It started out like a typical interview. One minute I’m talking to Marco Forcone the dad, the homeowner, the producer. Nick Spear is telling a story about his daughter and his work on the upcoming Flathead Valley Community College musical.

Don Caverly is setting up his instruments while excitedly showing the group a new piece of equipment, complete with sound effects. Matthew Bussard is finishing his dinner after coming straight to rehearsal from work at Montana Coffee Traders in Whitefish.

But in a flash they become The Force, Slice, Tommy Perfect and Charlie Bird, a band displaced in the present from the year 1985, speaking with vague accents about everything from Rambo to The Cure to the environmental ramifications of glow sticks.

Let the time trip begin.

THE NEW WAVE TIME TRIPPERS began their journey in San Bernardino, California, in 1985. They were playing a gig at Poochie’s Pet Wash and Espresso Bar. Bass player Charlie Bird was using what he thought was a new chorus pedal he had acquired from a pawn shop. But midshow, when he stepped on the pedal for the first time, it ripped a hole in the space-time continuum, sending the entire band on an adventure through time.

Their first stop was Whitefish in the year 2013. Since then they’ve traveled to nearly every continent, through the 1980s, ’90s and ’00s, picking up new songs to cover along the way and having the time of their lives.

“My favorite show was when we teleported to Egypt,” Tommy Perfect recalled.

“Yeah the pyramids were cool,” The Force said.

“They were. Our sound guy there sucked, though. Not great acoustics,” Perfect added.

IN FEBRUARY 2013, Spear and Bussard were checking out an open microphone night at Crush Lounge in Whitefish, hosted by Caverly and Forcone (they still host Crush’s open microphone night every Thursday). Spear and Bussard were friends who would frequently “geek out on ’80s new wave” together and had been toying with the idea of forming a cover band. The foursome played together for the first time that night, and the chemistry clicked. The rest, as they say, is history.

“It was a good combination of timing and all the pieces falling into place,” Bussard said.

From then on the group has been totally dedicated to giving audiences an “immersive ’80s-tastic experience,” according to Spear. “It’s a meeting point between art and technology.”

When they first began playing together under the name “1985” they donned simple white suits with a few sparse ’80s accessories.

“Which was great because it’s how I dressed anyway,” Caverly joked.

Almost two years later the band’s stage show now includes an array of lights, fog, choreography, sound effects and music videos, and continues to get more elaborate all the time. The group’s focus on new wave music, defined largely by the mix of rock, punk and electronica, makes the technological aspect both a natural and essential element.

THE TIME and effort that goes into each live show, including at least two rehearsals each week and about two hours to set up the tech on stage, is worth it, according to the band members. The theatrics and details that keep the fans coming back for more also motivate the group.

“The time trip thing ... It’s great because we can jump into any era at any time and it keeps it fun,” Forcone said. “Picking songs, it’s like, ‘Is it fun? Will people dance? OK, let’s do it.’”

As Spear put it, “We have to keep it new and fun. And there’s a magic in being able to drop a song down that people had forgotten about.”

The band not only adds new tech elements almost every time it plays, but New Wave Time Trippers are also expanding their song list. Choosing new material is a group process and labor of love.

“Our only rule is that we all have to be stoked about it,” Spear explained. “We all have to be onboard.”

Forcone added: “Well, it has to have new wave roots. No hair metal.”

“Sometimes we’ll try something new, and maybe it’s well done but not well received,” Bussard said. “So then we try something different next time.”

According to Caverly, “We don’t just go to the Billboard charts and start picking songs. It’s a process we’re all involved with.”

THAT SEEMS to be the attitude with every aspect of the Time Trippers. Forcone functions as the main producer for the group as far as being the “hands-on tech guy,” but the entire band is involved in all the videos, design and music.

They each bring something very different to the dynamic, making them a collective powerhouse of new wave. Caverly teaches and gigs with other groups in the Flathead Valley, and he and Bussard are both classically trained musicians. Bussard also works as a barista for Montana Coffee Traders.

Spear has a Master of Arts degree in theater. He teaches at Flathead Valley Community College, does some voice work around town, and also produces solo original music (he promised his next solo album will be a “heart-breaking work of staggering genius that will end in obscurity”).

Forcone has been playing rock ‘n’ roll since he was old enough to hold a pair of drumsticks. He also does professional sound and video production.

SLICE, THE FORCE, Perfect and Bird also have a great group dynamic. “There are no egos,” The Force insists.

“Well, actually I can be a real butthead,” Slice said.

“Yeah but he’s the singer, that’s expected,” The Force said, laughing.

“We’ve never had any major knock-down, drag-out fights,” Bird said.

“This is nobody’s first emotional rodeo,” Slice added. “It’s all about ‘the thing’ being created. As long as it’s not personal but working toward that ‘thing,’ then there’s no tension. We’re all working toward making ‘the thing’ the best it can be.”

“We want the songs to come to life live,” The Force said.

“We try to deliver a really good product on stage,” Bird said.

“We now have a glow stick budget to help with that,” Slice said.

THIS HALLOWEEN the New Wave Time Trippers will make an appearance at the Great Northern Bar and Grill in Whitefish. In addition to their normal show (if you could call it that), the guys promised some special Halloween surprises.

“It turns out it’s really hard to play guitar dressed as Edward Scissorhands,” Slice said.

With a repertoire that includes everything from the Talking Heads and The Clash to Nirvana and Daft Punk, the New Wave Time Trippers are always worth the time to see.

When asked about the Halloween show, The Force added: “Don’t be afraid."

Entertainment editor Stefanie Johnson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake.com.