Gentlemen make ‘electro-dance rock’

By Erica Zucco

Published Feb. 8, 2008

The Makeshift Gentlemen might have used an online name generator to help name their band, but their music, inspired by Vaudeville and the Victorian era, is completely original.

“We’ve been described as half-electro, half-goth, but we don’t really see ourselves like that,” guitarist, vocalist and MU senior Joe Swigunski said. “It’s probably more like electro-dance rock like The Killers or The Faint.”

Swigunski said The Makeshift Gentlemen — which also includes bassist John Henselmeier, drummer Louis Brown and synth players Christopher Pond and Jake Ferree — draw most of their inspiration from typical events such as failed relationships, deaths in the family and other “large events people have to deal with.”

The band formed about six months ago, and the idea evolved until the group had developed the type of sound they wanted to produce.

“We wanted to create electro-dance music that had more than just throwaway lyrics and simple chord progressions that anyone could write,” Swigunski said.

Creating music is no new experience for Swigunski. He began playing guitar at 14 and was formally taught to sing when he was 10.

“We try to make our music a little deeper, a little more complex,” Swigunski said. “Some of our lyrics are a little darker, but that goes along with trying to write lyrics that make you think instead of just recreating dance music that’s already been done.”

Their music-making process usually starts on an individual basis. Swigunski said he normally writes the lyrics, guitar parts and the song’s general skeleton and dabbles with the synth parts. The other band members then add their parts and work together to make the song flow.

“Often I direct and orchestrate, but we all work together,” Swigunski said. “We try to make sure creation of songs goes in a certain direction.”

The Makeshift Gentlemen have several shows in the next few weeks, including a show in St. Louis at 2 cents Plain with 12 Summers Old and Ava, Wait and a show at the Eastside Tavern with Femme Fatality. Swigunski said they will also be recording with Gentleman Auction House and will perform a regional tour at the end of the summer.

“We’ll be recording when we have time; right now we’re in pre-production for three songs we’ve chosen,” Swigunski said. “After we finish those, we’ll start on the next seven and produce a full length.”

Swigunski, a biomedical engineering major, is putting all he can into the project. When asked what he plans to do with his engineering degree, he laughed and responded in a lighthearted tone, “Become a rock star.”