Vampire Weekend talk criticism

When Vampire Weekend first appeared in 2008, they were polarizing. Much about them was up for debate: their sly, self-assured, and perfect pop-riffs; their breezy Internet-fueled rise to fame, and their Afropop appropriation.

But now, four years later, the indie rock darlings still stand strong, and are now looking—thanks to an inspired third album—to float the mainstream.

The quartet grace the pages of GQ's April issue in a Spring fashion photo shoot and interview, and frontman Ezra Koenig, in speaking with GQ, discusses the criticism they've endured, their being associated with "preppiness," and more.

Vampire Weekend's frontman, Ezra Koenig, on the criticisms the band receiving early on: "[It always felt like] people were waiting for us to f*ck up."

…on the perception of the band being "preppy": "I mean, I'm always happy to engage in a dialogue about Polo shirts."

…on the band's close association with sweaters, and how Drake's popularizing the sweater may have made the band seem less preppy: "I didn't think about that, because the sweaters Drake wears are from such a different branch of the sweater tree. It's the style of somebody wearing clothes associated with very old people. Which I like. I feel like sweaters will always be part of our band. But maybe the moment for them to be at the forefront has passed, in ahealthy way? And we can start focusing on other items?"