Wipers
| Wipers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Genres | Punk rock, alternative rock, post-punk, garage rock |
| Years active | 1977–1989, 1993-1999 |
| Labels | Trap Records, Park Avenue Records, Enigma Records, Restless Records, Tim/Kerr, Zeno Records, Jackpot Records |
| Associated acts | Napalm Beach, Stiphnoyds, Rancid Vat, The Beggars, Better Than Ezra, Sugarland, Don't |
| Past members |
Greg Sage Sam Henry Dave Koupal Brad Naish Brad Davidson Steve Plouf Travis McNabb Moses Gershbein (aka Bob Schermerhorn) |
Wipers were a punk rock group formed in Portland, Oregon in 1977 by guitarist Greg Sage, along with drummer Sam Henry and bassist Dave Koupal. The group's tight song structure and use of heavy distortion were hailed as extremely influential by numerous critics and musicians. The band is considered the first Pacific Northwest punk band.
Sage's intense interest in music began with cutting records at home as an adolescent.
I was very lucky to have my own professional record cutting lathe when I was in 7th grade due to my father being involved in the broadcast industry. I would cut records for friends at school of songs off the radio and learned the art of record making long before learning to play music. I would spend countless hours studying the grooves I would cut under the microscope that was attached to the lathe and loved the way music looked, moved and modulated within the thin walls. I might have spent too much time studying music through a microscope because it gave me a completely different outlook on what music is and a totally opposite understanding of it as well. There was something very magical and private when I zoomed into the magnified and secret world of sound in motion. I got to the point that I needed to create and paint my own sounds and colors into the walls of these grooves.
Inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Sage soon picked up the guitar, and in 1971, at age 17, he played on an eponymous album by professional wrestler Beauregarde.
Sage founded the Wipers in Portland in 1977 along with drummer Henry and bassist Koupal, originally just as a recording project. The plan was to record 15 albums in 10 years without touring or promotion. Sage thought that the mystique built from the lack of playing traditional rock 'n' roll would make people listen to their recordings much deeper with only their imagination to go by. He thought it would be easy to avoid press, shows, pictures and interviews. He looked at music as art rather than entertainment; he thought music was personal to the listener rather than a commodity.
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