It’s been quite a while since Wang Chung released a full-length studio album (1989’s “The Warmer Side of Cool” to be exact). But throughout their “hiatus” the band’s music, synonymous with the 1980’s has still been going strong. Most recently, as part of the soundtrack for TV shows like ‘Breaking Bad’ (Dance Hall Days) and the pilot episode for ‘The Walking Dead’ (Space Junk).

Guitarist Jack Hues and bassist Nick Feldman had been working on side projects over the years but found themselves reunited for a reality show that planted the seed for a full on reunion. The duo then set to work on a new album to bring the band into the 21st century. The result of their efforts, Tazer Up! is a welcome blend of freshness and crisp songwriting that’s instantly recognizable as Wang Chung but with a modernized sound. Notably, songs like “Let’s Get Along” with its cool intro and infectious guitar groove and the track “Stargazing” which has a sublime, almost ethereal feel to it. With another new studio album and tour being prepped for 2013, the future has never been brighter for Wang Chung.

I spoke with Hues and Feldman about Tazer Up!, how they came together and of course, the origin of the iconic 80’s song “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”.

Guitar World: Why such a long hiatus between records and what sparked Tazer Up!?

Jack Hues: Life and families intervened, although Nick and I had both been involved in a lot of side projects. But a few years ago, we were invited to do a reality-type show called “Hit Me Baby One More Time”. The reality for us was, we had to play one of our hits (Everybody Have Fun Tonight) along with a cover of a modern tune. So we did Nelly’s “Hot In Here”. 

Nick Feldman: The show gave us the taste of working together again and we decided to record an album. So we started writing and it slowly came together over the years.

JH: We were also thinking about what a Wang Chung album might be like in the 21st century. We knew we wanted to keep it sort of 80’s aesthetic, but we also wanted a modern twist.  During the interim, we started touring again which also was a lot of fun.

You can read the rest of my Guitar World article with Wang Chung by clicking here!