Singapore is Singa-rich in Heavy Sound

Recently, we caught wind of some noise out of Singapore that was more than just its bustling port.  It was gritty noise, a dark ball of dizzying distortion courtesy of four natives interested in a genre little appreciated in their homeland.  The Sound Mind corresponded with Az, helmsman of the shoe-rocking-noise-gazer outfit Stellarium, to see if he could shed a little light on the underside of their heavy sound.

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First of all, I’ve got to admit that Singapore is not the first place I think of when listening to your brand of music, but you all seem to have carved out a sweet niche for yourselves there.  How hard was it for you to be exposed to/influenced by indie music in general in Singapore, and how difficult was it for you to form a band with individuals who shared similar tastes?

It wasn’t that hard to rally up the rest in the band. Most of them I already knew from older bands they were in and watching them live, etc. I think there are more gazers out there who have a certain deep love for the genre, but are involved in other genres or are more suited to different playing styles creatively; that does not make them any less of a gaze fan to me.

When we started out, we knew there was going to be a lot of ‘difficulties’ in getting exposed or generally ‘accepted’, but we went ahead out of love for the similar music styles that we enjoy. We never really thought about fickle and fleeting things such as success or exposure or fitting in to a certain mould of people or clique. We’re just doing what we do. We enjoy it and will go on doing it regardless. It was definitely hard if I were to put it into perspective, but why bother letting things like that bring you down, right? Just push on through, cut out the excessive talk, let the music speak for itself.

Your music is brash, somber, and backed up by brass balls.  A little intimidating, really.  Do a lot of listeners and musicians in your homeland understand what it is you’re doing musically, or do you find that you have to travel beyond Singapore or send your music out online to get the best response?

There is definitely some intimidation, albeit it wasn’t on purpose, but who knows… some things are so spontaneous and raw fused in emotions that I’ve never given much thought about the impact and effects of it. The answer to the 2nd question is yes and no. The ones who have been around since the mid 80s to mid 90s would know and understand it. The ones who’ve only come around in the late 90s wouldn’t. Most people from where I am dropped out of checking out shoegaze music when Britpop came about, and lost touch with it. The majority of the people who like our music are from overseas, with a small regular hardcore group of people locally in Singapore who found us and supported us all the way since then. Those are the people you should play for, the ones who stick with you through to the end. They matter more than your regular MTV/Pitchfork/NME-swallowing, gulping masses. Yeah, I’m not gonna put in a certain amount of ‘ad money’ so that my review will be published with good reviews or all of that crap and engineer all that exposure bullshit.

So all in all, anyone and everyone who has enjoyed the music or bought it or downloaded it, must have a certain common ground of insanity, darkness, being out of line, brash, or simply backed up by brass balls and guts of steel for liking it. So we salute you!

What’s a typical audience response to your music?  How do people react to your live shows?

I pretty much look ‘inwards’ when I am playing to the audience so I’ve not really paid much attention. It is a moment of pure expression for me and external factors don’t really matter, but from what I’ve gathered, we’ve had a bunch of responses ranging from people who jump around, laugh and dance, head bobbin’, to some who almost puked from the strobes and sound pressure levels like Mark, the very first guy who bootlegged our shows. He has since started his own mail order label, Ujikaji Records and carries our CD as well.

We also play a lot of live shows with punk and hardcore bands from the DIY punk scenes, and enjoy it a lot. We share a lot of common ground when dealing with DIY ethics and sensibilities. It’s also much more awesome than playing shows with your local fake indie rock band who are not about being independent, have the wrong mindsets on playing music in the first place, being suicidally sheltered, etc. I don’t have to deal with all of that. Some fans once asked us why we play a lot of shows alongside the DIY punk bands, I just smiled and didn’t answer.

You’re part of a great network of musicians that spans countries, several of which I’ve been able to communicate with: Suicide Party, Between the Cities are Stars, KVB, Was She a Vampire.  How did you become a part of that network and how important is it to you in terms of receiving broader exposure?

I already knew of Suicide Party from The KVB via last.fm, Klaus is one guy who is also always checking out new music; Dmitri from Was She A Vampire from a secret shoegaze circle. I also liked Between The Cities are Stars for their raw and pure honesty and identified with it immediately. It all started out from Preston of Bloody Knives who contacted us via Myspace for his compilation, so ultimately by default that makes him one of the people I know as well who checks out a lot of music. As we went along, ideas for a split came about and I just thought it’d be cool to unite everyone as well. Exposure sure helps people to become acquainted with your music and others’ as well, but from what means and to what ends is the question.

I understand you’re working on a second album.  What differences from your first album can listeners expect, if any at all?

When we did the first album, there was not really much thought put into generating a certain type of sound; the only one main quality which is the noise being the only standard result. I guess it’ll be more or less the same process, though it’ll have more variance on the light and darker sounds. We could go the early 90s route type of feel or keep the dark edginess at the same time. Whatever the sounds or technical terms for it, I think it’ll be the same raw, pure honesty you’ll find in the debut.

You also have a split with the U.S. band Ceremony coming out soon.  Any details on the release date?  What do you think the impact of sharing a 12″ with those sonic giants will be?

The recent news that I got from John is that Ceremony is mastering their tracks at a pro Studio and they are currently busy prepping for tours and all. It might take some time before the split gets out; both of our camps are mostly DIY, hands-on and all that, so we usually take our time with stuff. So no release dates that I can really reveal as of yet. The good news is that my tracks are all done and it continues nicely where we left off with the debut album. I have nothing but good vibes on the split. It’ll do much good on people from both our ends of the world to be exposed more and more to one another’s scenes.

What’s the future of Stellarium like for you?  What are you hoping to accomplish with the band and where do you see it within the next 5 years?

There is really, really, nothing better to accomplish but to write more and more songs and get it down on record, release. That is way more important than touring or gigging or achieving more exposure without documenting your works down and immortalizing them. So in the next few years, hopefully some 7″ singles or 12″ EPs and hopefully more albums. I’m also going back to a more dynamically uncompressed ‘open’ sounding style of recording. The volume knob should be yours. Pump up the noise. Bathe in it. Empower yourself.

As a musician, do you find it distracting to listen to current bands, or do you allow what your contemporaries are doing to influence you in positive ways?

I really love music to the point that I will check out more music than write it. I’ve always thought that I’m a listener first, and a musician second. I think it’s conceited of a musician to declare that they are that by essence when everyone is given birth and exposed to sights and sounds prior to picking up an instrument. Being a musician is not much more important than knowing how to appreciate music, it goes hand in hand in fact. A musician can’t have content or soul without listening to the works of others that he likes or feeds his own soul with music and then in turn bare his soul with his own music. It’s a continuous flowing cycle.

What is your biggest influence musically/artistically speaking?

Wow, this could take days to finish. There is so much salutations and respects that I’d live to give, but I’ll just try to list them out: I’ll always immediately like music or things that have certain darker, raw qualities, and contain certain ‘depth’ to them. From the 50s/60s, it was Link Wray, primarily for edgy, in-your-face, dirty and broken guitar stuff. Hank Marvin for good taste and classic styles. Bo Diddley. Phil Spector-esque wall of sounds and affiliated bands. The Las, Ronettes, Shangri Las. Some Motown. The 80s with Sex Pistols prior to that. All the metal/death/thrash explosion, Godflesh, Napalm Death – Scum. Post-punk and new wave including even, Duran Duran, OMD, Pet Shop Boys, Tears For Fears, etc. Sludge/Doom/Stoner rock, 80s/90s noisepop/shoegaze/dreampop up to the now. Screen Vinyl Image, Skywave, The Alcian Blue, Samideani, Jellybelly, Ceremony, Oblisk, The Lost Rivers, A Place To Bury Strangers, Between The CIties Are Stars, Suicide Party, Was She A Vampire, Bloody Knives, Sharesprings, Fungi Girls, Tamaryn, Woven Bones, Myelin Sheaths, Under The Velvet Sky, Pure Ecstasy, The Vanity Press, Swirling Light, Astral, Whirl, Chatham Rise, Superhit, The Vandelles, Mellonyellow, Swoon. The list goes on…

Coming up with a band name is a difficult thing, and Stellarium is no common name.  How did you all come up with it and what was the process like?

Stellarium was thought of by our beloved bassist, Mar. We were sitting at a coffee shop (locally, it’s like an indian hawker stall selling chai and the usual indian fare) near the studio we always jam at, and she was looking out into the heavens above. It was the exact same high that she felt while playing the music moments before in the studio and she muttered the name under her breath. It just hit us from there on.

Some of the few names we thought of back then were Cellar Door and The Electric Sparkle Motion amongst others…. Yeah, I know…

You’re a very tech-savvy individual.  How does that fit into the band’s dynamic as far as performances and/or production?

I’m afraid it does not. The performances are mostly plug in and rock out dynamics with the only obvious ‘high tech’ being the visuals, which is just a jumbled up form of visuals that I collected and gathered and just mixed it all in. Production wise, I record, mix and engineer/master everything except for drums, which Ron of Blueprint Studios handles. We record the drums at a jam studio. There is no sophisticated studio tech and wizardry other than an old PC, a soundcard, and a prehistoric Cool Edit DAW. Everything sounds close straight from the instrument signals and little editing is done to add pizzaz to the mix.

Is there a recurring theme with Stellarium as far as your music or lyrics?  Without divulging too much information, what are some of your songs about?  What do you find influences you most when it comes to writing songs?

Nothing but the usual sociopolitical issues: consumerism, politics, storytelling, murder. Last but not least, all the seedier, darker aspects of life people avoid: urban decay, the druggies, drunkards, slum dwellers, smut peddlers, and scums of society.

And speaking of that, who does most of the composing for new music, or is it a group effort?

Some of the songs are written by me just sitting at home or humming a tune in my head, and some of them are initiated by the others in the studio while trying it out. Some parts have been changed to fit in with other parts that were written either by me or the others, so I can say it’s a mish-mash of group effort definitely.

It’s good to have some individuality as well as ideas injected into it. Some of the results can be surprising! For example, “Fader” started from a bass line and combusted into a spontaneous mix of everyone’s input into it, and it turned out spot-on.When we broke into the middle breakdown, everyone was stoned as hell.

I’m really looking forward to hearing your 2nd studio album as well as the Ceremony split.  If you could have Stellarium known in the U.S. for one thing, what would it be?

If Skywave was known to be the ones responsible for the revival again back there, I think I’d prefer to be known as or work towards becoming the ones who united all the shoegaze bands in the world into one scene and inculcate a sense of unity amongst us. The world is bigger than your politicking, backstabbing, attention fighting local scenes and circuits.

Thanks for your time and for fielding all these questions.  Best of luck to you and the rest of the band as you finish up the album.  I’m really looking forward to it.

Thanks to you, too, for your questions are well thought of and relevant to us. There was a lot of time and concern that you put into them and I’m very pleased to have this opportunity.

Film’s Cool

Greg Bertens - Film School

 

Summer in San Antonio is brutally oppressive.  You can hear how hot it is as the heat leans audibly against windows, which crackle as their construction swells with the oppressive breath of sun.  But the coolest thing we’ve done all summer is chat with Film School frontman, Greg Bertens.  We talked about FS’ musical shift, the upcoming album, and a potential tour.  Our conversation with this fuzz-warrior-turned-dream-popstar took our minds off the unbearable heat, and for a moment, there was a hint of Pacific breeze. 

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Thanks for taking the time to do this, I really appreciate it. 

Greg Bertens: Oh, no problem.  Thank you. 

Sure.  Let’s talk about Fission, the upcoming release you have due out at the end of July.  Its sound marks some noticeable differences for you guys as Film School.  So… 

GB: Mhmmm. 

How natural were those changes for you guys, and is it something you feel you’ve been striving toward? 

GB: Oh yeah, definitely.  I mean… you know, it’s interesting, actually.  The past couple years, there’s been a lot of changes, in general, I think, within the band, one of them being that we separated from Beggars and, I don’t know, I also had a moment where I was at an MBV (My Bloody Valentine) show.  It was funny.  They were playing and – I hadn’t seen them, I’d never seen them before – and it was the first time I saw them and I just like their music so much… and I think that there was this moment where, you know, I felt like they were playing well, and people were really enjoying it, but I realized that I was just kind of over sonic… big sonic rock. (laughter) 

Yeah? 

GB: Which is ironic because I went to that show to be inspired, you know? 

Right, yeah, that’s interesting. 

GB: Yeah, and I just I felt, like, they’re doing it well, but it’s not really moving me, and I think it’s time to move on, you know, in terms of music.  And so I think that at that point, it just kind of freed up a lot of  preconceived ways of approaching music that I’d had.  I think that’s probably what you’re hearing; you’re probably hearing a result of that. 

Well, that’s perfect.  You were inspired, anyways, just in the other direction. 

GB: Yeah, exactly, you know, not at all what I was expecting to have happen.  I think that there were a lot of people that enjoyed that show; I just kind of had the opposite reaction for some reason and moved on. 

So how long have you guys been kicking around the songs that are on this new album? 

GB: We’ve been working on them for about a year, a year and a half or so.  You know, there’s a variety of songs; like, 4 or so were written by Lorelei, one of them by Jason, our keyboardist, so there’s a lot of variety on it.  But I think basically within, yeah, about a year and a half time or so. 

And you’re going to release it on FFO. Was there anything in particular that attracted you all to that label coming off of Beggars? 

GB: Well, FFO is actually our own label. (laughter) 

(laughter) Oh, so you knew someone there?… 

GB: So it’s a self-release, but, you know, we’re actually in talks with other labels now, so I don’t know; we’re kind of discussing exactly what we…how we want to release this.  It’s still on the table. 

After your recent LP Hideout, you guys kind of went underground for a few years, so what were you up to during that time? 

GB: Well, let’s see…you know, it came out in 2007, but we were touring all the way through the end of 2008, so when we were done with that…I think our last show was in Norway (laughter), in Oslo, and when we got back, it was the end of November or mid-November or something, and we basically took 3 or 4 months off.  We did, like, three North American tours, and England, and Norway, and so we were pretty beat down, tired; but we kind of started writing around then, too. So for all of, basically, 2009, we were working on writing.  By the end of 2009, we were recording, and then mixing through 2009 into 2010, so, you know, I think that people think there’s a lot of time off, but, really, there wasn’t ‘cause we were out on the road for about a year and a half. 

Sure, right, I understand. 

GB: Yeah. 

Now you guys have seen some lineup changes, but you’ve released two strong LPs with the current lineup.  You guys are really confident and energetic onstage when you play live.  How proud are you of this lineup? 

GB: Oh yeah, it’s great, I mean… I really like all the members.  You know, it’s possible that we’re going to actually have a couple different people out on the road with us, we’re not really sure yet.  Being that we’re a band that lives in… a couple guys live in different cities. We’re based in L.A., but a couple guys live in different cities, so we’re not really sure exactly what the lineup is going to be on the road.  But, yeah, we all worked on this album [Fission] together. 

What was the motivation for Lorelei’s stronger presence vocally on Fission? 

GB: Well, for one, she wrote a bunch of great songs (laughter).  You know, I think also, I just… ever since Hideout when she came into the band, I just wanted more of a strong female presence and to me, it was just kind of a natural progression coming from Hideout that I thought that I’d like more of, so that’s kind of where we’re at. 

Let’s talk a little bit more about touring.  Do you have any details that you can share in regard to support of this album? 

GB: Not yet.  I wish there were.  You know, we’re planning a fall tour, we’re definitely going out.  It’ll probably be a North American tour, we haven’t really decided any dates yet or who we’re going out with or anything like that, but I know that we probably should be doing that very soon. 

As far as any other plans for the immediate future aside from possible tours and, of course, the release of this album, does Film School have anything else going on? 

GB: Well, let’s see… besides releasing the album and touring, I don’t know… what else is there? (laughter).  We have some videos coming up… 

You had a song off of Hideout on a TV show… 

GB: Oh yeah, 90210. 

Yeah, yeah, there you go.       

GB: Yeah, I mean, I’m sure there’ll be that kind of stuff, you know… things happen when you release the album.  I’m sure there’ll be some kind of, maybe, involvement with TV or film.  Hopefully.  If we’re lucky. 

That you know of, how’s the response you’ve been getting to Fission’s new sound so far?         

GB: Right.  Well, you know, it hasn’t really gone out yet to many people, but everyone seems to like it so far.  I mean, I hope that continues.  You never know because a lot of people you’re giving it to in the beginning are kind of just friends and stuff like that, and your friends just want you to be well, but people who don’t really know us that well that we’ve given it to – (people) that have no reason to pat us on the back – seem to like it, so you know I hope that just… 

It’s a good sign already. 

GB: Yeah, I hope it’s a good sign, yeah. 

One more question.  It may sound silly, but, you know… people who love your music, they have their favorite songs.  If you had to choose your favorite Film School song, what would you pick? 

GB: Oh, wow. Favorite Film School song… going back how far?  Pre-Beggars?  Can it go back pre-Beggars?   

Any song.        

GB: Well, let’s see… Beggars would probably be… I like “Sick of the Shame”, actually. 

Good choice!  (laughter)         

GB: Yeah, on the Beggars stuff.  There was a song, actually, that I was humming to myself the other day when I was in the car, and I realized it was off Brilliant Career from 2001.  (laughter)  Which is crazy, you know, I’m like, where did that song come from?  ‘Cause we haven’t… we’ve never played it live and, you know, it’s a song I haven’t listened to in, maybe, 8 years or something like that.  I’d hum it to you, but I can’t. 

It’s haunting you somehow… 

GB: Yeah, yeah.  God, I might have to get back to you with the name of the song.   That’s the thing, you know, I don’t even remember the names of my songs. 

Yes, I’m bad with song names. 

GB: Yeah, you know how people can’t remember the names of bands’ songs?  And I can’t even remember the names of some of our songs so… 

All right, no worries.        

GB: It was from a long time ago. 

Let’s just leave it at that, right?      

GB: Exactly. 

Listen, Greg, I appreciate all the time you’ve given me.  Those are all the questions I’ve got for you.  I received an advance copy of Fission.  I think it’s awesome, you guys are going in a great direction. 

GB: Aw, thanks, man.  That means a lot to me, thank you. 

Yeah, for sure.  I look forward to hearing some details on the tour dates so we can check y’all out. 

GB: That’s great.  Thanks so much, I appreciate it. 

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Snatch your copy of Fission in stores or online July 20th, and stay tuned to The Sound Mind for updates on Film School’s proposed fall tour.  Check out streaming audio of a track off the upcoming release here.

Happy Daze

Recently, we tried to interview The Fonz, but Henry Winkler’s PR agent gruffly declined.  So we interviewed The Fauns instead (and stole their joke, though I’m sure it’s nothing you weren’t thinking when hearing their name for the first time). We discussed ambition, favorite artists, how important envelope stuffing is to a band’s success, and the trials of getting gigs… 

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The Fauns started in 2007, and only 3 years later have already made headway with a successful debut and a follow-up soon to be released. So many underground bands receive praise far too late or toil for years before making an impact, but you all are fortunate enough to be thriving as a band amidst your popularity. What do you think are the primary factors contributing to that success?

Michael Savage - We were lucky in that The Fauns arrived with the resurgence of the shoegaze sound, so there is a receptive and growing audience. The rest is down to hard work, a lot of time spent envelope stuffing and surfing music forums and social networking sites… Elliot is particularly dedicated to the internet side of things which has made a massive difference to our profile.

Elliot Guise - Having a clear outlook on the sound you are trying to achieve has helped us get to where we are quickly. Myspace has been a great tool in helping our music to reach the right people. The problem with Myspace is that too many bands get caught up with power in numbers. I’d rather have 50 people that like the music and 5000 that are there to make up the numbers.

Lee Woods - It’s easy from the outside to think that a bands success is all down to chance, but anyone in or around a band with ambition knows that chance is a small factor and it’s more about making it happen, making people aware of you and taking the right steps at the right time. We are very lucky in The Fauns to have a couple of members who are very good at this – myself not included!

Your debut album was truly inspiring. How far do you feel the follow-up will stray from the formula that made your debut so well-received? What new elements are you adding, or what is remaining the same? Is the album still looking good for a September release?

LW - Well I’m a new element for a start! I’ve been chipping in with the songwriting already so the second album is bound to have a different edge. That said, I think that when people hear the second album they will know straight away that this is a Fauns album. The main reason for that is Mike, who has a great way of moulding the individual tracks into an overall sound and overseeing the whole thing – which I think is an important thing in a band.

EG - Emphasis on making a good record will always be our primary focus, but how we get to that point very much lies in experimenting with recording. The first record, it came together through two years of mistakes, successes and U-turns, but had a clarity which felt genuine.

Tom Adams - The first album was put together over quite a long period of time and we had several lineup changes over that period, so the process was a bit slow and fragmented. The second album will be a bit more organic; the initial recording sessions have gone well and the songs for the second album are more complete as pieces of work at the recording stage than perhaps they were for the first album.

MS - We’re on target for a September CD release. The second album will be quite raw compared to the first album. We’re experimenting with a string quartet for a couple of tracks, we’re also borrowing a £40,000 Steinway piano for another. I can’t wait to get it out there.

You all grew from 3 people to 6. How daunting can it be to compose or record music with that many members, or do you find a natural synergy amongst each other that just works well?

MS - We work very well together probably because we’re not really a jamming band, there is no clash of egos that tends to come with that. We write seperately and file share until a track starts to gel. Some members contribute more to the live side than the recording side, but everybody contributes in some way. I tend to tie things together and make the final call.

LW - It could be daunting if you think of the overall task when starting out, but it all happens much more organically than people think. The great thing is that not all 6 members will be working on one thing at once; we don’t really all write together. We mostly each all have our own things going on writing-wise and tend to just bounce certain things back and forth to each other. There are currently lots of complete and incomplete ideas for tracks flying around between us that are that have now become the basis for the next record. We’re basically in the process of moulding these into the album and it feels that we’re now past the embryonic stage.

So who are the founding members, and how did the remaining three enter the picture?

TA - Three or four years before The Fauns existed, Mike asked me to do some drumming for him, he had some ideas and wanted some drum patterns recorded in a certain style. I think the plan was to cut up the drum tracks and develop some songs. So myself and Mike spent a day at Geoff Barrow’s (Portishead’s) recording studio putting down some drum tracks. That was the last I heard of it for about a year. I’d assumed that the recordings hadn’t worked out, but then Mike got in touch again and sent me a CD of a song called “The Sun is Cruising” and I was blown a way by it. At the time, I was already in another band and not to keen to do live stuff with Mike. I did, however, venture down to see The Fauns’ first gig with the original line up of Mike, Olly & Emily. The gig was hampered by a number of problems, but I was impressed with the songs and what they were trying to do and offered my services for future live gigs. That sounds really patronising, but it really isn’t intended that way. I became a fan of the band and wanted to drum with them live (at the gig they were using a CD of me drumming from the recording we’d done a year or so back). Matt was also at that gig and also agreed to join the band on the strength of the performance.

MS - Tom and I were the initial Fauns. Myself, our original singer Emily and original Guitarist Olly formed the first live line up. Emily moved on and Olly went to college. Olly still writes and remixes for us. Tom & Matt joined after our first ever gig as he’s explained, Lee and Elliot joined a bit later as the lineup evolved (I actually started on guitar and then moved over to bass, making room for a better player). At the moment, it’s a perfect mix. I’m not a natural musician, so it’s kind of humbling working with people who really know what they’re doing.

The U.K. is responsible for producing some of the most amazing bands in the history of underground and mainstream music. With that said, how competitive is the music scene in your area?

MS - Bristol has produced a few well known bands, but in recent years there has been a drift toward very generic funk/ska/hip hop bands. I can’t stomach any of it, to be honest. Bristol-based label, Invada, has some very interesting acts. Beak>, in particular, are well worth checking out. In Bristol, there are very few bands doing what we’re doing, so it’s an open field.

EG - It has been quoted recently that Bristol is the most musical city in the UK. I can believe this as a general statement as there is a vibrant dance scene, but I don’t think Bristol has a consistancy in producing successful bands. The 90′s had Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky, which established Bristol on the musical map, but it’s hard to pinpoint an act that has had the same impact since.

TA - Bristol’s a very laid back city and I’ve never gotten the sense that there is a great deal of competitiveness between bands. There’s more of a community feel: bands either help each other out, or have nothing to do with each other. There’s little point in being competitive, it’s hard enough to get on in the music industry without fighting between bands. In Bristol, there seems enough room for all bands and styles… unless they’re Razorlight and they can fuck right off!

LW - I’d just like to second the Razorlight comment!

The words to some of your songs are as haunting as they are beautiful. As lead vocalist, is Alison Garner primarily responsible for lyrics, or is that a joint effort?

MS - It’s a joint effort, Ali and I tend to work on the melody, I work on lyrics and then we tweak things together until it sounds sweet. The tracks Lee produces generally come complete with vocal melody and lyrics, Ali and Lee will then work on them in the same way.

Of course, we have to talk about influences. I always like to ask how important the influence is of bands you play with regularly in your scene, or do you primarily rely on music you listened to growing up?

TA - I learnt how to play the drums listening to The Smiths and The Fall and that is always my starting point. They are the two benchmarks for how I rate other bands.

LW - I was never into your typical guitarist’s guitarists as I grew up. Heavy-rock, riff-orientated music never really did it for me and I always liked guitarists who took the guitar and got that something extra out of it and took it elsewhere. My initial influence as a teen was and still is Edge from U2. I won’t get any cool points for saying that, but I really believe he is a great innovator and should have more respect than he deserves…maybe it’s all Bono’s fault. There are all these jokes about Edge playing one or two strings and letting the effects do the work but as far as I’m concerned if it sounds great who cares? I mean shoegaze was all about how many effects units you had anyhow, so if that’s the case the Edge is the king of shoegazing! Another of my main guitar influences is Nick McCabe of The Verve, who could be sonically stunning. I’m not saying I’m as much of an innovator as my peers but, I try to be as creative with my sound as I can. Finding THAT sound is a journey that never ends, but you get some nice results on the way.

MS – I try not to absorb what our peers are doing even if some of them are really amazing. I also don’t want to be infected with the popularist electro/indie thing either… When it comes to the Fauns, I stick my fingers in my ears to block out contemporary music scenes. Past influences are more important (MBV and Slowdive are the obvious ones), but I still try not to take too much of what they were. A lot of acts copy another style in perfect detail, but lose any originality. To be honest, I don’t worry much about what other bands are doing or did.

Give us a glimpse of The Fauns’ musical tastes. When you’re not making your own music, whose are you listening to? What’s in your tape deck/record player/CD player/iTunes playlist right now?

TW - Apart from The Smiths and The Fall. I saw the Gorillaz playing live on the telly the other night and they were excellent, so I’ve just bought their new album, which I’m listening to as I type this. I like The Super Furry Animals and I like a lot of American stuff, to, like Sparklehorse, Lambchop, Luna, Sliver Jews and Bill Callaghan (his last album was brilliant!).

LW - Influences that spring to mind as far as bands go are the likes of The Velvet Underground, Spiritualized, Mercury Rev, Low, Slowdive, Bowery Electric, U2, Verve, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins and a little known band called Aspen Woods (ahem) to name but a few. There are a fair few solo atrists I’m a big fan of, mainly the innovative types such as Brian Eno (my biggest influence of all) and Kate Bush. More recently, people such as Rufus Wainwright and Joan Wasser have interested me, all people who know how to create their own all very different musical worlds. At the moment, Besnard Lakes are a new band that I’ve been listening to and liking, and I have to agree with Tom on Gorillaz: their new stuff is great (I wasn’t that bothered about their earlier stuff). I’ve spent alot of my life listening to ambient music, mainly Eno and his hoards of collaborators and Labradford are a favourite too.

EG – The Smiths, Efterklang, Joy Division. Music which makes its presence known. I just wait for those chord progressions or key changes that Jonny Marr does so well.

MS – I’m listening to the last album by The Prodigy at this very moment. I also bought the soundtrack to “Moon” earlier today, it’s stunning. Clint Mansell is a very talented man… I’m very into soundtracks, I’m hoping we can get The Fauns on a film score one day.

As you know, The Sound Mind is based in San Antonio, TX. What’s it like making an impression in a place half the world away?

LW - It’s a real buzz that our stuff is getting heard all over the world. It’s an even bigger buzz that every piece of feedback and every review so far has been nothing but positive. We owe it to people like yourselves who take it upon yourselves to give valuable exposure to bands like The Fauns, thank you very much!

MS – It’s still weird to see something that was written in my bedroom travelling so far around the world. To be honest, I don’t remember quite how I wrote them at all really… These pieces of music came out of my head and then went off on their travels, it’s strange.

TA – I love it that our music is getting heard outside the UK. We seem to be getting quite a lot of attention in Japan as well as the USA which is great. I often think the the UK can be too trend-driven and faddy when it comes to music whereas in America you seem to make up your own minds about music and have a little more patience with bands. The NME in the UK has a lot to answer as the self-proclaimed arbiter of taste, but thankfully its influence is on the wane.

Your Myspace page reads that you are an unsigned band. Without backing, has it been difficult for you to organize shows in support of your debut, or just booking shows in general? Are there any plans to sign with any labels in the near future?

MS - We have our own label, Laser Ghost Recordings, which we used for the first release. I’ve also helped three other bands get out there. We have been offered a bigger deal, but we’re still undecided as to whether we want to accept it or self release a second time. In the present climate, it’s unclear whether a deal can actually take you any further.

LW - At our current level, the UK can be a complete nightmare to try to get gigs, and even if you do you aren’t guaranteed to be treated too well! Trying to get a support tour with a more established band is probably the best route. In my experience, mainland Europe is a much better experience all round when touring. I’m sure most US bands who tour Europe would agree! I really can’t put my finger on exactly why the UK is so shite for bands at our level – but it is!

TA - It’s been quite easy to get gigs in Bristol, but not so much elsewhere in the country at the moment. We do have a tour of Germany planned for September, which should be great.

You did a show in May with 2 members of Galaxie 500. That’s pretty impressive. Have you played shows in the past where you’ve just had to step back and absorb the reality of who you were sharing the stage with? What are some of your most memorable performances?

TA – We played with Durutti Column a while back and as Vini Reilly played on Morrissey’s first solo album, I had to go up and shake his hand. I didn’t mention Morrissey, though, as I’ve heard that its not his favourite topic of conversation.

MS - The Damon & Naomi gig was last night and it was pretty cool, a real pleasure to meet them. I also play bass for The Telescopes occasionally. It’s nuts playing bass with Stephen Lawrie who is one of my musical heroes. The Pastels support slot was another high point.

And if you could play a show with any band, who would it be?

MS - Supporting The Cure or Depeche Mode maybe…

TA - Personally, I’d have loved to have played with Sparklehorse, but sadly because of Mark Linkous’ tragic death recently it can only be a pipe dream.
LW - Spinal Tap

The self-titled debut was recently released as an autographed double vinyl set. How/where can fans get their hands on that and how many are you pressing?

MS – The signed vinyl can be bought direct from our Myspace page (but we are running out). The main bulk of the 500 copies can be bought from Deep Space Recordings in The States. Anyone who purchases a signed copy will get a “thank you” in the sleeve notes of the forthcoming album.

I appreciate you taking time out for this interview. It’s always refreshing talking to amazing new talent in a world where some music listeners are convinced that the end of good music is nigh. Your songs are catching some attention with our readers and music lovers in San Antonio. Anything you’d like to say to those readers and listeners?

MS - As a new band with no real financial backing, it’s incredibly hard to break out of the UK, so we’d like to thank anyone and everyone who has bought our music. Every dollar spent goes back into the band fund and back into recordings. If you downloaded our stuff for free, please try at least to spread the word, promotion by word of mouth is supporting us… Finally… We need help in TV/film publishing and on the live/touring side of things. If you can assist us in any way we’ll be eternally grateful. We’d love to play the States, but at the moment it’s unclear how we’d go about that.

LW - Tell your friends! But make sure you explain we’re ‘The Fauns’ and not ‘The Fonz’ as some people think… actually, that gives me an idea for the title of the next album – ‘Happy Days’!?!

“Rocket Fire” Propels Ceremony to New Heights of Acclaim

Thanks to the beauty and ease of the internet, we were able to sit down (independently of each other, of course) with John Fedowitz and Paul Baker of Ceremony, a band too loud for Fredericksburg, VA, and a band whose anticipated full-length Rocket Fire, due for release tomorrow, April 27th, will be too loud to ignore.

We talked about the future, inspiration, influence, and the fellas were even nice enough to make me ashamed of my Hall and Oates knowledge (everyone knows Hall’s golden mane was the driving force behind the duo!).  Here’s how it all went down…

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First of all, congratulations on the upcoming release of Rocket Fire.  This is your first full-length as Ceremony on Killer Pimp.  What does this release mean for you two personally?
 
John Fedowitz – Personally, it means if anyone stuck in their room recording can get recognized playing music that means something to them and means something to other people as well, then we’ve made a statement.  Hopefully it will be a stepping stone to a bigger label.  Rocket Fire is my favorite release of ours so far.
 
Paul Baker – I’m glad to have some of these songs finally be released officially, as some of them have been floating around for quite some time.  Some of these songs could have been on Disappear but just didn’t seem to fit the mood correctly, so we held onto them until Rocket Fire.  I think it was good to wait until the right time to put them all together.

How has it been working with the label Killer Pimp, and what are your future plans with them?
 
PB – Jon from Killer Pimp is definitely a perfectionist, which is a bit strange for us, but I think it’s been a good thing working with him.  He’s a great guy who has a vision that respects ours and I can certainly appreciate that.
 
JF – Jon is someone I finally worried about letting down, concerning recording quality, song sequencing, and cover aesthetics.  We’re grateful to him for enlisting Jeff Lipton to master the album, and we think he did a fantastic job.  As far as future plans, we can’t say anything except we’re focused on the release of Rocket Fire.

There seems to be a growing trend in sparsely outfitted bands.  Bands like The Big Pink and Screen Vinyl Image are making big splashes with fewer members.  You as well.  As a two-man group, do you find it easier or more difficult to compose music? 
 
JF – Before Ceremony and even Skywave I was in other bands with more members and more ideas of what the band was about.  It always turned into chaos. I would love to have a full band with musicians, as it’s more visually appealing, but I’ve always had this idea of what music should sound like, and I don’t think anyone else could really tolerate being in a band with me, except Paul.
 
PB – It’s both, really.  Fortunately, John and I have remarkably similar sensibilities when it comes to music.  I mean we each have our different takes on music we hear from other groups, but when it comes to our music we almost always agree on things.  Sometimes he will want me to record a guitar on one of his songs, but there’s no point because he’s already done exactly what I would have done.  That’s not always the case, but very often it is.  On the other hand, there are times when I wish there was another opinion or some additional input, but we have yet to find the person we could trust with that.

And how do you find yourself composing music?  What’s the creative process like for you two, at a glance?
 
PB – We spend a lot of time working on our own songs, just because of scheduling issues.  I write songs when it hits me, for the most part.  Usually a song that is forced sounds that way, so I don’t bother.  If I don’t feel like the song is saying something to me, I’ll just drop it.  But it is a great feeling when it all comes together in a few minutes, and I know I’ve done what I set out to do.
 
JF – I usually get my influences from Paul’s songs and demos and I change them and distort them in ways he will never know.

You guys have a video for just about every song on Rocket Fire.  Talk a little bit about that.  Do you own the equipment, have friends who help out?
 
PB – Well, not quite every song, but you’re right because a lot of these songs have been floating around for some time, but, like I said, they didn’t seem to fit properly on our earlier albums.  Some of the songs on Rocket Fire were written or even recorded before Ceremony existed.  I think I wrote “Stars Fall” and “Marianne” when we were still Skywave.  John will have to answer the technical questions.
 
JF – My wife said, “You can do this, make a video!”  I just used iMovie and tried to make it look as cool as possible and hoped for the best.

There are obvious influences in your music’s sound.  Some reviews give you a nod toward the blatant shoegaze giants of the late 80s and early 90s, while others make parallels between JAMC.  But how important is the influence of your contemporaries to you, or do you strictly rely on the influence of bands you heard growing up?
 
PB – I can’t help but be influenced by the music I heard as a kid that really moved me, but there are far more influences going on in our music.  In retrospect, some of the groups I liked when I was younger don’t seem so great to me now, but other groups I didn’t like then I really enjoy.  Things always change, and that’s usually a good thing.  Sure, I listened to My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain, then and now, but I was some kid, 13 or 14 years old, and didn’t understand there was a difference in categorization.  I still don’t care about that.  I love Hank Williams Sr. the same way I love Oasis or Kraftwerk.  Lots of so-called “shoegaze” is totally boring and they couldn’t write a song if their lives depended on it.  I like the effects, when they’re done well and there’s a good song.  That’s the most important thing, the song.  I think Ladytron has been a big influence on our group, as well as the Raveonettes, and of course, A Place To Bury Strangers.  Oliver is great at both songwriting and production, and I will listen to his music as long as he keeps making it.
 
JF – I find myself falling out of the music scene often, but things hit me later and I always find some new inspiration, even if it’s 20 years old.

In that regard, there was an article in the Chicago Tribune recently about the return of shoegaze and how bands such as APTBS have helped revive the trend.  How do you feel Ceremony fits into that revival?  Do you really consider yourselves part of that genre?
 
PB – I think my answer to that is sort of the same as the previous question.  When we were in Skywave it felt like we were doing everything against the odds, “shoegaze” was out and venues weren’t interested in what we were doing.  But now, with people looking back, we somehow kept it alive or something, but “shoegazing” wasn’t what we wanted to do, we were a rock and roll band, and we still are.  I think maybe there’s a place for us in that genre, but we’re not the face of it.  And I do enjoy some bands who fall into that category very much, but it seems to be a weird mix of things, some of which I’m not too crazy about.
 
JF – Thanks to Oliver we’re getting some recognition.  Shoegaze has been distorted in many ways, I don’t think people know what it means anymore.  I wouldn’t mind if Ceremony and A Place To Bury Strangers started a new genre with a cooler name…

For the sake of vanity, who do you consider the frontman of Ceremony, or does your duo status require too much shared responsibility?  If you two were to ever split, who would be Hall and who would be Oates?
 
PB – Uh, don’t know anything about Hall and Oates, but John started this band so maybe he can answer.  

JF – Well, who was the keyboard expert in Hall and Oates?  Because that would be me.

As a fellow left-hander who’s been shunned by the world, John, I have to ask you something.  Left-handed guitar players are a rarity; how difficult is it for you to find gear you really want, or is it all strung upside down?
 
JF – If you want a Strat or a Les Paul, you’re good to go, but that’s not for me.    I string up everything upside down, except the bass.  I play my bass guitar high G string on top, low E string on bottom.  Lefties have rights too, but I’m still pretty pissed off about it…

As you know, this pub is based in San Antonio, Texas.  There’s a promising Austin band called Ringo Deathstarr who opened for you not long ago along with Screen Vinyl Image and The Sky Drops.  Describe the experience of that show.
 
PB – That was a great show.  Actually, due to unfortunate circumstances, both SVI and the Sky Drops had to cancel, but we had a wonderful time meeting and playing with Ringo Deathstarr.  I’ve had their records in continuous rotation on my record player for at least a week.  They’re awesome live and really nice people to top it off.

JF – That show was great. Hanging out with Ringo Deathstarr was a lot of fun. I remember listening to them on youtube the year before and it’s so cool hearing those songs live.

So how’s the music scene in VA?  Do you find audiences receptive to your music, or does a change in location suggest greater recognition?
 
PB – Where we live, people like us, venues don’t, so we don’t bother.  We’ve been kicked out of clubs multiple times for being too loud, which is kind of a badge of honor, but I don’t want to do it anymore.  We have some of our best shows in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area.  I want to bring the music to our fans, wherever they may be, but not if the venue is going to literally pull the plug on our power and tell us to get the fuck out and they’re going to call the cops.
 
JF – People from all over have said that Skywave kept shoegaze alive in the U.S.  I really appreciate that, but being in Virginia, it’s not really appreciated.  Ceremony has faced the same sort of club owners who would like us to turn down to a “Motley Crue” volume.  We always leave alone.  

In your career as Ceremony, what’s been the most surreal experience for you two?  Was there a certain show you took part in that blew your mind, or bands with whom you shared the stage?
 
PB – It was great to play with A Place To Bury Strangers at the 930 Club in Washington, DC.  That was a pretty big deal for us.  Playing shows in Tokyo with Screen Vinyl Image was pretty surreal for me, as I’d imagine it was for them.  I never thought I’d be in a band playing gigs in Japan with a band I really like and who are such wonderful friends.
 
JF – Yeah, I agree.

Thanks again for your time, mates, I really do appreciate it.  Please tell me, are there any upcoming plans for a tour in support of Rocket Fire, and if so, how accessible will the locations be?
 
PB – Maybe we should get to work on that… If we do, we’ll try to be as practical as possible, but no guarantees.  We’ve never done things the way we should.
 
JF – This album defintely needs to be promoted well, east coast, northwest, midwest and Europe.  Those are my hopeful plans.