Wholesome Bangs (photo: Sara Uduwela)

Photos and Words by Sara Uduwela

Wholesome Bangs is a lo-fi indie rock four-piece group from San Francisco. Influenced by raw rock and roll, their mission is to create music that bangs…wholesomely, that is. Each member plays multiple instruments throughout every set. The band consists of Nina Gates, Josh Webber, Thomas Hopkins, and Ben Parkhurst.

This past Tuesday, October 25, 2016, a crowd of music-lovers and friends gathered at Bottom of the Hill in Potrero Hill, San Francisco, to witness Wholesome Bangs deliver an incredibly cool performance. We quizzed them, Mad Libs style, about their hopes, dreams, and what they eat for breakfast.

If you missed them this time, they will be playing again on November 20, 2016 at Brick & Mortar Music Hall in the Mission.

Josh

My name is _____ but my nickname is _____.
Josh, Gosh

I am _____ years old
27

I _____ in Wholesome Bangs.
sing and play bass/drums

My favorite Wholesome Bangs song is _____ because _____.
“Sugar,” it is my favorite to play live

I eat_____ for breakfast.
eggs (in some form)

I’d love to tour _____.
everywhere, because I love to travel and can’t wait to hit the road with some of my best friends playing shows every night.

As a band the one thing we always agree on is _____.
whiskey

My latest obsession is _____.
my ukulele

I’m sick of hearing _____.
that darn garbage truck that picks up from my building and sounds like the end of the world every morning at 7am

The one song I can listen to over and over is _____.
“Do You Realize??” by The Flaming Lips, because how could you not?

If I could play with any other artist, I’d pick _____.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs because they have been a huge influence on my musical tastes, plus Karen O is the best

My last pinch-me moment was _____.
playing at Bottom of the Hill this week. I couldn’t help but think of how awesome it is that our friends support us show after show and that people were out late on a Tuesday night supporting the local music scene

I still want to check _____ off my bucket list.
an international tour

When I’m not playing music I like to _____.
dance to music

The best way to get me out of a funk is _____.
band practice.

My mantra for life is _____.
“yes.”

Nina

My name is _____ but my nickname is _____.
Nina, Niiiiiiinaaaaaaaa!

I am _____ years old.
some

I _____ in Wholesome Bangs.
voice and drums

My favorite Wholesome Bangs song is _____ because _____.
“Everything,” I write songs I want to hear and dance to

I eat _____ for breakfast.
fruit & yogurt

I’d love to tour _____.
the world several times because I want to see, do, and eat everything

As a band the one thing we always agree on is _____.
whiskey

My latest obsession is _____.
sleeping. Shhhh, I love to dream

I’m sick of hearing _____.
people say negative things about themselves

The one song I can listen to over and over is _____.
“One Thing Leads to Another” by The Fixx, because it’s f****** beats and fun to sing

If I could play with any other artist, I’d pick _____.
Beck because he doesn’t f*** around

My last pinch-me moment was _____.
playing at Slim’s on St. Patrick’s Day. I love the stage and the venue in general

I still want to check _____ off my bucket list.
playing on the back of a flatbed truck riding around town giving the folks a good time (AC/DC style)

When I’m not playing music I like to _____.
cook while listening to music

The best way to get me out of a funk is _____.
to feed me

My mantra for life is _____.
robertplantsleatherpants

Ben

My name is _____ but my nickname is _____.
Ben, Jammin to some, Beans to others

I am _____ years old.
31

I _____ in Wholesome Bangs.
bass, drums, and whistle like a sweet summer breez

My favorite Wholesome Bangs song is _____ because _____.
“Hookers on Vacation,” it seems to ring true to most of our fans.

I eat _____ for breakfast.
coffee

I’d love to tour _____.
the world with my friends

As a band the one thing we always agree on is _____.
whiskey

My latest obsession is _____.
my Corgi/Jack Russell Terrier mix named Mochi

I’m sick of hearing _____.
about this goddamn election

The one song I can listen to over and over is _____.
the The Price is Right theme song because it’s basically stuck in my head all the time anyways

If I could play with any other artist, I’d pick _____.
Terry Gender of Le Butcherettes because she is insane and amazingly talented

My last pinch-me moment was _____.
seeing our band name on the band room door backstage of Slim’s

I still want to check _____ off my bucket list.
world tour

When I’m not playing music I like to _____.
take my dog on long walks in Oakland

The best way to get me out of a funk is _____.
to play with my dog

My mantra for life is _____.
“Prime time of your life. Now. Live it.”

Tom

 

My name is _____ but my nickname is _____.
Thomas, Snacky.

I am _____ years old.
this many!

I _____ in Wholesome Bangs.
y’know, that one part of the song

My favorite Wholesome Bangs song is _____ because _____.
the next one, we already played the one you just heard.

I eat _____ for breakfast.
lunch

I’d love to tour _____.
the future, because none of us have been there.

As a band the one thing we always agree on is _____.
whiskey

My latest obsession is _____.
Wholesome Bangs

I’m sick of hearing _____.
babies crying. Use your words! No one can understand you!

The one song I can listen to over and over is _____.
“This is the Song that Never Ends” because it just goes on and on my friend…

If I could play with any other artist, I’d pick _____.
Georgia O’Keeffe, because she’d probably teach me a thing or two

My last pinch-me moment was _____.
this morning because I woke up

I still want to check _____ off my bucket list.
meeting Peter Ostrum

When I’m not playing music I like to _____.
…I don’t understand. What is ‘not playing music?’

The best way to get me out of a funk is _____.
to fill out a fun survey

My mantra for life is _____.
“What could possible go weo-aaaaaaah!!”