the late '80s and early 90s, palatable to major label "alternative" divisions after U2's ascension. (Note, IWTDI sideline as a U2 tribute band.) But not all those bands were slick or bad. And whenever this Chapel Hill five hew to aggressive styles, like the standout "Wrecking Ball", Metric-esque "Regulators", or guitar bite of local legends Superchunk (sometimes with co-singer Rachel Hirsh's Cure-like keyboards) on "When Chaos Comes", "Control", and "Twenty-Thousand" (all featuring James Hepler's breakout drums), they make one anticipate a coming follow-up, Vexations. (greydayproductions.com) - The Big Takeover

(Four stars, AMG Album Pick)

For indie pop lovers who cut their teeth on Blake Babies and miss their special blend of boy-girl vocals, blustery guitars, and winsome melodies, I Was Totally Destroying It update that sound appealingly on their second full-length album. On this set of tunes inspired largely by the breakup of co-leaders Rachel Hirsh and John Booker, the band airs its dirty laundry with both convincing emotional abandon and tightly controlled melodic precision that suggests a heavy classic rock influence. None of this is to suggest that the album is a downer, though. The songs extol freedom as much as they mourn loss, and frequently burst into sparks-yielding, triumphant choruses that belie the vulnerable lyrics. "Come Out Come Out" sports a riff -- paired with a classic power pop drum pummel -- that aims squarely for the pleasure center. "A Reason To" brags a striking chorus that recalls the Police at their most rocking. Within the clearly defined aesthetic parameters lies a pleasing range of styles, too. "Turn My Grave" is a shimmering folk-rock mirage with a tart little hook. "A Cup of Tea" features a gorgeous, watery guitar intro that seems to have leapt out of the Chills' canon, and a pleading refrain that has all the makings of a "heavenly pop hit." That the quintet can turn personal misery into explosive beauty attests to strong songwriting chops, real vision, and the kind of rapport that is clearly worth preserving, even after the romance fades. - All Music

The tall white guy with thick dreadlocks wielding the acoustic guitar onstage at the Garage introduces himself: “My name is Lovely Houses. I’m from Indiana. I’ve been living on a Greyhound bus since, oh, about June 3.” He sings a kind of folk music that stretches from the wry, troubled growl of Steve Earle to the high registers of Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

He performs with a lot of sincerity and a sense of adventure, notwithstanding the nicks and scars on his heart. Towards the end of his set, Lovely Houses — who also goes by David — says, “I’m also looking for a couch to crash on tonight.”

Lovely Houses travels the same way Loretta Lynn did, and her band was also from Indiana. The main differences are that he doesn’t own the bus or set the schedule.

“It’s weird though,” David says, as the next act ploughs through a fast-paced and bracing set of rock-and-roll numbers. “Being on a bus, it’s like having 50 bandmembers.”

The second band is called Rat Jackson. Like headliners I Was Totally Destroying It, they’re from Chapel Hill and Durham. The two bands share little in the way of sound, and maybe for that very reason they treat each other as jolly comrades. Singer Tad Jackson’s grandmother is reclining against the bar engaging in high-spirited conversation with her buddies.

Rat Jackson plays proud, raw garage rock that smells like sex and stale cigarette smoke.

The nasty, jagged sound of their guitars has a slightly menacing quality, but the overall effect is fun, fun, fun. The bass player swerves like a punch-drunk boxer. The second guitarist bounces around the stage like a pinball. These boys find joy in guitars and other toys. “I love it,” Lovely Houses says. They play songs about carnal pleasures, obsession with females and partying hard. The singer is the most presentable of the band. He looks like the type that might go to law school as a cap to his career in rock and roll. After the close of their set, the members of Rat Jackson strip their gear off the stage, and the counterparts in I Was Totally Destroying It drag theirs up and get cooking after a couple minor adjustments.

Their sound revolves around the shared vocals of keyboardist Rachel Hirsh and guitarist John Booker. They play straightahead modern rock with soaring guitar melodies, cymbal crashes and an anchor bass pulsing underneath.

They ought to be stars, so tightly wound is the melodic skein of their music and so unbounded the kicking giant of their rhythm section. Most notably, Hirsh and Booker’s vocals are relentlessly upbeat and encouraging, inviting the audience to partake of their fun. That sets them apart from any of their dour indie-rock counterparts. They also manage to steer clear of the empty affectations that plague what passes for emo bands these days. “We’re getting a lesson in how great North Carolina rock and roll bands can be,” Booker says, “between playing with Rat Jackson tonight and playing with the Sammies tomorrow. Two great Southern rock bands.”

See how they do? Nothing grandiose about the statement. Just gracious good feeling. The band plunges into every song with zeal, compressing energy and creativity into about three minutes, leaving the audience with a feeling of refreshment. Hirsh and Booker smile at each other during harmonies. A lot between-song banter riffs on Hirsh’s New Jersey roots.

“We stopped at a strip club to ask where we could find a place to eat,” Booker says. “They told us Bojangles was five blocks away. It was a mile.” “They put sausage gravy on my mashed potatoes,” Hirsh says in a classic Joizey accent. “Who does that?” Later, they cruise through “Done Waiting.”

Afterwards Booker remarks, “I’ve lived in the South my whole life, Chapel Hill born and raised. I say ‘for’ like your grandma.”

Hirsh is quick with a rejoinder: “‘I”ve been waiting for you to get married.’ I get that every time she visits.” - Yes Weekly

Pop rock band I Was Totally Destroying It has released its follow up to 2009’s Horror Vacui. Packed with fast tempos and adrenaline driven catchy choruses, the five-piece act delivers 10 infectious songs that remain trapped inside skulls long after they are over. Singers Rachel Hirsh and John Booker alternate responsibilities behind the microphone, while revealing themes of heartache and angst-wrapped confessions. With that being said, the rapid-fire guitar riffs and dance-driven harmonies keep each song from being overly depressing and sappy.

Booker and Hirsh create a unique blend of energetic melodies with hip-thrusting rhythms at every attempt. The addition of brass instruments adds thick layers of sympathetic vibrations that are balanced by electronic keys and pop-consumed beats. The album conveys multiple periods as ’80s new wave and indie rock are tightly sewed into a bubble gum pop fabric engaging listeners to dance wildly across any room. - Campus Circle

This one is with our new favorite band I Was Totally Destroying It who we caught up with at our good friend Team Clermont‘s party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ieO86X73bug - The Vinyl District

I Was Totally Destroying It has become quite a noteworthy act over the past year. Not only within the Triangle music scene, but throughout the country. A Chapel Hill-born group, the members include Curtis Armstead (guitar), John Booker (vocals/guitar), Rachel Hirsh (vocals/guitar/keyboard), Joe Mazzitelli (bass) and James Helper (vocals/drums).

The band’s sophomore full-length, Horror Vacui, was released in October on Greyday Records.

I sat down with James Helper to find out more about IWTDI.



“I Was Totally Destroying It” – what’s the story behind the name?

It’s one of those names that kinda starts as a joke and then finds its way into reality. I have a theory that every seven seconds in America someone says “That would make a great band name!” Ours came about during a discussion that John was having years ago with former band mates about how it’s fun to smash stuff (John likes to call this “the cathartic nature of destruction” because it sounds all brainy but we all know it’s just plain ole fun to destroy things). He was talking about how he was using a jackhammer to break apart a slate walkway or something, and said “I Was Totally Destroying It” – and DING – “that would make a great band name!”

Fast forward a few years, and the jury is still out as to whether it’s great, but it definitely is a band name.

You’ve won a lot of praise for your covers of U2 tracks. How did that come about? And why U2?

The people who run Tir Na Nog approached us last spring and just asked if we’d like to do a U2 cover project. I guess you could say we were commissioned to put together a U2 tribute. John and I grew up loving and listening to U2, and the other members were more or less game, so we agreed. And thank goodness for that, because tribute bands fare consistently better than original bands, so we’ve actually come to partially fund our original records with the revenue from the U2 stuff. We work really hard at it, and we feel that our experience learning those songs has made us better musicians and live performers.

You opened for Joan Jett & The Blackhearts at Raleigh Downtown Live in July. What was that like?

Breathtaking! Our love for Joan Jett’s music aside, to get the chance to perform in front of 15,000 people is something that bands like us dream of doing on the regular. Most bands never even come close to that goal. To get a taste of it really helped us to focus on being the best band we can be so that maybe someday we’re the ones drawing those huge crowds.

Also, it was a great test of our stage presence. We were either going to succumb to the anxiety of being in front of that many people and bomb, or we were going to soak the energy in and radiate it right back out to the audience. I really think that we did the latter. Everyone in the band stepped it up, and I think we put our best foot forward. For all we know that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it inspired in us the will to strive for that brass ring.

Offstage, you guys are noticeably levelheaded and approachable. That’s not always the case in this business. Is keeping that kind of good-natured, personable character important to the band?

Absolutely. EVERYONE in this band is easy to get along with and eager to make friends and talk with the people who are kind enough to come to our shows and support our efforts. We value our relationships with other bands, with radio DJs, with club owners and bookers, with writers and critics, and with fans for a few simple reasons.

First, the more love you spread, the more love is out there, and it always comes right back to you. Second, our relationships will endure long after we hang up our instruments. Third, being nice just makes good business sense, not as in “be nice and people buy things,” but rather, “be nice, punctual, professional, and respectful, and club owners will book you again, fans will come back, bands will continue to play with you, etc.”

The bot - Z Spotlight

The members of I Was Totally Destroying It did not destroy anything while on tour in the Midwest, a region where, according to drummer James Hepler, people are very sweet, very friendly, and want you to come stay with them.

The band, whose members live in Chapel Hill and Durham, spoke to The Herald-Sun while on the road in Kansas City, Mo., last week. The band's name, if you're wondering, does not have a quirky story behind it. John Booker came up with the name.

"It's ridiculous," he said, and shows the band doesn't take itself too seriously. "I love the irony of it. It's overly silly. We're just a pop band."

Maybe more than "just." Booker, who contributes to about every aspect of sound -- vocals, guitar, bass, percussion -- founded IWTDI with Hepler almost three years ago. Hepler, 36, had been a member of Sorry About Dresden. He went to UNC-Chapel Hill. Booker, 28, was born and raised in Chapel Hill. The rest of the band is guitarist Curtis Armstead, 23, bass player Joe Mazzitelli, 22, and singer and keyboardist Rachel Hirsh, 19. I Was Totally Destroying It will perform tonight along with several other indie bands as part of this weekend's Troika Music Festival in Durham.

All of the band members scrape by with jobs or going to school part time. The age range is 17 years, but Booker said that doesn't factor in at all when it comes to music. Booker, Armstead and Mazzitelli are roommates. Until this past April, Booker and Hirsh had been dating for nearly two years. The breakup was just after the band finished recording its new CD, "Horror Vacui," which includes songs the former couple wrote about their relationship. Their ups and downs fueled the album, Booker said. "There's more inspiration in conflict," he said. All the new songs were co-written by Booker and Hirsh.

The band survived the post-split awkwardness. "We really view this band as a professional endeavor," said Mazzitelli. "The last thing anyone wanted was for it to affect the band at all, so we focused on the music."

Hirsh is from Chapel Hill and moved back after a short stint at UNC-Greensboro. Her entire family is musical, she said, but rather than indie pop, they like opera and classical music. It affected her approach to songwriting at first, when she came at it theoretically. The band's first recordings were two EPs called "The Beached Margin" and "Done Waiting."

Armstead said the band changed their minds a lot about the track listing on "Horror Vacui." Some songs ended up on a vinyl version. Of two dozen songs recorded , half made it onto the CD.

"It's been a long time," Armstead said. "All of us are really glad this album is finally out." - The Herald Sun

Preludes makes me think of Metric, not because I Was Totally Destroying It sound like Metric — they mostly don’t, although “Fight/Flight” does a bit — but because Preludes feels like the kind of leap that Metric made between Grow Up And Blow Away and Fantasies: the elements are the same, but everything is in sharper focus; particularly, both Rachel Hirsh and John Booker’s vocals are even more confident. The cover of Preludes seems perfect to me: this is big music to fill big spaces. There’s a lot of 80s in IWTDI’s mix — bright, ringing guitars à la The Edge and (especially) Big Country’s Stuart Adamson, but this is tempered by a much more contemporary approach to low end and drum sounds — they put the power in the pop. - I Hate The Sound Of Guitars

Performing at South by Southwest, an annual music festival in Austin, is a dream for many bands trying to make it in the music scene. But one North Carolina band is doing just that.

Chapel Hill's "I was Totally Destroying it" have put a lot of work into getting ready for their one night show at SXSW.

"It's a really long trip to make with a really high risk factor," said James Helper, the band's drummer.

It's risky because the five-piece just made the decision to make the band their full-time job and the 2,600 mile round trip is at their own expense.

"I think more than anything else SXSW is a really good business decision for bands to make, especially bands that are newer," said Curtis Armstead, the band's guitarist.

More than 1,000 bands from all over the world play the festival hoping create a buzz that can turn their dream into career.

"There's a lot of competition every day," said keyboard player Rachel Hirsh. "You know, we're playing up against one of our favorite bands so it's just going to be interesting to see what bands we get to see, who will come and see us."

They pulled into Austin Wednesday afternoon and checked into their one hotel room.

"Being able to play SXSW is really great," said Armstead. "It's something we're really excited about being able to do. It's something we've talked about for years."

"I was Totally Destroying It" says they expect the people that come to their show to connect to their music even though it will be the first time they've heard the songs. - News 14 Carolina

I am an obsessive person. I am obsessed with obsession. On top of that, I obsess over things that I feel are underrated. Not underrated in the sense that they are obscure, but underrated in that the well known creators are more lauded for their other creations. Therefore, things that are underrated about obsession created by the obsessed obsess me. Here are three things: a book, a movie, and an album about obsession that I feel are underrated that I have been obsessing over for the past year.

1. The Dark Tower by Stephen King

My mother can attest to the fact that when I was in 6th grade, my English teacher telephoned her to express concern over the fact that I had become obsessed with Stephen King. I can say that without a doubt, Stephen King is underrated. It is all too easy to dismiss King due to his popularity and claim that his work “isn’t literature.” Yes, he is wildly hit or miss and prolific to a fault, but he writes a damn good story. It is incorrect to identify him and just a “horror and suspense” writer. Generally, his supernatural tendencies are merely a crutch for his characters to explore their morality.

The Dark Tower series is King’s attempt to create an epic of Tolkien proportions. Winking at almost every genre under the sun and refusing to adhere to any one archetype, The Dark Tower follows a gunslinger named Roland and his trek towards a tower to redeem himself and keep our world from falling apart. He is supported by a cast of characters including a heroin addict, a schizophrenic paraplegic, and a precocious young boy. Sounds a bit overwhelming, no? It clearly overwhelmed King and has completely consumed him for the past thirty years. It took him twelve years to finish the first novel, which was released in 1982, the last book came out in 2004, and another book is due out in April of this year. There is a reason he has put so much time into the series. There is a reason why people like me write concept albums about it (ahem). Off-putting as the synopsis might be, it’s extremely relatable and you will find yourself becoming attached and involved as you read along.

Keep up with the news on turning the book series into a film series.

2. David Fincher‘s Zodiac

If you were to ask your average modern film buff what their top five favorite movies are, chances are that a Fincher film would be on the list. Furthermore, chances are the movies they would name would be Se7en, Fight Club, or now The Social Network. It’s not like people have never heard of Zodiac before, but I (and many others) feel that it belongs at the top of Fincher’s filmography.

For those of you who don’t know, the Zodiac Killer terrorized Northern California from about 1968 to 1974. On August 1, 1969, he sent a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle admitting to his first killing. The letter also included a cryptogram that he said would reveal his identity. Robert Graysmith, a political cartoonist at the Chronicle, tried to decode the first and then subsequent letters the killer sent for over a decade, and became obsessed with the case. He wrote several books on the Zodiac Killer, and this is the basis of the screenplay for Zodiac.

Aside from solid performances from the entire cast (featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey, Jr., Brian Cox…), a fantastic screenplay, and beautiful videography, Fincher paid so much attention to detail that the “making of” documentary is just as compelling to watch as the movie itself. From helicoptering in trees to Lake Berryessa for visual accuracy to using actual evidence files to design sets and costumes, the amount of research that was put into the movie resulted in a near perfect film. Even though Zodiac is 2.7 hours long, you will not find yourself bored for a second… and I’m not being hyperbolic. It’s rife with tension and eeriness throughout and leaves you with a heavy sense of dread.

Zodiac was completely snubbed. It wasn’t even nominated for anything by the Academy or - Ardent Music Blog

I’m pretty much in love with I Was Totally Destroying It. I think they’ve got some serious 90's – early 00's rock sound happening, but you know that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It at least promises us some kick-ass guitar. I really like the vocals, dig the strong bridges and I love just how loud the choruses can get. There’s also a level of rocking emotional power that’s really essential if a band wants their music to keep its soul.

The first song is one of my favorite tracks that they’re incidentally giving away for free. It reminds me of the sort of music my friends and I would play at high school parties out in someone’s backyard. I love the lyric “I think I liked you best when you were sleeping” because it’s so simple, but unique. Plus, it makes perfect sense as she goes onto explain he talks too much, but doesn’t give her anything to feel.

“Regulators” is a single I foresee putting this band on the map. The lead vocalist gets a chance to let her voice shine in the chorus and I really dig the guy jumping in on the second verse. Having the song turn into a conversation was a smart move on their part. I’m naturally a fan of dual vocalists, but it works well here. I also want to say that this song really shows off the guitarist’s skill. It’s nice to see a band that uses it without being too overbearing. - Digital Mumbles

He who hath to be a creator hath first to be a destroyer... - Nietzsche

I Was Totally Destroying It are set to release not one but two albums in 2011. The first, Preludes, out April 12 on Greyday Records, is the sound of a band making what should be a well-deserved transition from an exciting regional act to a much more widely appreciated group.

IWTDI might be described lazily as a power pop act, and that is occasionally appropriate; various songs on Preludes are right at home in the power pop lineage, nodding to Cheap Trick, Posies and Velocity Girl. Ultimately, though, power pop is an inadequate frame for this album and this band; IWTDI make use of early new wave and indie rock elements, and are unafraid to make bold departures from all of these. For this album that is both a strength and a weakness: one after another, the tracks on Preludes offer fresh things to admire, leaving a collective impression that is not quite unified enough to cohere into a whole. The songwriting, handled primarily by co-lead vocalists John Booker and Rachel Hirsh, is strong enough that it's clear IWTDI will have the luxury of focusing its style as it sees fit.

Preludes explores a broad spectrum of relationships and personas, many tinged with darkness. The more aggressive ones are sung by John - 'Wrecking ball' opens the album with the nihilistic declaration, "I may hate myself, but I hate you all so much more." (Later, on 'Twenty thousand' he'll snarl, "Where I go I don't see or hear you, and that suits me fine.") The more reflective ones are sung by Rachel, who in track two, 'Control', shifts that me-versus-the-world stance into a more triumphant anthem. With its new-wave shadings (think Sounds or even Metric) and completely infectious oh-oh, oh-oh-oh chorus, 'Control' begs to be a single.

John and Rachel both bring a lot to the table as vocalists - he in the family of power pop vocalists who actually can sing; she as a chameleon who can sound like Bridget Cross one moment, Cleo Murray the next, and Dolores O'Riordan the third. And IWTDI boasts obvious musicianship across the board; James Hepler's muscular but unpretentious drumming is a secret weapon wisely used. Everything comes together on sleeper first single 'Regulators' - three songs in one, really, from its Pixies intro and insouciant verses, to its unexpectedly wistful chorus, to its even more unexpected gorgeous outro with guitar and synth lines that shimmer into the fade.

At times IWTDI pushes for the arena; "Twenty thousand' is a heavyweight cousin to Jackson Browne's 'Running on empty'. Other songs are achingly pretty, like "All get lucky', possibly the Posies-est track on Preludes, though that song's lyrics rely too much on cliches. Even prettier, though, is "With you now', sounding like Cranberries doing an Oasis song, and delivering some of the most affecting lyrics on the album: "Living by the notion of fairytale devotion..."

But Preludes holds its boldest, most unorthodox track till the end, with no foreshadowing at all. 'Fight/flight' wears a love of Kate Bush on its sleeve, with the rhythm section paying homage to 'Running up that hill' and Rachel doing the Kate-est of vocal exercises in the bridge. It's a stunning song that walks a tightrope between paranoia and legitimate fear; as often as Rachel repeats, "It's only in your head," the comfort is undercut by the climbing chord progression and her glossolalia. 'Fight/flight' makes the strongest case that IWTDI is capable of forging a musical identity that will resist easy categorization, making them a band to watch.

Preludes has its missteps. 'Out tonight' is serviceable, but weak in this company. 'The key & the rose' - a surreal reworking of 'Fight/flight' - would be piquant as that song's b-side, but it comes across as self-indulgent as the album closer. (Outtakes like jangle-poppy 'Halloween' or post-punkish 'The hollow men' would have been welcome in its stead.) While many of the pro - Puck & Baedeker

"Preludes" is a result of maturation musically and openness. From beginning to end it progresses like one changing season to the next, where things commence only to grow more refined with new colors. Opening with “Wrecking Ball,” a song that typifies the sound of IWTDI – strong guitar riffs and anthem heavy singing. He sings “I may hate myself but I hate you all so much more” and makes it meaningful and sweet yet tinged with acid. “Control” is Hirsh’s song but with Booker singing background vocals. It and especially “Regulators” continues to prove what a great combination they are vocally – Hirsh as ethereal power vocalist and Booker’s guttural one-two punch as both rock singer and crooner (check out album highlight “Out Tonight”). The album boasts new directions, and grace, with “All Get Lucky” but more on “Fight/Flight” and “The Key & The Rose” which finds Hirsh singing more in the vein of Dido or Shea Seger than the prowess she’s exuded with IWTDI. Hirsh broadens herself with fantastic results in song that’s piano heavy and enhanced with tense drumming. The song reveals itself to be a new world for the band’s sound, notably in its ambiance and the injected lightning guitar riffs.

IWTDI benefits greatly from having two singers. Booker or Hirsh would be exemplary alone in separate bands, but together in IWTDI it makes for something unique, not just as songwriters working together but their blending of vocals. The combination takes things up several notches, like a band that incorporates a horn section – it becomes something else altogether. Preludes highlights their workmanship together, illustrating all of its strengths and as a necessary coupling. The album is an energetic blend of 80’s melodies and New Wave flavoring with indie rock. It smartly houses ten tracks and the result is a fast moving collection that doesn’t rest easy, and when it does slow down, keeps things engaging. - Music Is Amazing

When most longtime couples break up, they spend some time apart. They take a few months to cool off, to forget about those harsh last words, to find some new buddies and drink at a different bar. For John Booker and Rachel Hirsh, that wasn't really an option.

"I was like, 'Oh God, the next practice is going to be awkward,'" says Curtis Armstead. He plays guitar in I Was Totally Destroying It, the Chapel Hill power-pop band that Booker and Hirsh front. Quitting? Forgetting each other? No one was having that, at least not now.

The fresh-faced couple's two-year relationship, which extended to living and writing songs together for the popular five-piece, splintered in April. By then, they were months into finishing their second album, a thrilling, rambunctious, often bitter LP called Horror Vacui, to be released by Greyday Records next week.

So the record, much like its dogged creators, has proved to be something of a survivor, making it through fracturing relationships and the decision by local label Neckbeard Records to cut ties with the group in the spring. Within weeks of departing Neckbeard, IWTDI had signed with Greyday of Portland, Ore., and Horror Vacui had a firm Oct. 13 release date. For a band that issued its own debut just two years ago, the move was a major, definitive step forward.

Still, the tale is a mildly harrowing one for Booker and Hirsh, who will play their personal drama out in front of bandmates, friends, fans and anyone else who cares to listen. Booker calls the volatile time after the breakup "one of the most trying experiences of my life."

"Things were falling apart as everything was going along," Booker says as he sits on the porch of the Chapel Hill home the band uses each week for rehearsal space. "And the lyrics, posthumously, made us realize that's what we were singing about."

The songs, written as their relationship broke, served as something like couples therapy. And the rest of the band—longtime indie drummer James Hepler, bassist Joe Mazzitelli and Armstead—were the de facto counselors, sort of.

"If somebody left a sponge in the sink, something really trivial that would make me furious, I would go sit down," Hirsh says. "I would scribble something in a notebook. I would play a couple of chords and say, 'Here!'"

"It would serve as a timeline for who won what argument," chimes in Hepler.

This is the nature of I Was Totally Destroying It, a tightly knit, determined band of would-be rock stars whose incestuous forays make them seem more like a twisted version of the Waltons than bandmates. You get the sense that at the end of the day, they sit around a table, drink beers, eat meatloaf, joke about the neighbors, argue about who's washing the dishes and talk about their day. They're warm and unabashedly friendly. Hell, they even finish each other's sentences and refer to the band as a "marriage."

"The option of breaking up as a band was just never there," Hirsh says. "It wasn't possible. We kicked around the idea because, obviously, it was really hard to be around each other, but the input from these guys was, 'That just can't happen. We just can't do that, and both of you need to suck it up.'"

"And I own guns," adds Armstead, laughing.

Booker and Hirsh aren't the only ones in the band with mending hearts. Hepler's marriage crumbled last fall, and Armstead parted ways with his girlfriend in December. It's nothing new for bands to use creative and personal friction like this to hit it big. Fleetwood Mac turned it into singles gold with 1976's Rumours, and, more recently, rock chameleon Beck gave us all the sordid details in 2002's weary Sea Change. Couples split all the time. Ballads and fuck-yous are never very far behind. Breaking up, according to Hepler, "has fueled rock since its inception."

He would know something about rock history. At 35, he's the musical archivist of the group, a ferocious, open-mouthed drummer with a penchant for Billy Joel (his no-irony r - Independent Weekly

Romantic breakups can be many things, but "fun" is never on the menu. During the wound-licking stage, both parties generally want to get as far apart from each other as possible. And yet John Booker and Rachel Hirsh have spent a long stretch of this fall in the close quarters of a touring van. Because while they broke up, their band - the excellent pop ensemble I Was Totally Destroying It - has not.

"It's been one of the most difficult things either of us has ever gone through," says Booker over the phone from the band van, on eastbound Interstate 70 headed for St. Louis. "This has been our first real tour since the breakup, and it's been trying a lot of the time. There are little fights and problems here and there that sometimes blow up, which we'll somehow resolve - either through actual mediation or just trying to squash it down for the time being and move on.

"But yeah," he concludes, "it's been rough. Really rough."

Still, for all the unpleasantness involved, keeping the band going might be worth the effort because the group's new album "Horror Vacui" (Greyday Records) is just too good to walk away from. It's a giant step beyond I Was Totally Destroying It's very fine 2007 debut.

Immensely catchy and likable, "Horror Vacui" ranges from new-wave power pop to acoustic jingle-jangle, with Hirsh's keyboards in a starring role. The hooks and harmonies are dead-on throughout, rendered with assurance and polish. "Horror Vacui" would brighten the atmosphere at any commercial radio station with the sense to give it a spin.

But given the artery-hardened state of the nation's airwaves, that's not going to happen. So what is a band like I Was Totally Destroying It to do?

"It's definitely a topic of discussion, something we think about and struggle with all the time," Booker says. "It's kind of a blessing and a curse with this band. We all come from indie-rock backgrounds, and this is the most pop project we've ever done. That wasn't intentional, it's just how it came together.... But it's also tough because we don't have a specific little niche we fit into."

Ah, but there is a specific niche "Horror Vacui" fits into: the breakup record. Between Richard and Linda Thompson, Fleetwood Mac, X and No Doubt, history is littered with examples of bands outliving relationships and getting memorable music out of it.

Only one song on "Horror Vacui" was actually written after Booker and Hirsh broke up - the album-opening "Beneath You All the Way," with its wistfully anguished chorus declaration, "You can't drive me away." And yet you can hear the dissolution of their relationship in the other 11 songs, as they trade verses, complaints and accusations. But their voices still blend together beautifully. Even as things were falling apart, Booker and Hirsh remained a perfect musical fit.

"All those songs were written while we were still together, but getting into fights, disagreements, bad times," Booker says. "The bad things do tend to give you the most inspiration. So it's a breakup album in retrospect, a lot of foreshadowing of the end. And the funny part is that I co-wrote all the lyrics, including songs where Rachel is saying really biting words about me. It wasn't until after we broke up that I took some of those songs' meanings more - and they became more hurtful in a way.

"But it's still not too bad," he adds. "It's never gotten to the point where we wanted to kill each other and we're still probably best friends."

As to the future, I Was Totally Destroying It plans to continue. But there will be some fundamental differences when the band starts thinking about the next record. Writing for that is supposed to commence in early 2010.

"The songwriting dynamic will be a little different, which we'd wanted to do anyway," Booker says. "Now the full band will come up with things together."
- The News & Observer

“Its Friday, Friday. Gotta get down on Friday!” We couldn’t believe that we’d actually see a band play Rebecca Black’s “Friday” live and pull it off with such talent and gusto. We guessed wrong and it was an amazing band called I Was Totally Destroying It that played it. Now, it will go on record that IMR was the first indie music blog on the internet to cover a live band review of Rebecca Black’s “Friday’. So, other blogs, back off! And other bands, don’t even attempt it. I Was Totally Destroying It’s version was EPIC. Just jokin’. It was a great night though!

Well everyone, we just got back from seeing an awesome group called “I Was Totally Destroying It” out of Durham, NC at The North River Tavern in Roswell, Georgia. (a North Atlanta Suburb) for their first show of their 2011 tour. Check their website: http://www.iwtdi.com for the latest tour dates and blog entries and follow them as they tour the country at over 25 cities. Most recently, they played at the SXSW festival where they gained a lot of well deserved press and new fans.

IWTDI (I Was Totally Destroying It) rocked the North River Tavern and we’ve got nothing but great things to say about this group. Be sure to get your hands on a copy of their latest album from GreyDayProductions.

The opening act, John Henry Velez (http://www.myspace.com/johnhenrysolo) was the perfect act to start the night. His smooth, soulful voice and funky band set the tone for the night to get rowdy with IWTDI. John Henry reminds us of a younger Jeff Buckley with a rock-grit tone in his voice that will make him go far. John Henry played with a PHAT bass player and tight drummer that at times were off. A little rehearsal on the parts will make things go smoother next time, guys. If you are in the Atlanta area, this is a band you will want to check out and they will dominate the Atlanta scene, our best guess.

After John Henry Velez’ set, IWTDI was ready to take the stage. Finally fixing a few keyboard issues, the band was ready to get going. As soon as the sound engineer asked for a thirty-second sound-check, all the heads in North River Tavern turned to the stage. It looked like (and sounded like) we were in for a great night! IWTDI’s sound is modern and the musicians in the band are no joke; Their guitar players, John Booker(also lead vocals) and Curtis Armstead, sported an arsenal of pedals with dual Orange amps and Marshall cabinets. Their lead singer and keyboard player, Rachel, whose voice is so smooth and melodic, had an amazing synth arsenal including an awesome looking MOOG on stage. Their drummer’s set was pretty sweet and SHINY…that’s about all we can say…haha. And of course, you can’t forget Joe’s “Nolin” bass rig... ”What is a Nolin?”, you ask? Well, from the short conversation we had with Joe, a Nolin is what you get when you take the N, O, L, I, and N letters from a Ford Econoline van logo when they fall off and glue them to your bass rig. It’s actually a Carvin, but his tone was pretty sick. Oh, yes, and don’t let us forget to mention, he uses dual overdrive pedals! Sick!

IWTDI’s set started out rocking with call and response lead vocals between lead singers Rachel Hirsh and John Booker while the band wailed awesome distorted guitars and overdriven bass-guitar tones over a modern electronic synth background pad. Hirsh and Booker’s voices are the perfect match; Booker’s voice is calm and energetic at times while Hirsh adds smooth melody and excitement to the mix. The duo’s vocal power is sure to be a new favorite at many places all over the nation in 2011 with their upcoming tour.

Throughout the night, drummer James kicked off the songs and kept the groove strong for bass player Joe and the rest of the band. Overall, we’d give IWTDI nine stars out of ten on our live show review scale. Why not a ten? Well, if the band would have given us a free CD, we would have definitely hooked you up! Just joking, this band really deserv - Indie Music Reviewer

I Was Totally Destroying It, Alright Alright
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
hi-dive
Better Than: You might expect from a mid-week indie rock show.

I missed Hunter Dragon and Fridge Magnet, because, the hi-dive, as it turns out, sometimes, sensibly, starts 21+ shows before 10 p.m. on a weeknight —something many people have been suggesting to venues for years. I did make it in time to catch Alright Alright.

It probably doesn’t mean much to anyone that China and Seth Kent are part of the Cinematic Underground collective, but it was interesting to get to witness them launching their own music together as Alright Alright. Their songs were soul-edged indie rock, often bordering on minimalist folk. China Kent sang with a strong, slightly husky voice, which was entirely appropriate when they covered Nancy Griffith’s “Gulf Coast Highway.” I can’t say I was overly impressed with the music; it seemed a bit too workmanlike for my taste. But the band performed like it was having fun and really loving the songs. The act’s drummer had a keen grasp of texture and dynamics and really added another dimension, which helped give the songs character. None of the performers made a virtue out of a lack of ability. At the same time, they refrained from a gaudy show of musicianship. Ultimately, Alright Alright was likeable because of its good stage presence and a sense of humor.

Truth in advertising part two: I Was Totally Destroying It doing just that.

I’m not sure what I was expecting from I Was Totally Destroying It. Outside the hi-dive, a friend asked me what the outfit was like. How do you sum up a great pop band with more sonic ambition than most? The act exceeded whatever expectations I had – and they must’ve been high enough, because what I had heard reminded me of one of the best pop bands of the earlier part of this decade, the Anniversary. I expect pop bands to be catchy and pleasant to the ears and Destroying It didn’t disappoint. But the group also played with an arresting power and force of passion. Chapel Hill, North Carolina has been responsible for some of the better, more ambitious pop music of the last three decades, and I Was Totally Destroying It is well within that grand tradition of a scene that produced Let’s Active, Superchunk, Polvo and the Archers of Loaf.

For this show, the band played mostly newer material that will be recorded for its next album—which promises to be a barn burner. The new songs were even better than Destroying It’s eminently worthy earlier material. John Booker sang melodically and harmonized well with Rachel Hirsh, herself a commanding lead vocalist. One of the more somber tunes reminded me of “Last Night” by Lush in its pacing and mood, with layers of guitar that brought a depth and shining atmospheres to the overall sound. You expect music like this to lift your spirits, but I Was Totally Destroying It also played with an unexpected intensity that elevated it above most of its peers.

-- Tom Murphy

Personal Bias: Having already researched IWTDI for an article, I already knew they would be excellent but not the degree to which they would be so.
Random Detail: Alright Alright’s drummer had an Obama sticker on the face of his kick.
By the Way: Rachel Hirsh said everyone in Denver was so foxy she didn’t know how we could stand it. - WestWord

It’s nice to be graced by enthusiastic, talented musicians from time to time. And every member of the band I Was Totally Destroying It fits that description: enthusiastic and talented.

What a job I have to be able to sit and objectively hear the opinions of such levelheaded artists. They touched on everything from why they love what they do to how they view the range of music in the Triangle and its progression over the last 15 years.

I encountered I Was Totally Destroying It at the local beer local band night at Tir Na Nog in Raleigh. About 30 seconds into their set, I knew I had to talk to them after the show. I’m glad I did, and as it turns out they love hearing from the audience (Even if you just talk about the silly conversation that spawned their unique name). They just like everyone to say hi.



Check these guys out, their MySpace site has a ton of songs on it. They are about to put out a new EP (vinyl with a digital download, and only 250 copies)… and then a new CD in October with their new label Greyday Records. But don’t forget to give their first CD a good listen! I was amazed to find out they produced it themselves with just a little help from a local studio. Well Done! - WRAL

Remember way back to the early 90’s before “alternative” was a dirty word? Somewhere shortly after Nirvana released Nevermind and Pearl Jam put out 10, but before the term was co-opted by ad firms looking to sell cars and record labels looked for an excuse to trot out weaker carbon copies of the aforementioned bands (I’m looking your way Stone Temple Pilots and Bush). Alternative was actually used to describe those frighteningly creative bands that were only heard on college radio stations and through homemade mix tapes. Where was I going with this… oh yeah, I Was Totally Destroying It would have fit quite nicely into that period in time.

Well-crafted ,infectious indie pop music, that calls to mind everyone from Frosting on the Beater-era Posies and It’s a Shame About Ray Lemonheads, the Chapel Hill band seem to be one of the few in their generation whose influences go back further than Blink 182 and Green Day. Preludes are actually a record six years in the making. The songs were started and initially shelved as the band went to work on what would become Vexations (due out later this year). They already had a few songs so considered slapping them on an EP and putting it out, but the band thought better of that idea, reworked them a bit and turned them into a full length, the band’s third.

The songs are just as strong as those on their previous efforts, and the group pulls off the duo lead vocals (thanks to John Booker and Rachel Hirsh) better than most who have attempted it. Preludes are 10 songs of solid indie pop that the band thankfully rescued from the discard pile. And to think we’re only months away from its follow up. - Innocent Words

I Was Totally Destroying It is a five-piece power-pop band who releasd their third LP April 12th. The album is out through Portland based indie label, Greyday Records. Aptly titled Preludes, the release was originally intended as a possible single or EP to act as a precursor to another upcoming album, Vexations, due in late 2011.

IWTDI vocalist John Booker brought out his shelved music material to see which songs might work as a lead-in for Vexations. Booker recalls, “Before we started writing Preludes, I had Joe and Rachel sit down in our practice room with pencil and paper and I stood in front of them with just an acoustic guitar. I ran through all 35 ideas and they marked down their thoughts on each and voted. That’s how we picked which songs we’d tackle.”

Once John Booker (vocals, guitar) played, Joe Mazzitelli (bass) and Rachel Hirsh (vocals, keyboards) voted, the chosen songs were presented to Curtis Armstead (guitar) and James Hepler (drums) for the final reworking. This resulted in a full length album of its own. Preludes involves themes of alienation and anxiety, set to an upbeat rhythm that allows you to feel optimistic despite the present anguish. I Was Totally Destroying It is currently touring from Boulder, CO through the U.S. midwest to their home territory in Chapel Hill, NC.

What drives Preludes is its upbeat tones, mingled with angsty lyrics. “Wrecking Ball” is a perfect opener with its flippant lines stating, “I may hate myself, but I hate you all so much more. Yeah, it’s me against the world.” You can’t get annoyed with the words though, because the musical cheerfulness naturally brings a smile to your face. “Control” too is reminiscent of happy music/sad lyrics bands like The Cure.

“All Get Lucky” relaxes into a slightly more sober melody, assuring, “It’s a matter of time, my angry angel. Together we’ll get by.” Other easier tunes like “When Chaos Comes” and “With You Now” are nearly dreamy, particularly with Hirsh’s vocal contributions which add an element of loveliness enhancing the lyrics.

More aggressive tracks like “Regulators” and “Twenty-Thousand” maintain an inviting mood despite agitated lyrics such as, “You hang around like a cast-on shadow. Stop wasting my time.”

The album takes a nice turn with Hirsh’s head-trip piano driven song, “Fight/Flight”. The soft intro, “It doesn’t hurt a bit / It’s only in your head,” nicely builds into beautifully fierce outcries.

I Was Totally Destroying It completes the ten-track Preludes with a song that could easily be the beginning of another album. “The Key & The Rose” is delightful with its male/female vocals providing fresh fun in yet another highly dance-able tune. If there is any gray in your day, IWTDI says, “You don’t have to feel like this,” and immediately the drabness is filled with vibrant color.

4/5 - The Music Cycle

I Was Totally Destroying It’s third album starts off with the anthemic “Wrecking Ball”, a song that is unfortunately sabotaged a bit by singer John Booker’s vocal resemblance to Weird Al Yankovic. Luckily for the band, Rachel Hirsh handles the majority of lead vocals on the album, and Booker only sounds like Al when he’s really belting it out. Preludes is otherwise a solid album from top to bottom, boosted by Booker’s strong songwriting, and good musicianship from the whole band. Most of the songs are upbeat rockers like the catchy “Control”, which features a strong vocal from Hirsh as well as pounding drums and hook-filled guitars. The light, poppy “When Chaos Comes” jangles like a mid-‘90s alternative band, while “Fight/Flight” is a bit darker, with tension-filled guitars and tasteful piano interludes. I Was Totally Destroying It aren’t breaking any new ground here, but it’s nice to hear a straightforward rock album that’s well-written and good the whole way through, without songs that feel like filler. - Popmatters

Curtis Armstead (guitar), John Booker (guitar, vocals), James Helper (drums), Rachel Hirsh (vocals, keyboards), and Joe Mazzitelli (bass) are giving us a look at their deeper side with meaningful lyrics and catchy beats. They are saying what we all want to say, and they are having a damn good time. “I may hate myself, but I hate you all so much more,” sings Booker in opening track, “Wrecking Ball,” which displays the band’s signature DGAF attitude. Hirsh’s vocals add both spunk and authority to the album with an airy, yet sturdy, ’80s kind of style. Her sound is reminiscent of Hayley Williams of Paramore and Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast. The five-piece, power pop band has created 10 well-balanced, catchy tracks that elicit a deep and more ambitious sound than the usual power pop sensation. - The Owl Mag

Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s I Was Totally Destroying It is not a band that is afraid to take chances. While most bands spend their formative months or even years writing songs, diligently practicing, and playing shows until they head into the studio to record their debut record, I Was Totally Destroying It decided that was not for them. Instead, the band got right down to business after their early 2007 inception and wrote the fifteen tracks that comprise their self-titled debut effort. During the four shows the band had prior to recording, they opened for Cursive and These Arms Are Snakes, two bands you normally wouldn’t expect to see sharing a stage with a powerpop band. Four months after their inception and their self-titled effort was completed.

The album opens with “To Nomenclature”, a song that introduces the listener to the brand of infectious melodies distributed throughout the album. Make no mistake about it though, with those melodies comes a slight rock edge that sets the tone early that this is a band has a statement to make and commands your full attention. While the melodies of the first two tracks were slightly more subtle in the opening two tracks, “Sugar-Coated Lullaby” displays an exuberant amount of energy and is a superbly executed pop song that you can’t help but sing along to. This track finds guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Rachel Hirsch taking a more prominent vocal role than in “To Nomenclature” and “Spend Some Time Alone”, and the interaction between Hirsch and vocalist/guitarist John Booker is superb. “Hey Alright!” is a bouncy and oddly catchy pop song that, like quite a few of the songs on the record, incorporates well placed synth accents. I am sucker for well written pop songs that take the fun to another level, so when I heard the group sing-along and handclaps in the closing minutes over the chorus, I found myself to be quite smitten over I Was Totally Destroying It.

“My Favorite Haunt” is a little more somber than its predecessors, yet the band is able to add enough subtle melodies to keep you hooked while the experiment with their sound slightly. “Truth Is Tricky” is an interesting piano-led song that finds I Was Totally Destroying It temporarily abandoning their straightforward sound for a more experimental approach that actually sounds like a better fit for them. This track was a complete surprise, and sticks out proudly from the other fourteen tracks on the album. “Summer State” lives up to its name with its playful synth parts and light, carefree melodies, and will probably make a few playlists once the weather begins to warm up once again. “Conrad” is the longest song on the record clocking in at nearly six minutes, but is arguably the best song on the album. The band slow things down considerably and the instrumentation is sparse, but this adds considerable emotion to the song and it truly is an emotionally gripping song that is made more so by the beautiful piano parts added in halfway through the track. Another thing that sets this song apart is the intimacy of the lyrics, which mentions shows in Durham and listening to records among other things which are the sort of details that really draw a listener in.

I Was Totally Destroying It’s self-titled debut is fairly strong, but does have a few faults. The first being that some of the songs seem to bleed together which is not a problem, but since some of them are lengthy, it becomes a struggle to reach the closing minutes of the album. Also, the fifteen track album almost reaches the hour mark which is a little too long for listeners to keep interested in an album that mostly sticks to a powerpop format. However, there are a few tracks on this album that are absolutely stunning songs that I have not been able to get out of my head since I first received this album in the mail (“Conrad”, “My Favorite Haunt”, “Truth Is Tricky”) that prove this band has all the tools to possibly create a stellar sophomore effort. By the way, thank - AbsolutePunk

(I know that this came out way back in April but I have only just heard it.)

Initially, Preludes was a collection of shelved material that I Was Totally Destroying It guitarist/vocalist John Booker had backlogged for as long as seven years and didn’t feel fit in with the collaborative effort that their new album was to be. But after wanting to have an EP to bridge between albums, the band went back and reworked some tracks until it grew into a whole other full-length. The result is a hook-heavy, super listener-friendly rock sound that hits instantly. Think: poppier Superchunk? There are even a bit of ’80s undertones that maybe are only apparent to me. Vocalist/keyboardist Rachel Hirsh’s voice recalls hints of Belinda Carlisle (huge crush on her as a kid) as well as Cristina Scabbia (huge crush on her now) of goth metal band Lacuna Coil, and is especially transcendent when she is harmonized by Booker. I won’t lie. There were goosebumps. Her highlights are certainly and “They Key & The Rose,” and “Control,”. Booker’s voice is harder to nail down as the only comparison I can make is that if “Weird Al” Yankovic took singing seriously. His best moments include “Wrecking Ball,” and “Out Tonight,”. The album really excels with its most rocking moments. The vocal interplay reaches its biggest heights on “Control,” and “Regulators,” and there is even a bit of funhouse keyboard from Hirsh taken from The New Pornographers‘ playbook. This cache of extra songs turns out to be a treasure trove. There is so much to enjoy and if this is just the prelude, there is so much more to look forward to. - The Big Takeover

Back in 2007, the singer and guitarist John Booker was contemplating giving up music altogether.

Fast forward to 2010, and the members of Booker's indie rock/power pop band I Was Totally Destroying It are about to quit their day jobs, release two albums and tour more than ever before. The Chapel Hill group plays the Soapbox Friday, Dec. 10.

"I know it's a cliché, but I think the band has matured a lot in every capacity," Booker wrote via email. "It's not some giant, 180-degree shift, just what we've been aiming to achieve musically through a more sophisticated filter."

The band's upcoming albums represent a productive pattern for IWTDI of putting out an EP of material (2009's "Done Waiting") before releasing a full-length (2009's "Horror Vacui"). In 2011, they'll release "Preludes" on Greyday Records in April before following it up with a second album by the end of the year.

"‘Preludes' is an obvious extension of the pop/rock leanings we'd shown in the past," Booker said. "It's definitely a familiar feel, (but) presented from a very different angle."

Writing about personal strife and relationships are fertile ground for all songwriters. Though buried in high-flying power pop, IWTDI's debut is reflective of this and "Horror Vacui" couldn't have been more personal. (It's the band's "Rumours" Booker has said.) The material from Booker and Rachel Hirsh, the band's singer and keyboard player, about their relationship is brutally honest, scathing and entirely listenable.

"I do think most writers do their best work when things around them are falling apart," Booker said. "But in the end it's whatever the listener applies from their own experiences (that) makes the idea or artistic work ‘successful.' "

The band approached its upcoming album in a different way than before by placing parameters and limitations on the process. But as much as the band was experimenting, they found solace in familiar territory.

"After you experiment for a while you always end up needing to go back … so you don't lose sight of things," Booker said. "We got some great songs out of it and we became a better band, but it wasn't until we combined the new adventures with our more familiar identities that we felt we really had something we could stand behind confidently. We stumbled and hit roadblocks along the way, but ended up with two albums worth of material we believe in." - Star News

I Was Totally Destroying It is rock and roll, bringing you back to the pop electric sound that once ruled the airwaves in the 1970s. Opening track “Wrecking Ball” hits hard as it uplifts with a nice hook. Without hesitation, the second track “Control” grabs you and takes you for a musical ride through IWTDI’s explosion of melody.

Pop songs are meant to be played in less than three minutes, and IWTDI seems to have this formula working. Preludes features a refreshing wave of sounds and textures, of keyboards, a strong and punchy rhythm section and bright guitars in an excellence that many seem to forget. “Control” is a perfect example of this. The mixes in general are well rounded and the songwriting is to the point and diverse. You can tell that a lot of thought was put into the production, taking good songs and doing them justice; and the band’s performances support this. Preludes is not just energetic, its explosive; the tempos throughout are upbeat, the songs catchy and flowing. Highlights include “Wrecking Ball,” “Control,” and “Twenty-Thousand,” but out of the 10, you can’t go wrong with anything on IWTDI’s new disc. (Greyday Records)

Recorded and mixed by Mitchell Marlow and Al Jacob // Recorded at Warrior Sound, Chapel Hill, NC // Mastered by Jeff Carroll at Bluefield Mastering - Performer Magazine

Holy shnikes! Where did this monster come from? The hook-laden opening song, “Wrecking Ball,” sets a “melodic 90s indie guitar-rock” standard that is about as high as can be. And, one right after another the great songs pour forth from this band, which includes members of Sorry About Dresden. Reportedly, these tracks were culled from thirty-five songs dating back about six years. Originally, singer/guitarist John Booker put those songs aside while the band worked on album number three, but then they decided to take a different tack, and they went back and selected material to be re-worked into the matrix of the new record. The result is a masterwork that will ride among the best albums of its kind all the way to the end of 2011.

The super-catchy “Control” reels out an unbelievably great vocal from co-lead singer Rachel Hirsh, wherein she shows off some bright and clear pipes with a nice middle tone that doesn’t seem forced as it does with some singers of the fairer gender. She sounds like no one else on the planet, and she and Booker play off each other really well. The musical dynamics and the general motility of the songs allows for some active vocal calisthenics, flavored with harmonies woven around the multiple layers of sound. The hooks come fast and furious, but not in any predictable manner, drums and noisy guitars showing up when they feel like it. Sometimes it sounds like two completely different songs seamlessly spliced together into one: they soar and shimmer, arcing and twisting and turning all around themselves in rhythmic lunges.

In addition to the already existing comparisons to bands like the Lemonheads and Get Up Kids, there’s also some awesome power-pop like the Tommy Keene-esque “Out Tonight,” and the slinky number, “When Chaos Comes.” The wavering melodies and shifty maneuvers work really throughout, but one of the most delectable highlights is “Regulators,” with its powerful and plangent vocal part by Hirsh. When she intones “Regulators, where’s my mister?/He’s been gone so long, so long…” it stays with you for some time after the song ends. I’ll go out on a limb and say it: Rachel Hirsh is the rock vocalist of the year, so far, in my book, and this album should rightfully solidify IWTDI as one of the best bands most people have never heard of working anywhere today. Out. - Impose Magazine

On "Come Out, Come Out," the irresistible, horn-abetted highlight of I Was Totally Destroying It's second album, Horror Vacui, Rachel Hirsh returns to the plea "I want to be young" four times. "I want to be young/ to be a wreck and wrecked upon," she sings during the first iteration, the words of her wish falling squarely over a big, bouncing beat. Hirsh wants to make a mess of everything around her, to return to simplicity, to have a lot of fun.

The interesting irony, though, is that very little seems simple or elementary about Horror Vacui, a breakup album that thrives on the splitting-at-the-seams/ attached-in-the-mix chemistry of Hirsh and ex-boyfriend John Booker, who takes lead on about half of these songs and harmonies on the rest. Indeed, Horror Vacui pushes I Was Totally Destroying It beyond the bounds of a return to innocence and youth, into the territory of a mature band capable of crafting a great record. "Come Out, Come Out," after all, is a cry for rebellion that works because it's so tightly arranged and precisely executed. That is, it refines and cultivates a teenage urge. Compositionally smarter and structurally more diverse than you might've imagined, I Was Totally Destroying It bests their past on Horror Vacui by wrapping willful growth into irrepressible pop songs.

Across its debut LP and two EPs, I Was Totally Destroying It's calling card has been agile, aggressive power-pop buoyed by a sea of attitude. They again land about half a dozen such tunes: Opener "Beneath You All the Way" is Booker's racing, open-road anthem about trying to stick around for love, even when the odds (and the other party, it seems) shout otherwise. Its chewy bass and boisterous guitars frame the four excitable minutes as they charge beneath the harmonies like a cavalcade. On the shorter, hyperkinetic "A Reason To," Hirsh heads in the other direction, exclaiming "Either way, I'm going to find a reason to break." Booker's voice—ironically, passionately, perfectly—rises to meet hers in harmony.

But even within these radio-savvy molds, the songs twist adventurously. James Hepler creatively works dynamics into bombastic rock drumming, and Booker and Armstead's dual guitars snap between smart textural atmospheres and lean, slanted lines. Hirsh even phases her synthesizer into and out of time with the band at one point, making the moment when everything locks into place during the chorus that much more compelling. "Beneath" plummets from its straightforward clip after climbing a guitar riff with no end and peels away to nothing more than a single guitar and Hirsh's ethereal voice. "You can't drive me away," she sings, stealing Booker's words. They race back into it together, capitalizing on their own interpersonal drama.

Such structural intricacies extend beyond simply turning good pop songs into better pop songs, though: I Was Totally Destroying It has, at last, become best when writing outside of its familiar, frenetic trope, or at least when they're testing its limits. "Green Means Go," for instance, combines rock band basics and group chants in a way that suggests The Arcade Fire, while Booker sings as if he's on a see-saw, his brilliant leaps between notes bending the song into an oddball instrumental bridge that the band must shout its way out of. Several of Hirsh's lead turns, in particular, point to a broad sense of possibility—and the permanent anchor to hook—for the Chapel Hill quintet. The aforementioned "Come Out, Come Out" shakes itself free of the usual guitar focus, choosing instead to follow a rhythmic lead. And her fragile turn on "Cup of Tea," the quietest and most subtly crafted tune in the band's oeuvre, is gorgeous. Pensive and patient, she sounds like she'd wait all day for this whole thing to get better.

And that's my advice, too: It's long been easy to dismiss I Was Totally Destroying It as a chirpy pop band grafting local indie rock credibility onto songs that Get Up Kids, Saves the Day and, to a le - Independent Weekly

There are some bands whose heartache and triumphs transmit like whispered confessions. Even with a fast tempo, meaning is veiled in metaphor, shrouded in reverent angst and symbolism.

Thankfully, Durham’s I Was Totally Destroying It is nothing like those bands. Here, there are no plaintiff cries or bedroom sobs — it’s all riffing guitars, sharp barbs and the kind of honesty that’s so true it hurts.

That’s not to say that Preludes, the group’s adrenaline-spiked latest, lacks any of the introspection or depth that its competitors flaunt.

Instead, I Was Totally Destroying It spits epithets and observations like bullets, with a rapid-fire delivery that leaves layers to examine even after several listens.

The album’s instantaneous appeal is one of its strongest — and most easily recognized — assets. While that’s nothing new, especially in the wake of 2009’s likeable Horror Vacui, Preludes is exceptional in its relentless charm.

Opener “Wrecking Ball” is a distorted, tangled ode to destruction, be it self-targeted or otherwise, and from the first harmonized lilt of its R.E.M.-esque vocals, it sets out on a warpath of catchy choruses and refrains that aim as much for your feet as your brain.

I Was Totally Destroying It’s brand of pop-rock is of the tightly wound variety, full of bouncing rhythms, skittering keyboard progressions and anxious, frantically sung lyrics. While songs like “Control” deal with the helter-skelter nature of relationships, life and the insanity therein, there is no whining on Preludes. This is the smart person’s lament, one that’s as cathartic as it is contemplative.

For a set of songs that are as gritty and honest as they are engaging, the album’s smooth coat of studio luster comes as somewhat of a surprise.

Tracks like “When Chaos Comes” strike an ideal balance between pristine male-female harmonies and throbbing guitars, and the synthy, Joy Division influence on “Out Tonight” never veers into stylization.

While it’s largely successful, there are a few moments where the band errs. “Fight/Flight” drags on just a little bit too long — a slower, piano-driven track that could do without the minute or so of wails and riffs.

But on the whole, the record is an alluring example of just how infectious well-crafted, fast-paced pop-rock can be. The most winsome facet of Preludes isn’t its earworm hooks or its polished sound. It’s the raw honesty with which the songs are delivered.

You could even call it heartbreaking — but surely this band doesn’t have time for that kind of sappy, sorrowful stuff. I Was Totally Destroying It is too rock ‘n’ roll for that. - The Daily Tar Heel

For a pop-rock band I Was Totally Destroying It doesn’t take an easy path and make mindless bubblegum music. They make catchy rock music about introspection, strife, alienation and fractured relationships. Singer John Booker and Rachel Hirsh take serious subjects and glisten them to such a degree that it takes multiple spins to catch on because the music is either too fun or amped up.

Not content with releasing one album, Chapel Hill , NC ’s IWTDI will release Preludes this spring and look to release the follow-up Vexations in the fall or early 2012. Intent on domination, or just productive in churning out material, IWTDI is utilizing their past and looking forward with Preludes, an album of older song ideas from singer/guitarist John Booker originally planned as a solo record and newer material with interesting new directions from singer/keyboardist Rachel Hirsh.

The band has, through a handful of albums, matured and grown. With its self-titled debut one entered a world of songs about youth, partying, friendships and the turned corner of early years and staring at forays into adulthood. The follow-up full-length “Horror Vacui” dug much deeper, clawing in and out of the rapture of a relationship that was melodic as it was therapeutic and evaluating. With two EP’s and a 7-incher in and around these two albums the band seemed to not be necessarily finding itself, but enjoying itself musically, making a lot of music built on the strident belief that pop rock has a place in the indie world as well as the mainstream.

Preludes is a result of maturation musically and openness. From beginning to end it progresses like one changing season to the next, where things commence only to grow more refined with new colors. Opening with “Wrecking Ball,” a song that typifies the sound of IWTDI – strong guitar riffs and anthem heavy singing. He sings “I may hate myself but I hate you all so much more” and makes it meaningful and sweet yet tinged with acid. “Control” is Hirsh’s song but with Booker singing background vocals. It and especially “Regulators” continues to prove what a great combination they are vocally – Hirsh as ethereal power vocalist and Booker’s guttural one-two punch as both rock singer and crooner (check out album highlight “Out Tonight”). The album boasts new directions, and grace, with “All Get Lucky” but more on “Fight/Flight” and “The Key & The Rose” which finds Hirsh singing more in the vein of Dido or Shea Seger than the prowess she’s exuded with IWTDI. Hirsh broadens herself with fantastic results in song that’s piano heavy and enhanced with tense drumming. The song reveals itself to be a new world for the band’s sound, notably in its ambiance and the injected lightning guitar riffs.

IWTDI benefits greatly from having two singers. Booker or Hirsh would be exemplary alone in separate bands, but together in IWTDI it makes for something unique, not just as songwriters working together but their blending of vocals. The combination takes things up several notches, like a band that incorporates a horn section – it becomes something else altogether. Preludes highlights their workmanship together, illustrating all of its strengths and as a necessary coupling. The album is an energetic blend of 80’s melodies and New Wave flavoring with indie rock. It smartly houses ten tracks and the result is a fast moving collection that doesn’t rest easy, and when it does slow down, keeps things engaging. - DeckFight

The dual vocalizing of keyboardist Rachel Hirsh and guitarist John Booker set I Was Totally Destroying It (IWTDI) apart from others in the pop/rock spectrum by broadening the margins that contain modern rock. The band's new CD, Preludes, from Greyday Records is more than listenable; it is stimulating and induces positive thinking. The quintet take the best of synth pop, emo and prog rock and mold it into something that is entirely their own. Rounding out the band are Joe Mazzitelli on bass, James Hepler on drums and percussion, and Curtis Armstead on guitar. Together IWTDI make rock music that can be played every day without growing tiresome.

The classic rock tint of "Wrecking Ball" sets the album on a solid keel. The band ramps up the growls into the guitar chords and beefy drumbeats through "Control", which makes the track attractive, stirring the listener to get up and move. The album recedes into the cooling embers of "All Get Lucky" which features a smoldering guitar solo with tightly frizzled chords. The band keeps the tracks guitar-oriented with the roaring thrusts of Armstead's guitar and the crackling drum strikes of Hepler along 'Regulators", which transforms into ambient shimmers across the melodic swells of "With You Now" as Hirsh and Booker stroll through the lyrics side by side. Armstead gets his guitar to howl and soar through "Twenty-Thousand" exuding a cast-iron thickness which melts into a berth of soft moans across "Fight/Flight" as Hirsh's piano keys jut out in ephemeral sprigs. The mix of floating synths and fleshy-toned guitar ripples through "The Key & The Rose" makes one of the band's most interesting tracks brim with contrasting textures that create a melodic sound.

IWTDI have a lot going for them. They can give modern rock a push toward the front lines, and keep it there for as long as they want to keep going. - Hybrid Magazine

There are some bands whose heartache and triumphs transmit like whispered confessions. Even with a fast tempo, meaning is veiled in metaphor, shrouded in reverent angst and symbolism.

Thankfully, Durham’s I Was Totally Destroying It is nothing like those bands. Here, there are no plaintiff cries or bedroom sobs — it’s all riffing guitars, sharp barbs and the kind of honesty that’s so true it hurts.

That’s not to say that Preludes, the group’s adrenaline-spiked latest, lacks any of the introspection or depth that its competitors flaunt.

Instead, I Was Totally Destroying It spits epithets and observations like bullets, with a rapid-fire delivery that leaves layers to examine even after several listens.

The album’s instantaneous appeal is one of its strongest — and most easily recognized — assets. While that’s nothing new, especially in the wake of 2009’s likeable Horror Vacui, Preludes is exceptional in its relentless charm.

Opener “Wrecking Ball” is a distorted, tangled ode to destruction, be it self-targeted or otherwise, and from the first harmonized lilt of its R.E.M.-esque vocals, it sets out on a warpath of catchy choruses and refrains that aim as much for your feet as your brain.

I Was Totally Destroying It’s brand of pop-rock is of the tightly wound variety, full of bouncing rhythms, skittering keyboard progressions and anxious, frantically sung lyrics. While songs like “Control” deal with the helter-skelter nature of relationships, life and the insanity therein, there is no whining on Preludes. This is the smart person’s lament, one that’s as cathartic as it is contemplative.

For a set of songs that are as gritty and honest as they are engaging, the album’s smooth coat of studio luster comes as somewhat of a surprise.

Tracks like “When Chaos Comes” strike an ideal balance between pristine male-female harmonies and throbbing guitars, and the synthy, Joy Division influence on “Out Tonight” never veers into stylization.

While it’s largely successful, there are a few moments where the band errs. “Fight/Flight” drags on just a little bit too long — a slower, piano-driven track that could do without the minute or so of wails and riffs.

But on the whole, the record is an alluring example of just how infectious well-crafted, fast-paced pop-rock can be. The most winsome facet of Preludes isn’t its earworm hooks or its polished sound. It’s the raw honesty with which the songs are delivered.

You could even call it heartbreaking — but surely this band doesn’t have time for that kind of sappy, sorrowful stuff. I Was Totally Destroying It is too rock ‘n’ roll for that. - The Daily Tar Heel