San Diego Reader

Kelsea Rae Little: Harp | Mackenzie Leighton: Bass guitar | Joseph Lorge: Mandolin

Genre: Acoustic, Bluegrass & Roots, Rock

Sound description: Pop and bluegrass as seen through Alice's Looking Glass.

RIYL: They Might Be Giants, Nickel Creek

Upcoming Local Shows

Discography

Related Links:

• http://www.myspace.com/thewrongtrousers

• Blurt: "Pleasant Odd Fashion" · July 12, 2007

Synoposis

Influences: They Might Be Giants, Nickel Creek, the Dirt Band, the Pogues, Joanna Newsom, Pete Yorn, Jon Brion, Wilco, Radiohead, Joni Mitchell, Jaco Pastorious, Tom Brosseau, Regina Spektor, Death Cab for Cutie, Rilo Kiley

Background:

The Wrong Trousers can often be found weekends at Balboa Park, performing a jaw-dropping version of the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star,” on mandolin, standup bass, and full-sized concert harp. “On our best days at Balboa Park, we make about $300,” says teen harpist Kelsea Rae Little. “Low ends for a set are about $20 to 30. It all depends on the weather and the size of the crowd.” Park rangers give out ten free music permits on the first Saturday of each month. “This permit allows you priority to one spot,” says Little. “We usually set up across from the train museum.”

All in their teens, Mackenzie Leighton plays standup bass (“His playing comes from his strong jazz background”), while Joseph Lorge plays mandolin (“He’s only played for two years”). The band’s setlist is evenly split between offbeat originals and covers of acts like the Traveling Wilburys and Joanna Newsom. “Our most popular cover to date is "Such Great Heights" by the Postal Service,” according to Little. “It won us our Coronado High School talent show.”

The Wrong Trousers recorded a CD with local jazz mainstay Peter Sprague, whom they met while recording tracks for a mutual friend at his studio. At this writing, two original songs from those sessions posted on MySpace have already been played around 20,000 times. “We actually get stopped in the streets of San Diego by people who recognize us from the park, MySpace, or YouTube,” says Little. “A fan on the street even asked us to play at her birthday party once…People are nicer in person than they are on the Internet.”

At the end of 2007, the Wrong Trousers' viral video of "Video Killed the Radio Star" in Balboa Park was named one of the top 50 staff-picked videos of the year on the PitchforkMedia website. In 2008, they won a local H.A.T. award (Honoring Acoustic Talent) as Best Acoustic Band.

In 2009, the band went on an extended hiatus, though they played a reunion show in 2011. Bassist Mack Leighton played on four tracks on Kelsea Rae Little’s debut solo full-length Personal Myth, released in late 2011. “The Wrong Trousers are on an indefinite hiatus, but definitely amicably, and there is a possibility of a fun reunion show in the future,” says Little.