“Those parts aren’t as easy as you’d think. With his downstrokes, they’re mechanical, right, fast and have one Fender sound”: Josh Hager on the deceptive genius of the late Devo guitarist Bob Casale

Devo perform in their yellow jumpsuits.

Growing up, 55-year-old Josh Hager was more of a shred-head than a New Wave fanatic. But he’s diverse as a player, having recorded with former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp and with his own band, the Elevator Drops, neither of which involves heavy metal or shred.

This, along with the fact that his brother was the soundman for Devo, and that Hager had worked with Devo bassist Gerald Casale, made him the right man to replace Bob Casale in Devo when the rhythm maestro passed in 2014.