Iration Brings Sounds of Summer to Wolf Trap

Nothing says summer is in full swing like good music and chill vibes. But for those of us in the DMV, tropical paradise can seem out of reach. This weekend, the West Coast is sending us some love in the form of sound. Iration and Slightly Stoopid will hit the stage at Wolf Trap on Saturday, bringing mellow tunes along with them on their Sounds of Summer tour. On Tap recently had the chance to speak with Iration guitarist/vocalist Micah Pueschel about what to expect from the show.

On Tap: How did Iration get its start?
Micah Pueschel: We started in Santa Barbara. We all went to high school in Hawaii, and we started a band in college that was kind of a cover band. After college, we began to write original music and started gigging at mostly college parties and for friends. Eventually, we started to do other gigs. We play a mix of reggae and rock and all kinds of different styles, and that’s where we are now. We’ve been touring nationally since about 2008.

OT: How would you describe your latest album, 2016’s Double Up?
MP: The new album is [the next] logical step after the Hotting Up record, which was us discovering our new sound, working with a new producer and cowriting [the songs] in a different way. I think logically and musically, it makes a lot of sense. Overall, it’s a lot cleaner and more tidy.

OT: Have you toured with Slightly Stoopid before?
MP: No, [and] they’re the one band that we’ve wanted to tour with. We’re excited. We did their festival in Mexico last year, Closer to the Sun, and did a bunch of other festival gigs with them. We’ve gotten to know them and hung out with them. They’re all really cool, humble guys that we get along with, so it makes a lot of sense.

OT: What can we expect from your Wolf Trap show?
MP: You can expect an hour’s worth of music, which is a little bit shorter than we’re normally used to doing live. But I think it’s good to keep everything very efficient and electric. We don’t just play reggae. We play a lot of different styles: straightforward rock ‘n’ roll, alternative rock, even some indie stuff, and obviously there is some reggae. If you’ve never seen us before, just come with an open mind and enjoy it.

OT: Are you mainly going to play tracks from Double Up?
MP: [We’ll play] a little bit of everything. We’re going to play about 15 minutes from each record.

Iration will perform with Slightly Stoopid at Wolf Trap on Saturday, June 17 at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $40. For more info on all things Iration, visit here.

Filene Center at Wolf Trap: 1551 Trap Rd. Vienna, VA; www.wolftrap.org