By Scott Tomford | MOG Associate Editor

Like tourmates such as Kings of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Whigs have gained fame on the back of an irresistible mix of rock and roll swagger, catchy hooks, and no-nonsense attitude. After garnering loads of buzz and acclaim for their first two albums, Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip and Mission Control, the Athens trio released their latest, In the Dark, last month.

To help promote the album, the Whigs headed to Austin for this year's SXSW, a festival they've been to MANY times before. While the band was in town, MOG's Scott Tomford had the chance to talk to them about why they agree with some negative reviews, the perils of being a buzz band, and what they learned from Kings of Leon and Alex Chilton.

After the interview, be sure to check out an exclusive video from the band, where they discuss the inspiration for their new single, "Someone's Daughter."

MOG: As much as I like the In the Dark, it's been getting some pretty divisive reviews... Have you guys been paying attention to that stuff, or do you drown it out?

Parker Gispert: You spend so much time making an album that if you're going to open your ears to praise, you've also got to open your ears to someone having a negative thing to say, too... I've read a lot of positive reviews, and a lot of negative ones... a lot of the positive ones, it seems like they actually listened to the record more... and lots of the negative ones, I agree with a lot of their points.

MOG: When you say that you agree with their points, what do you mean?

PG: For instance, I see how someone could say... sometimes they'd talk about "overproduction" or an arena-rock sound... We go for a big sound [on In the Dark, and I see how someone could think it's us trying to go for an arena sound. But the budget is actually half of what it was for the last album, and people thought that one was real grimy. It's interesting... they're just hearing it differently.

MOG: They're thinking of your intentions...

PG: And it is, but not in the way they're thinking...

MOG: I mean, plenty of people like stadium rock, it's not like that term means you're trying to sell-out or something.

PG: We totally didn't try to make that kind of record at all... I think it's actually a garagier sound...

Tim Deaux: We can probably do this forever... To us, it was much more homemade than a big LA studio and all of that. People say this an "attempt at arena stuff," and we went on a tour with an arena band... so then you do one thing that resembles that, and suddenly we're "going arena."

MOG: Which band are we referring to here?

TD: Kings of Leon.

MOG: Was that tour around when you recorded it?

TD: Sort of... they took us out on a few tours... we started working on the album around then... I mean, I'm proud to say Kings of Leon had an influence. I think they're phenomenal, and obviously a lot of people think that, and there's probably some that don't. Bands that are on tour together are influenced by one another more than just the actual songs they play. It's the way they carry themselves, their generosity, the way they build their setlists. It's more than just that guitar peddle.

MOG: You guys have been here at SXSW a few times... Since this is always a spot for buzz bands, is it weird that you've grown past that point after things blew up a few years ago, and now you're looking around seeing bands experiencing the same thing?

Julian Dorio: Want to know what a cab driver said to us last night?

MOG: What?

JD: Last night as we were getting out the cab, he goes "Well boys, I hope you get discovered!" For some bands, that's kind of how it is... you show up and play your showcase, and boom! This is the next big thing. I guess it's not really how it happens for band like us. We just keep going... after this all we're doing is going to the next show.

PG: You know, Alex Chilton died... I was reading about it, and he had some great quotes saying that the optimal situation -- for him -- would have been to make a bunch of money and not be famous. Someone had pointed out to him that he had three albums in that Rolling Stone list of greatest albums or whatever, and he said that if things for Big Star had gone their way back then, maybe critics wouldn't have liked them so much, that they just like to root for the underdog instead of the music. It's definitely something to think about.

The Whigs Discuss "Someone's Daughter" from Mog Dotcom on Vimeo.

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