Goth, metal, opera, Brian Eno, disco, fetish, German, silent movie… These are a few descriptions I’ve heard about the band Entertainment. I’m getting old and I hate descriptions. All I know is that their music reminds me of being a teenager in New York City in 1989. That’s a good thing. Nineteen was hands down my favorite age. I’ll just say they’re New Wave and it’s good. Here’s an interview with Trey from the band.

Dry Ink: So how long has Entertainment been around now?

Trey Ehart: Since 2004, when we released our first single on Stickfigure records

DI: You’ve gone through some line up changes lately, what’s the current line up and how long has it been this way?

TE: The current line has been together for two years. We’ve gone through so many guitarists that we’ve used them all up.

DI: Influences, Can you mention any as a songwriter?

TE: Musically we all like different things. But mainly we’re influenced by visual things and books. Lots of German Expressionist film, 80’s film scores, Camus, Kafka, Absurdist theater, Art Nouveau, Fetish photography… things like that.

DI: What city are you in? Do all of you live in the same city?

TE: Athens Ga, our drummer lives in Atlanta.

DI: What’s the songwriting process? Do you mainly write and then bring it to the other members?

TE: We usually come up with demos and ideas alone or in pairs, then bring them in and flesh them out as a group until it starts affecting us in a good way. Then we’ll start adding words and vocal noises and I take it and rearrange things to fit a voice and bring it back to the band, flesh it out more, rework things and take it back to finish it.

DI: And what about shows and touring? Will you be doing any?

TE: We’re doing a lot of short two to three day trips over the fall before settling down to finish demos for the next album.

DI: What is next for you?

TE: “Gender” is being remastered and reissued on vinyl in September, followed by an EP of new radio mixes of “Flesh”, “Confusion of Senses” and “New Joys” with b-sides and remixes, all on the Duchess Archive Label in New York.

DI: Thanks, and thanks to Peter from Skyscraper Media for his help tracking you down.