New York City is not what it used to be. The struggles of artists set against a backdrop of Bowery bums, tenement buildings, and squeegee men no longer exist. The air of danger and excitement has become replaced by anxiety. But the conflicts that once existed were essential to New York's creative energy. They allowed for a freedom that fed the music, art and fashion of the time.

The Virgins are a NYC rock band whose wide, self-assured stance spans both a new and old New York. They are four native New Yorkers who are a direct lineage of the sounds and styles of Lou Reed, The New York Dolls and The Velvet Underground. And they've managed to distinguish themselves from countless other bands who appropriate the clothes and sound of these times. The band, which recently signed a deal with Atlantic Records and has been touring Europe and North America, consists of Donald Cumming (guitar and vocals), Nick Atkins (bass), Wade Oates (guitar), and Eric Ratsensperger (drums). psychoPEDIA recently had an interrogation session with Cumming to find out more about kindergarten group circle and his current New York state of mind:

In all seriousness, why are you called The Virgins?
Bands with "V" in their names supposedly do much better, and The Vorgons was taken.

What moments of your life have influenced your music most profoundly?
Off the top of my head: sitting in the circle at Washington Market (nursery school), being introduced to you in a lady's bathroom under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Do you consider the band a New York phenomenon?
The Virgins is a New York phenomenon in as much as it's a project that was born here and is informed mainly by our experiences here. I hope our output is more universal, or can at least be appreciated or related to in other places.

How do you see New York today?
I see New York changing everyday. It's strange to see all this mirrored glass. It's unnerving, but it's also exciting that our lifetime spans a very definitive change in the city's landscape. We've got one foot in the past and one foot in the future.

Has the city’s community shaped you?
I think community has helped me very much. Growing up here and being surrounded by so many wonderful people has always been inspiring, and in times when I've felt isolated or alone, it's been a huge comfort. My friends have always made me feel like I belonged to a family. I'm very grateful to have that in my life.

The Virgins is a relatively new endeavor, but what has your reception been like outside of NYC?
It's been really exciting. We usually get on stage with no one having any idea what to expect, and by the end of our set, I feel like we've made a whole bunch of new friends. We try to get people dancing and having fun. Sometimes we've had fans drive from other states just to see us-- that's really cool.

Besides playing music, what else that figures into your daily routine?
I've been doing yoga recently, something I really enjoy. I've also been watching The Office on DVD.

What are you listening to these days?
The past couple of months I've been listening to David Bowie's Station to Station. I feel really lucky, because I just bought it for the first time while we were on our last tour, so it's like a brand-new record from my favorite artist.

Music has come a long way, even since the time we were growing up. Where do you see things going from here?
I really enjoyed the rap that we had growing up. It really had the excitement of being a new medium that was spilling into all directions with each new artist. I would imagine that it was what rock was like in the '60s and '70s. Now it's really leveled off, the way rock has since the '80s. I think we are in the self-referential phrase now, where everyone mixes and juxtaposes the things they loved growing up to make weird stew-music. In that way music seems to be speaking to and about everyone again, like in the big bands in the '40s.

Are you involved in the mob, or have you ever been injured by girls?
Not yet, no. But I'm mostly involved in numbers and a little loan sharking. A friend of mine has a piece of a strip club, and I think he's had his heart broken a few times. That reminds me, I’ve got to head to the boardwalk, I hear Kolly Kibbers is going to be in town today.

Are you a boy or a girl?
I'm a witch trapped in a wizard's cloak-- on a good day.

How can I be like you?
Get the same sneakers as me.

Do you have a philosophy or system of beliefs that you adhere to?
I'm down with a bunch of belief systems; I don't adhere to any of them.

What is your purpose here on this planet?
To participate.

Do you guys have an album coming out?
Yes, Spring 08.

If an A train leaves Dyckman at 3:45 traveling at 18 mph and another A train is leaving Hoyt-Schermerhorn at precisely the same moment, what time will it be and in which station, when they cross paths?
This is the kind of question made me drop out of high school. I couldn't even finish reading it.

~Nico Dios


Fourth & fifth photos by Annie Hoogendoorn via Flickr
Sixth photo by the modern age via Flickr
Seventh photo by Brian Arch for Wireimage
Eighth photo by discoscience via Flickr