INTERVIEW:
War Games Bassist
Andy Calheta
June 2016

War Games recently released a cover of Sisqó’s “The Thong Song,” which we reviewed here. We had a chance to talk to bassist Andy Calheta about this cover, their own music and more!

The Entertainment Outlet: I love Dru Hill, Sisqo and ‘The Thong Song’, so I mean no disrespect when asking, Why? Who came up with the idea to cover the song? There must be something more than “Just because”….
Andy Calheta: We had been talking about doing a cover for a while, and nothing was really sticking. Then during a practice Ian brought up ‘The Thong Song’. We all sat on the idea for a few minutes and decided it’d be a great choice. We immediately got to work on it and it started coming together quickly. Unleash The Dragon was also the first CD I ever bought – so it was a key song in my childhood. That album just doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

TEO: When/Where did everyone meet? What inspired you to make music together?
AC: Kyle, Ian, and I have known eachother since kindergarten. In high school, Kyle and I started a band and I guess you could say Ian was in a “rival” band. But by junior/senior year, Ian had joined our band and we started touring with an atlas in a Chevy Malibu. We had recently let go of a guitarist when Kyle met Matt in college, and after Matt came to a practice we all fit together like a the beautiful pieces of a puzzle.

TEO: Do you ever wish you hadn’t changed the band name/image from “Another Option”?
AC: I would have to say that is a resounding NO. We never really liked the name “Another Option” because it always sounded like a bunch of 14 year olds named the band. Probably due to the fact we came up with the name when we were 14.

TEO: When you write songs, does everyone have their own role to play, or is it done together? How has it evolved since you have started playing together?
AC: Most of the time Ian will have a drum beat and guitar parts worked out and will email us all to individually listen and write something for our part. Then when we get to practice we all have an idea and feel for the new song. We like to start recording a demo of it right away so we can get a feel for the structure. We usually end up changing it multiple times before we feel that the music is portraying the feeling that we want to express. It’s definitely a collaborative, group effort.

TEO: What do you enjoy most about touring (if you enjoy it at all)?
AC: We all love touring. The best part for me has to be the freedom we have to just focus on the live show. When you’re out there on the road, the problems of home life and such take a back seat in your mind. It’s a great feeling to only be concerned with doing what we love and doing it well.

TEO: What are you music goals? Are you looking for fame and fortune?
AC: Fame and fortune would be amazing and a great goal for any band, but I know we would be very happy just being able to have War Games and War Games only as a job that can pay all our bills. That’s the ultimate goal – to support ourselves solely through the music we make.

AC: Pizza is included in the band’s interests, any recommendations on a local spot to grab a slice?
AC: Pizza is basically what this band runs on. It’s the equivalent of what nectar is to bees, of what Dunkin’ Donuts is to America. You can often find us as a band at Antonio’s pizza in Providence. That’s definitely a favorite local Pizza Spot.

TEO: What can fans of War Games be on the lookout for in the summer months from you guys?
AC: You can expect us to be hard at work writing new music and hopefully releasing another cover song soon. We are currently building a studio space, and are looking to record any kind of musical artist. But most importantly, we are focused on delivering new music to listeners as soon as possible.