It became this loud and rowdy dance party, says lead singer Shanny Wise.
My friend got onstage and got naked.
It was so different to any show Id ever played before.
Shanny Wise (left) and Jackson Walker Lewis had been in other bands that imploded before teaming up as Fcukers.Sacha Lecca
I remember the moment I quit, says Lewis.
My exact words were, I dont believe in this music.
I just felt like I had outgrown it.
Lewis, meanwhile, was bartending at Madison Square Garden, and hating every second of it.
Worst job I ever had, he says.
You get treated horribly and the tips arent good.
I used to dig in the bargain bins, he says.
And I started to dip my toe into house music.
It was this whole new world.
I would take stacks of records to the listening station and spend hours there.
It was where I heard Bob Sinclar, Masters at Work, and David Morales for the first time.
That was my education in house music.
It wasnt from YouTube or Spotify or anything, it was picking.
Its not going to happen for me.
It wouldve happened already.
I was at peace with it.
I was like, What?
That cant be the same girl from that other band.
I said, I dont know either, but were going to figure it out together.
From the very beginning, they called themselves Fcukers.
I had aFrench Connectionhoodie at the time, Lewis says.
Were not going to have a music career.
Were going to do exactly what we want.'
They walked onstage to find the room packed to capacity.
It was the first time we realized we had something more than us just screwing around, says Lewis.
It was a proof of concept.
People had this look in their eye like they were seeing something different.
Things moved quickly after that.
(This band really loves Devils Haircut.
Their previous single, Devils Cut, is a clubby cover of the 1996 hit.)
The funny thing is that Beck sampled a Them guitar part on Devils Haircut,' Lewis says.
So we had to erase the sample with Van Morrison.
He owns 50 percent of the song.
It was a last-minute idea, she says.
We were like, Shit, what if you just get on the bus real quick?'
The group is now officially a duo, and they use another touring drummer on the road.
He was a live member, and it wasnt financially viable for him anymore.
Next up: a debut album, which they say is in its final stages of completion.
This is the first time in my life Im getting my entire wage from music, says Lewis.
To me, that means Ive made it.
Whatever happens next, Im cool with.
