by Donte Kirby
“A rock hard erection. Or rock hard nipples,” is what Crocodiles’ Brandon Welchez wants fans to get out of their album Crimes of Passion. Which makes sense because, although there isn’t one inspiration for the album, they were “reading a lot of naughty novels on tour. That may have some bearing.”
Crocodiles is currently on the last leg of a tour, hitting Philly this Friday on November 22nd at Boot & Saddle on 1131 S Broad St and concluding at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on Saturday. Hopefully their visit to the City of Brotherly Love will go better than the time Charles Rowell and Welchez were mugged at gunpoint, which Welchez says “was pretty weird.”
The band was formed in San Diego in 2008, although Welchez and Rowell had been playing together for seven or eight years prior. “The idea initially was to do a “futuristic garage rock” band. Something like ? And The Mysterians but with drum machines, shitty Casios, etc. In that spirit, we were thinking of band names like The Byrds, The Beatles, The Crickets, etc. and thus, Crocodiles.”
Crocodiles is already in the process of making their next album. “We’re in the early stages of dreaming and scheming,” says Welchez, “but, hopefully, a new record by this time next year and a lot of touring in between.”
In the years beyond? “Personally, I’d like to be more financially stable in ten years and most likely me and the wife will have a kid by then,” says Welchez. “As a band, I’d like to think we’d have a bunch more records under our belt and have continued our work ethic.”
