Hyaa!, Alice, and Mitch Easter: Now That's What You Call a Lucky Break... Right?

(SPOILER ALERT:  In this episode, we peel back the mystery behind a great DC band from the 1980s -- and in the process, prove once and for all that alt-rock luminary Mitch Easter is, in fact, extremely pleasant and a joy to work with in the studio.  Prepare to be shocked by the astonishing truth!)

Washington, D.C. has been home to a lot of great music over the years, but one of the unsung heroes of the scene in the 1980s was Hyaa!, who deserved to be at the leading edge of the alternative-rock “revolution” alongside bands like The Pixies and The Throwing Muses.

​Hyaa was guitarist Alice Despard, Les Doerfler on bass and John Moreman (later Alex DeSeabra) on drums. Alice wrote most of the songs, and her guitar and vocals cut through the alt-rock blabla of the time: a voice in turns muscular and gentle, guitar playing that avoided the cliches but invited you in, lyrics that were sometimes inscrutable but carried the weight of the world. 

​Hyaa even made two minor league records, one of which was produced by Mitch Easter, probably the most sought-after indie rock producer of the day. So what happened? 

Alice, Les, and Mitch Easter explain how Hyaa! came about, and give us their theories on why it didn’t work out. And Alice, who continues to write, play and record, explains where music has taken her — and where she’s taken music — from there.

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