For Folk's Sake » Interviews

Interview | For Folk’s Sake meets First Aid Kit

For Folk's Sake — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:29:23 +0000

First Aid Kit are born performers. As I’m ushered through Bush Hall past the photos of the golden greats past and present, and into the Green Room which has seen the presence of Amy Winehouse, REM, Alanis Morrisette, Feist, Regina Spektor and many others, it seems like they should be there.

The young sisters have a confidence and an intelligence that belies their age, and performing comes naturally to them. Older sister Johanna remembers some of their early shows: from the age of about five they were putting on concerts for friends, family and neighbours, even down to making and selling tickets. They’re so used to being on stage that nerves don’t phase them. They’ve performed to audiences of thousands, and they’ve even sung one of Patti Smith’s best songs to a huge audience which included the lady herself.

Johanna and Klara are coming to the end of an intense year of touring. They’ve been on the road for over a month now, touring with Lykke Li in November, and before that, Bright Eyes in September. I catch them in the middle of a four-day dash between Berlin, London, Paris and Amsterdam.

But they wouldn’t have it any other way. ”Playing live for people is such a giving experience for us. Seeing how people react to the songs and sing them when they know the lyrics,” Klara says. “It’s such a huge compliment to you, it makes you want to make more music and go on.”

FAK rose to prominence with their cover of Fleet Foxes’ ‘Tiger Mountain Pleasant Song’, which recently hit 2.5M views on Youtube. But it was Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst who has been been one of their great supporters. Johanna explains, ”We’re on Wichita [Recordings] here in the UK, and they released Bright Eyes’ early records in Europe and so we had that connection, and [Bright Eyes] played in Stockholm with Monsters of Folk and so we gave them our CD, and I think that’s where [Conor] heard us. And then he came to our show one year later in Austin, Texas. We were totally…”

“We freaked out, to be honest”, Klara elucidates.

“And then Mike [Mogis, Bright Eyes member and producer] just wrote to us saying he wanted to produce a record,” Johanna continues.

I asked them what it was like to tour with a band as big as Bright Eyes on their visit to the southern US. “It really is the best tour we’ve ever done.”

“There are no words, ” Klara chirps, “We got to hang out with our favourite band, who we’d play with every night.”

Johanna expands, ”We were not really like an opening act, we were more a part of their band. And after each show, we just stayed at the venue and had champagne… it was a big party every night. I think most bands wouldn’t be like that, you know, friendly with their opening act.”

“We found that they were just amazing, sweet people, they were really so passionate still about their music. They’ve been playing for such a long time, but it was just so sweet to see how they felt for their fans.”

“And how every night they went out because there were fans waiting by the tour bus, and they would go out and talk to them, and give them the treatment that they wanted.”

Bright Eyes formerly had a reputation of being rude and arrogant, but Klara is quick to point out that those times seem to be behind them: ”It was really nice seeing it for yourself and seeing that they are the complete opposite of arrogant and rude.”

First Aid Kit also embarked on a transatlantic tour with Lykke Li, I asked them how it compared to their autumn run. ”They were different. She is very different musically, but it was interesting because we felt like the responses of the crowds were equally good, despite her audience being so different and people that who would never to listen to us in the first place, liked us. It was really rewarding to see that you won the crowds over every night.”

These large tours, in bigger venues, and to bigger crowds, gave FAK a taste of their future. “It feels kind of weird now playing in the smaller venues, because we’ve gotten so used to that big sound. But it’s good to know that our music works in that setting as well. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to play our own shows there.”

They also featured on the Letterman Show as part of Lykke Li’s band, a performance which reached an audience of millions.

First Aid Kit recorded their second album in early summer, under the experienced eyes of producer Mike Mogis. ‘The Lion’s Roar’ will be out in the UK in January 2012. Johanna is keen to let me know that, ”writing songs and hearing them come to life in the studio is magical. You can’t really beat that.”

They were especially comfortable to be working with Mogis. ”Coming in and recording this record with Mike was just… knowing that he thought it was so good, it made us believe it even more.”

“We lost all concept of pressure because we felt that he would not release something he wouldn’t consider good enough, and therefore it was it going to be good.”

Their first album, ‘The Big Black and the Blue’ is an opus filled with tight vocal harmonies and catchy choruses, but it was only coolly received by the critics due, mainly it seems, to its musical simplicity. It was released two years ago,
and FAK’s sound has developed since then. Johanna says: ”I think that’s what we were able to do at the time. But I feel like I can barely listen to it now… it’s really hard. I can really hear that we’ve become better singers, and just better in every way. But I think when we go back to it… I’m not like ashamed of it. I think it’s good, but I feel like we were different then.”

Klara agrees, ”I think it’s probably because it’s still so close, but still feels like it’s far away. I feel like we’re still in this middle place, where we’re so excited about this new record it’s hard to listen to [the previous one]. When I listen to it, it’s very apparent to me who I was trying to sound like in some ways. And I feel like I hadn’t really found my own voice, and that’s something that’s not a problem any more. We both feel like we know when we sing now we’re not trying to sound like anyone else.”

‘The Lion’s Roar’ promises to be as vocally strong as the first album, and carries the same lyrical themes of fantasy and storytelling: ‘The Big Black and the Blue’ told stories of husbands cheating on wives and other experiences Johanna and Klara had not been through directly.

‘The Lion’s Roar’ will be similar, as Johanna explains, ”We’re singing as a warning to ourselves about who we don’t want to become. Like, we have a song called ‘Blue’ about this woman who is alone…”

Klara interjects, ”It’s us dealing with this fear of becoming these middle-aged woman who regret what we didn’t do. We’re ending up lonely, despite doing everything we can not to. I feel like that can happen to anyone, and those songs are just our way of dealing with that fear.”

‘Blue’ is an example of the more evolved sound of FAK, too, ”[It] has more of a pop, like 60s, kind of sound. ‘Dance To Another Tune’ is a song where we kind of freaked out a bit. We did a bit of a crazy section, psychedelic with strings. Just tried to move out of our comfort zone a bit. And of course, ‘King of the World’ with Conor Oberst, was a big deal for us. The song is… the Felice Brothers are also playing on it, so it’s this…”

“Collaboration…”

“Yeah, it’s like we’re having a party. Everyone just steps in, and I love how it turned out.” Klara says, ”I feel like we could say this about every single song on the album. This song we really like because of this, and this, and that’s really how we feel about it. There’s not one song we aren’t really proud of. We feel like they all have a lot to say. We’re really proud of them individually and as a whole.”

The future is looking bright for First Aid Kit, and at ages of 21 and 18, there’s plenty of time left for musical development. “I feel like we’re evolving, and doing new stuff. We’re going to do it as long as it’s fun, and it’s a lot of fun right now, so I don’t see us quitting any time soon,” Klara says.

Johanna is of the same mind, ”The thing that we think is awesome is that we’re still very young, so we don’t really know what’s going to happen, and how we’re going to sound in 10 years. It could be really interesting.”

FAK’s album, ‘The Lion’s Roar’ is out on 24 January 2012, and they will be embarking upon a European tour in February, followed by a trip to Australia and a further tour of the US in March and April.

Words and pictures: Paul Woods

Interview | Ane Brun

For Folk's Sake — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:42:24 +0000

Ane Brun’s fourth studio album It All Starts With One was released earlier this month to widespread acclaim and praise; a gloriously emotive and compelling affair that ensures her talents as a musician will be further known upon these shores.

On her recent tour of the UK I had the chance to meet Ane, but due to an illness I could not. My father kindly stepped in to meet the Norwegian singer instead; assuring me she was affable and charming, happily answering the questions put to her by FFS.

For Folk’s Sake: Hi Ane, it’s nice to meet you. How’s the tour going?

Ane Brun: It’s going well. I’ve just got a cough though.

FFS: Will that affect the singing?

A: I don’t think it will but it is irritating.

FFS: And how are you finding London?

A: I like being here. I’ve been here two days but I think it is stressful for a longer amount of time.

FFS: With your music I understand you have collaborated with many artists over the years, and I was interested to see that you have been working with First Aid Kit.

A: Yeah. They have been around for quite a few years now as well, in Sweden.

FFS: And where do you call home, Norway, Sweden?

A: Stockholm.

FFS: But you were born in Norway?

A: In Molde, yeah.

FFS: I was looking at the scenery and the mountainous backdrops recently, do you miss it all?

A: I miss having nature there, of course. I don’t miss the small towns though, as I like living in a big city.

FFS: I understand you moved around a lot when you were younger. In Barcelona, you were studying law and Spanish. What made you decide on music in the end?

A: It just happened. It choose me, I think more than I choose it. I was playing more and more and more and it took over.

FFS: I know you have had success back home. Are you trying to broaden your success? You have recently been on tour with Peter Gabriel in America, are you well-received when you travel?

A: Yeah, absolutely. You always try and broaden your success because it’s your livelihood, right.

FFS: Yeah. And your new album, would you say it’s a change in direction?

A: Yeah, it is. It doesn’t feel so dramatic to me because it has been a few years since I did my last album. And I’ve been and done a lot of stuff so it sounds like hearing something else.

FFS: The first single from the album, (‘Do You Remember’) is quite upbeat, was that an obvious first choice as a single, do you think?

A: I wanted it to be a summer song, so it was released in summer first.

FFS: Eye-catching video too.

A: Yes (laughs).

FFS: I understand there is a short film as well?

A: Yes, It’s coming out next year. It’s the next part/chapter. The one you have seen already is chapter three and chapter four is coming out. The song is worship. So the whole film is four songs.

FFS: Who are your musical influences from the past? Did you grow up with music in your family?

A: Yeah, I grew up with my mum who is a musician and a teacher.

FFS: What sort of music do you listen to?

A: I’ve listened to everything throughout my life, classical, jazz, folk – anything.

FFS: Any musicians that influence you now or albums that you may have listened to recently that appeal to you?

A: I think I listen to all kinds of stuff but I don’t get directly influenced by them. It is very indirect I guess. I listen to mostly varied stuff. I think I am more in touch with me and my stuff so I don’t know. But I listen to music every day, all different kinds.

FFS: And how do you relax away from music? Any hobbies you have or is your music all engulfing?

A: Mostly when I come home I try to keep my relationships going with my friends and family. I suppose just being social. I try to read – I read every day. The last two or three years I have been quite active doing political stuff and stuff to do with the environment, because that’s worrying me.

FFS: I understand you did a concert concerning climate change (No More Lullabies).

A: Yep. I’ve done that and I will do that more.

FFS: And one of the songs from the album, ‘One’ highlights the Arab Spring.

A: Yeah, it’s a song about any initiative actually. It was inspired by the Arab Spring but it is actually about human initiative as a whole.

FFS: Do you feel politically motivated that way? Or have you always been more political?

A: It has happened over the last three or four years.

FFS: Has it? Well that is probably a worldwide thing with a lot of young people; with all that is going on it’s bound to happen. What’s next after the tour?

A: Home. For a rest.

Words: Adam Lowe (and his Dad)

Interview | Richmond Fontaine’s Willy Vlautin

Ian Parker — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:25:50 +0000

Vlautin, left, performs with Richmond Fontaine in Leeds

“I’m not a huge fan of concept records,” says Willy Vlautin, the frontman and songwriter of Richmond Fontaine, who have just released, well, a concept album. The High Country is described as a ‘song-novel’, set in the remote Oregon logging community Vlautin now calls home.

It is not, Vlautin admits, “something you’d listen to on a Friday night”. The album begins with a lengthy spoken word track, setting the tone for a record where you’re going to need to concentrate to have any idea what’s going on in the love triangle between the different characters.

But ‘concept album’ is still something of a dirty word, particularly in this age of mp3s and single-track downloads, which is maybe why Vlautin sounds a little bit on the defensive.

“It’s a story, a linear story, so I guess it is a concept record,” he said. “It makes sense though, unlike a lot of concept records. I love Quadrophenia, it’s one of my favourite records, but I didn’t like it until I saw the movie because I couldn’t figure out what the fuck was going on. Our hope was that this record would be a record you could figure out. If you bought into the girl, if you bought into her situation and fall in love with her maybe, or emphathise with her, then the record will work.”

Even so, it will not be a straightforward ride.

“It might not be the smartest move to start a record with four minutes of spoken word, where the first words are, ‘I’m fucked, Arlene’,” Vlautin adds with a laugh. “Then we did some ‘B’ movie acting too. I did write some ‘radio songs’ like ‘Timber Tom’ and ‘My Daddy Was A Logging Man’, but in general its a gothic love story, a love triangle.”

It comes as no surprise that Richmond Fontaine should do something like this. Vlautin is now an acclaimed author, working on his fourth novel, with the first, The Motel Life, being turned into a film featuring actor and country music Hall of Famer Kris Kristofferson. Vlautin also has an entire spoken word album, A Jockey’s Christmas, to his name.

“Since I was a kid, I always liked writing stories,” he said. “I’m in love with the novel, that was always my first love before Richmond Fontaine. Some people, like my cousin, they get mad at me when I do spoken word on the records, but I’ve always liked spoken word as a fan. I did some of it on (We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River), Post To Wire and Thirteen Cities, so I’ve always liked it.”

It is not just his cousin that Vlautin has to convince.

“When I first brought this record to the band, they thought I was crazy,” he said. “But I think in the end it was really fun. They were interested in the idea of making a record that wasn’t normal. If you like the record, if you dive in, it’s a real world. It’s definitely not something you’re going to listen to on a Friday night, though. It’s a risky record, because there’s so much music out right now and people are more orientated to songs rather than records and this is one where it only works as one piece.”

With the idea for The High Country so fully formed in Vlautin’s head, it could easily have become another novel rather than an album. Only this time, it was a song that came first.

“I wrote The Meeting On The Logging Road first,” Vlautin said, inspired by his home in the forests outside of Portland, Oregon, where heavy logging trucks rattle the foundations of his house from morning ’til night. “I wrote that one song and all the others just started spilling out, so I thought it worked better as a record.”

The challenge then is to make sure that telling the story does not overshadow the music.

“I always have a hard time with that, I fail at that all the time,” he said. “I’ve always been a story-orientated songwriter. I wrote personal songs but I always mask them in stories. I think The Fitzgerald in many ways is our most similar album to The High Country in that it lives and dies by what it is.

“With that record I decided to write lyrics before the melody regardless of catchiness. It’s hard. Sometimes I fail at it, definitely. Sometimes before, the story would be more important to me than the music but I’ve lightened up a little bit.”

Stories seem to pour out of Vlautin, who has no trouble finding inspiration.

“The world’s a fucking wreck,” he said. “All you do is look at the newspaper and you see how hard people are living, how mean people are. Any little paper in any little town has got some tragic story in it.”

The band are still out on the road touring The High Country, which they play in full. It’s pretty much the only way it would make sense to play it, but, speaking before diving inside Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club to blast through it, Vlautin admits its a difficult balance.

“You’re grateful people show up. Guys spend their money and time to come and see you and you’re hoping you don’t piss anybody off, so we’re doing the record in full and then another set of old songs to make sure people who come to see us are happy. But when you make a record you have to stand by it. It’s a fun record to play and you just hope other people like it.”

What comes next is likely to be another novel, as Vlautin is “tweaking” his fourth before he starts showing it around. But he already has the next Richmond Fontaine album somewhere in his mind.

“I think we’ll do a desert record, something blown-out, psychedelic,” he said. “I don’t see doing another concept record.”

Interview | Schmercury nominee Rachael Dadd

Lynn Roberts — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:34:46 +0000

Our final best album nominee Rachael Dadd’s album Bite the Mountain. Reviewer Tom White said: “The record has an understated autumnal air to it, drifting by like the falling leaves and providing a pretty and colourful backdrop.”

For Folk’s Sake: Congratulations, you’ve been nominated for a Schmercury, how do you feel?

Rachael Dadd: Very happy to be part of it all. Thank you For Folks Sake

Are there any albums you think we should have included in the list?

Alessi’s Ark, Time Travel

How do you feel about the album now that it’s been released into the world?

I’m proud of it but now that it’s out in it’s physical form I’ve not actually listened to it for a fair while. Nice to put it down, clap my hands together and change the flow from creating something to taking in the world again. I’m pretty heads down when it comes to making stuff.

Did you know the record was special when you were making it?

The experiences I had making it were certainly special. I’ve been lucky to meet some amazing musicians and recording artists in Japan who worked on it with me. The locations were pretty special too: snowy Sapporo in wintery north Japan and then an old house on a hill looking over the Japan sea in spring. And something I’ve learnt from my encounters in Japan is to have a greater appreciation of things so I made sure I took it all in, every moment and detail.

How did you feel about critics and fans’ reaction to the album, was it what you expected?

It’s such a warming experience to hear when someone’s enjoyed a song or the album. It’s like having a heart to heart with a stranger. The communication makes the songs make sense in a way.

What’s your favourite album ever?

At the moment I think it’s Béla Fleck – Throw down Your Heart where he takes the banjo to Africa for many beautiful and often spontaneous collaborations with incredible African musicians.

Have you got plans for your next record?

New songs are coming and a few recording ideas but I want to soak up a lot more things of the world first

We’re sorry that we don’t have a million pounds to give the winner. What’d you do with it if we did?

Maybe I’d fund a travelling recording project. I’d love to try all sorts of collaborations. Maybe I’ll find some right on my doorstep, there are lots of good musicians from around the world living on my street! Money’s a funny one. I like the feeling I get from doing things that money doesn’t even touch.

Interview | Schmercury best album nominee Emmy the Great

Lynn Roberts — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:07:18 +0000

Emmy the Great’s Virtue is a devastatingly brutal and beautiful record about the break up of a relationship. There was no way we could fail to recognise it in this year’s best album list. FFS’s Rory Dollard said: “Sparse closing track ‘Trellick Tower’ – beautifully rendered with bare piano and a single bruised voice – is leant extra weight by the restraint shown elsewhere.”

For Folk’s Sake: Congratulations, you’ve been nominated for a Schmercury Best Album award (again!). How do you feel?

Emma-Lee Moss: I could not be more excited. I’ve put a big bet on myself to win. And if I don’t I’m going to do the same thing as last year and cry for eight hours straight. Although it might be even sadder this year as I actually have an album out.

I am genuinely very happy by the way. You’ve always been supportive of our music, and the fact that you like this album makes me feel like I didn’t let you down!

Have you paid much attention to the Mercury nominations this year? What do you think of them if so?

I think this year was the first year that I bought a record, listened to it and though, ‘That ought to be nominated for a Mercury.’ (It was the PJ Harvey album.) Since it got nominated I’ve got more involved than usual, because I’ve been talking about it a lot and paying attention to where it is among the favourites. And Elbow, who I love, are in this year again, and I love that this is their third nomination. I would be quite into seeing them win again.

Aside from your own, what’s your favourite album on the Schmercuries list?

I always like a bit of Low Anthem.

What album (released in the past year) have we missed off the list that ought to be on there?

Are you including international records? It looks like you are. If so, my favourite buys of the last year have been Lykke Li, Little Scream, Blood Orange and Best Coast.

How do you feel about Virtue now it’s been released into the world?

I’m feeling quite separate from it now. I think of the songs as how we play them live, not how they are on the record, because we’re rehearsing so much at the moment. And I’m really thinking hard about the next album, and to do that I need to sort of reject the previous one. Like a kidney. But I am also really attached to it, because of what it meant to me while we made it, so it’s proving quite hard to reject.

Did you know it was special when you were making it?

Aw. Thank you. It definitely felt like a turning point in my life. I grew a lot while I was making it. I owe it a lot.

What do you think about the critics and fans’ reaction? Was it what you expected?

I don’t know what I expected! I emerged from this cocoon of the last year and all of a sudden the album was out, and I’ve sort of been on the move ever since. It’s been mad. I haven’t been able to gauge the reaction yet. Stuff like this makes me think that it’s gone well.

What’s your favourite album ever?

Impossible question! I guess Pinkerton and the Green album by Weezer. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins. Different Light by the Bangles. Oh wait, Best of the Eagles. Yes, my favourite album is Best of the Eagles.

I was joking about the Eagles.

Do you have plans for your next album?

Yes! But I haven’t had time to implement them. I really want a week off to demo these songs I’ve written. Hopefully I’ll get that next week.

I’d buy us a house, where we both could live.

Interview | Schmercury best album nominees the Secret Sisters

Lynn Roberts — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:15:39 +0000

The Secret Sisters are Laura and Lydia Rogers from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. After getting the stamp of quality that is a Jack White-produced single, the sisters released their self-titled debut album. Our reviews editor Ian Parker said: “the Secret Sisters are not just steeped in the sounds of their native American south, they live and breathe them”

For Folk’s Sake: Congratulations, you’ve been nominated for a Schmercury Best Album award. How do you feel?

The Secret Sisters: Well, we’re just so honored! This record-our very first one-has been so special for us. It has given us so many incredible opportunities, and so much recognition. We are so proud of what the record represents, and really humbled and excited to be considered for the award. Especially considering all the other amazing albums that are in the running, it means a lot to us. Thank you!!!

Have you paid much attention to the UK’s Mercury Music Prize nominations this year? What do you think of them if so?

To be completely honest, we haven’t had time to follow much of anything, other than our own tour schedule. We did take a look at the nominations, and there are certainly some amazing artists and records nominated.

Aside from your own, what’s your favourite album on the Schmercuries list?

We both love the Fleet Foxes…such amazing music!

What album have we missed off the list?

We really loved Dylan Leblanc’s debut record, “Pauper’s Field.” It is so tasteful and soothing, and his writing is extremely impressive.

How do you feel about your album now it has been released into the world?

We’re both extremely proud of our first record. We believe that it really showcases our music heritage, and that it has given the world a taste of what the Secret Sisters are all about. And in many ways, we are grateful to that record for having given us so many amazing opportunities.

Did you know it was special when you were making it?

We believed in it from the start. But the main focus for us was to make a record that was fun, and one that we were proud of. Everything else was second on the priority list. We never realized it would give us so many great touring spots, so many wonderful shows, so many sweet-hearted fans. But we knew that the music was timeless, and still relevant.

What do you think about the critics and fans’ reaction? Was it what you expected?

Honestly, we have been overwhelmed with the reaction we’ve received. We figured we would just be a niche artist, and that only a handful of people would really get it. But luckily, this music is universal, and people from all walks of life and people of all ages are responding to it. But to this very day, it surprises us that people actually like it. Because to us, our voices aren’t anything special, and the way we sing is just second nature. We didn’t realize that we had anything special to share with anyone. But it’s been an amazing process, and now we are more than happy to sing for whoever wants to hear us!

What’s your favourite album ever?

Oh my. This question is like asking someone which of their children is the favorite. I (Laura) really adore any of the Everly Brothers’ early records. Lydia, on the other hand loves record such as Fiona Apple’s “Tidal,” or any Bob Dylan record. There are just so many incredible artists who make amazing music, if our lives depended on it, I don’t think we could choose a favorite!

Do you have plans for your next album?

We sure do! We’re touring until Christmas, and then in the early days of 2012, we’ll begin our second record. We are going to write all of the songs on this record, and have been really trying to figure out what our true sound is. We’ve got lots of new songs to put down, and we are really excited to go into the studio again. Recording an album is just fun, and it’s different than being on the road, so we are both eagerly awaiting the recording sessions. And we hope that everyone likes it!

Ha! No worries. Money isn’t important, ’cause you can’t take it with you when you go. However, if someone magically handed us a million pound award, we’d probably use it to pay off our personal debts (houses, cars, college loans), and then we’d probably consider purchasing our own tour bus, to make our travel a little easier. And whatever was left over, we’d use to buy lots of cherry red lipstick.

Thanks again for the nomination!

Interview | Schmercury best album nominees The Leisure Society

Lynn Roberts — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:20:03 +0000

Schmercury winners in 2009 for their debut album, The Sleeper, the Leisure Society’s masterful second album Into the Murky Water was released this year to a flurry of acclaim from critics and, notably, an awful lot of celebrities (John Simm, Chris Addison, Dom Joly, Olivia Colman – really, a lot). It’s a record of timeless orchestral pop, that manages to combine both intelligence and mass appeal. Nick Hemming and Christian Hardy took time in between galavanting around Europe and playing in Cathedrals with Laura Marling to answer our questions.

For Folk’s Sake: Congratulations, you’ve been nominated for a Schmercury Best Album award (again). How do you feel?

Nick – It feels very good thank you very much. It’s always nice to feel appreciated, even if there isn’t a cash prize attached.

Christian – It’s great to have your continued enthusiasm and support. Much appreciated. Thanks FFS.

Have you paid much attention to the Mercury nominations this year? What do you think of them if so?

Nick – After seeing we were one of the favourites for a nomination on Ladbrookes’ website I foolishly got my hopes up. Once I found out we weren’t on it I lost all interest! Seriously though, there are some great albums on the list… and some not so great. If I had to pick a favourite it’d probably be Anna Calvi, she oozes attitude. And to think she was playing in a tiny tent at the Willkommen festival only a year ago! You could tell she had something very special.

Christian – There’s undoubtedly something quite arbitrary about picking so few albums from the number that get made each year. I think this year I started wondering what the criteria must be cos it can’t come down to subjectivity with something of that scale. In terms of enterprise, self sufficiency, creativity and passion, I’d put both our albums on the list every time.

Aside from your own, what’s your favourite album on the Schmercuries list?

Nick – I wasn’t sure about the new Fleet Foxes album at first, but after seeing them at Green Man it all suddenly clicked for me and I absolutely love it now. The Emmy The Great album would be a close second, she has a great way with words and a lovely voice.

Christian – Devon Sproule is great. I love the second Fleet Foxes record very much. I haven’t heard Dark Dark Dark yet but I have a feeling I’ll really like them when I find the headspace to have a listen. Actually that may be true of a fair few on your list. My ability to enjoy new music depends on how much noise is already in my head. I don’t know how album reviewers do what they do without living in fear that what they’ve written isn’t reactionary nonsense.

What album (released in the past year) have we missed off the list that ought to be on there?

Nick – I’m currently loving the brilliantly barmy Tune-Yards album.

Christian – Oh I don’t know, maybe Destroyer Of The Void by Blitzen Trapper or Teen Dream by Beach House if they were released in the last year. Lisbon by The Walkmen is my standout favourite record in some years though.

How do you feel about Into the Murky Water now it’s been released into the world?

Nick – It’ll be a while before I can sit down and listen to it again, after spending so long intensively working on something it can drive you slightly crazy! Dust On The Dancefloor came on in a bar I was drinking in the other night and it sounded great, it made me very proud!

Christian – It’s concentrated musical obsession. The last month or two of mixing and finessing took a big toll. I’m proud as hell of it and I never want to make a record that way again.

Did you know it was special when you were making it?

Nick – It was a bit of a roller-coaster of emotions making the album. As it started to come together we definitely got the feeling we were doing something special, that’s what spurred us on through the endlessly obsessive recording sessions.

Christian – I felt a huge amount of pressure. It was hard to experience the joy we did making The Sleeper which was made in a happy void of obliviousness.

What do you think about the critics and fans reaction? Was it what you expected?

Nick – It was quite mixed to be honest. The first one we got through was a very flat, disinterested review from Uncut magazine, I was pretty crestfallen at the time. After that (thank god) it picked up and we got an amazing response from the people who had actually bothered to listen and digest the album fully.

Christian – I agree. Thoughtful responses (positive or negative) are always welcome. I knew it wasn’t going to be as instantly easy to love as The Sleeper because there’s way more in there to get your ears round and more swagger and confidence. People hate that.

What’s your favourite album ever?

Nick – It’s almost impossible to pick one album, but at a push I’d have to say the Beach Boys Friends/20-20 (strictly speaking two albums). There’s so much going on on there that it’s impossible to get bored. I think I’ve probably listened to it at lease once a week for the past 15 years.

Christian – At best I could narrow it down to Third / OK Computer / Amnesiac / In Rainbows / In Ear Park / The Suburbs / Teen Dream / Sgt Peppers / Abbey Road / Revolver / Sea Change / The Freewheelin Bob Dylan / Ziggy Stardust / Figure 8 / Veckatemist / My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy / I Speak Because I Can / Loney, Noir / Dear John / Deserter’s Songs / Swordfishtrombones / Lisbon.

Do you have plans for your next album?

Nick – I’ve got about 15 embryonic songs that I’m working on at the moment. As soon as I’ve got some lyrics that I’m happy with we’re going to lock ourselves away and experiment. I think we all agree we’d like to record a lot of the next album live. So much time was spent doing overdubs on Into The Murky Water and it’d be nice to try doing something a little more immediately gratifying.

Christian – As soon as Nick is ready I want to get in a rehearsal space in the country with the core band and play intensively for a few weeks until we can play the thing live. Then I want to get in a studio and get all the amps and drums and mics just right. Then I want to play the songs with the record button on. Then I want to add a couple of guest parts and overdubs. Then I want to release it.

Nick – Buy a new studio. My computer is so stuffed full of audio tracks that it’s likely to give up the ghost at any moment.

Christian – I’d blow it all on hats.

Interview | Schmercury best album nominees Dark Dark Dark

Lynn Roberts — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:03:42 +0000

Minnesota band Dark Dark Dark’s second album Wild Go is a thing of bold and awkward beauty. There was little question over its inclusion on this year’s best album shortlist – it’s never off the playlist at FFS. Stephen Thomas said: ”The ideas are so coherently gathered, so wonderfully put together that you cannot help but fall for these swooning chamber folk ballads.”

The lovely and jolly funny Marshall LaCount – banjo, clarinet and vocals (now there’s a trio to warm your cockles) answers our questions…

For Folk’s Sake: Congratulations, you’ve been nominated for a Schmercury Best Album award. How do you feel?

Marshall: Honoured and flattered, especially in such great company for nominations. We always enjoy awards shows and festivals that sprout up in rebellion against the giants. For example “Gay by Gay Gay,” and “Fuck by Fuck You,” happen during South by South West time, and Night Trotter attempts to stick it to Daytrotter.com. Also, secretly, it makes us feel one step closer to winning an actual Mercury Prize, which we will probably also do with our next record.

What do you think of the Mercury nominations?

I did, for some reason, look them up at one point. I stopped at Ghostpoet, and listened to a little bit of that. I am also sorting out a resentment against Anna Calvi, as we played back-to-back at Abbey Road studios for our “Live at Abbey Road” sessions. I think she had a fan blowing her hair around. Unfortunately, our team did not think to send a fan with us, hence our hair was not blowing around.

Keep an eye out for the session, though! I’m also disappointed in our team for not “getting us Adele” when I told them to, before she was so famous. I wanted DDD to open for her on an “epic female vocalists and body-positive-famous girls” bill that would’ve stolen the world.

Aside from your own, what’s your favourite album on the Schmercuries list?

For myself it is definitely Wye Oak’s Civilian. I try to bring this record up in interviews and lists as often as possible, along with Callers’ Life of Love, as being great. I got to meet them this year, and I get to see them play with the National and Yo La Tengo in…oh, TOMORROW!!! I suspect that Nona may choose the Fleet Foxes record, as she is much more inclined toward elaborate harmonies and crooning.

What album (released in the past year) have we missed off the list?

I would say the Callers Life of Love record. You really MUST check it out. Also, Caethua just put out a record on the Mississippi Records imprint Water Wings, called “Summer is Over Before Its Begun.”

How do you feel about Wild Go now it has been released into the world?

Well, WORLD sounds a little bit big, since we’ve only played two shows outside of white ol’ western Europe, in Portugal, (still west). We’d love to play some special shows in the Greater World also, and to have distribution reaching that far. I think the trickle-around effect is working. We’ve had people from Mexico cross the border and drive across Texas to see us in Austin… we have people in South America writing to us, and some messages from Turkey and India. About your question, we feel very fortunate to be reaching people and to be able to go to France or London or Hamburg, and to know our way around, like we are in an extension of our own neighborhood. We also feel proud having built this music and its support from nothing, because we love making it, and playing it for people.

Did you know it was special when you were making it?

We are obsessed with making it because we have to, yes, because we have a feeling it is special for some reason.

What do you think about the critics and fans’ reaction? Was it what you expected?

This is usually a strange question because we don’t actually understand the critics’ and fans’ reactions. Maybe we trust the fans’ reactions more. We have always been a touring band, and based on a live show experience. Some journalists and critics have responded well, and consider their work very carefully, some just write something because they are supposed to. We don’t read too much anymore. People write weird comments on YouTube or whatever, it seems that once you are public, people are going to take whatever liberties they want with saying something about you or your work. (The strangest efforts being personal (outfit, etc.) attacks). Its really important that we stay focused on our music and our process and magic.

We are extremely happy that people like our music and grow intimate with it..

What is your favourite album ever?

Ouch, I don’t know. A list maybe? I think we like Neil Young, Antony, Sam Cooke, Kate Bush, Bill Callahan, Arthur Russell, and could never pick a best album. That doesn’t cover any world, dance, rap, or classical music, either.

Do you have plans for your next album?

Yes, we’ve got some demos under our belt, our line-up is set, and we are very excited to make a great record. It should be ready for late summer in the Year of the Apocalypse. Just kidding, 2012.

We’re sorry that Barclaycard aren’t sponsoring us to give the Schmercuries winner a million pounds. If they were, and we did, what would you do with it?

Nona and I each need a living situation that is more permanent, with a baby grand in the music room. Her’s can have a 9′ grand, actually, perhaps a Fazioli or a Bosendorfer. I seem to have a designer-jeans-from-thrift-stores problem right now. Nona would probably get a dog. We’d pay out the band. I would get a nicer pillow and maybe a real mattress. Probably not, though. OH! We would get a Sprinter van. Probably black. Then we would tour EVEN MORE!!!

I could develop my teen-dance-marching-band in New Orleans. Nona could develop her children’s choir. We could make the world’s most epic SAD CHILDREN’S RECORD FOR ADULTS, a la Langley Schools Music Project, times 100!!!

[FFS: I really want to hear this record]

THANK YOU FOR THE NOMINATION!!!

Dark Dark Dark

Interview | Josh T. Pearson

Joe Skrebels — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:40:09 +0000

Last of the Country Gentlemen, as a statement about Josh T. Pearson, only tells half the story. This year’s masterpiece of gutwrenchingly personal country-folk is expertly recounted, masterfully played and needfully drawn-out. But in talking to the man or seeing him play live it quickly becomes apparent that the individual whose soul seems to ache so terribly on record is not a full account. Spending almost as long telling, by his own admission, ‘terrible dad-jokes’ onstage as playing his music, Pearson seems as though his troubles contribute to his upbeat and eminently likeable persona as much as his persona must, if we are to believe the stories he tells, contribute to his troubles. In our interview, he begins by making a joke about English weather before quickly moving on to describe the initial playing of his newest songs as ‘therapy’, and it’s this dualism, and a willingness to accept and present it that makes this artist quite so fascinating.

A short back story. Pearson has played guitar since he was twelve, but first rose to prominence in 2000, where, at SXSW, his band Lift to Experience so impressed Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde that they signed the band to their label, Bella Union on the same day. Shortly after the release of their debut album, 2001’s highly-acclaimed The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads, the band split up, Pearson picked up his old acoustic guitar and spent much of last ten years simply playing new songs to audiences all over the world. ‘I’m a worker. For four or five years I just lived off of playing shows, y’know fifty bucks here, fifty bucks there. I just treated it as performance art and didn’t put out any records. Playing places like Hull. You know Hull? I played there six times.’

So why, for a man so contented with living the travelling life, would he want to commit to another concrete, irreversible depiction of his work ten years after the last? An epiphany? A grand realisation that his art could not be contained to simply those who chose to see him and must be thrust on everyone? No. Something slightly more prosaic. ‘Two boys in Ireland.’ This is typical of Pearson – for every statement about heartbreak or loss, there is another that recognises the sheer ordinariness of human life, and it’s this ability to balance the lofty with the loft-conversion that most explains Pearson’s duality. Back to that decision: ‘a couple of individuals had some kind words to say, and that made me reconsider my worldview as far as putting them out.’ It seems that in realising that songs this personal paradoxically become universal, Pearson realised that he could not only help combat his own demons, but help others to alongside him.

However, the process was not as simple as all that. Last of the Country Gentlemen was recorded in two days, but was not quite as straightforward an exercise as that sounds. ‘It was like making a documentary of your break-up – it was all true and honest… When we recorded it, I went in there and did a day and then recovered for ten days. I just lay down and didn’t get up for a week and half there, then went back in and did the other day. ‘Cause the mental state – I mean, the guitar work I can do quick, y’know it’s just guitar work. But doing it live with vocals, if the song’s that long, well after two or three takes, which is all we’d do, it was a bit too much.’

It’s precisely this difficulty, this terrible, personal connection to what Pearson lays bare that has led him to present his other side to audiences across the world. ‘I tell terrible jokes in between, just to get some relief in my own head, otherwise it’s a little too heavy. I think other people can take it, but just for my own self… From trial and error if I keep that headspace for too long it’s gonna kill me. So I tell terrible jokes.’ But despite the disparity of these two approaches, Pearson reconciles them with a constant focus on himself, not in solipsistic fashion, but rather a characteristic need to reveal his true personality in every situation. In talking about the process of creating these songs, Pearson is insistent on declaring one aspect of his writing style: ‘After 25 years of playing, I feel like I’ve rounded a corner with lyrics, with my own particular phrasing… I found that unique voice that I was after… They were written in first person, instead of third person.’ It’s this first-person voice, the innate connection of singer to song and the knowledge that the audience perceive him as both narrator and subject that seems to matter most to him: ‘The songs that hit you the most are always the ones in first person… Nietzsche said, “They muddy the water, to make it seem deep.” There’s mystery there, and those sorts of images can be great too but I’m just trying to stay as specific as I can… You stand to risk so much more by putting yourself out there, but I would rather risk it and fail… I mean writing in first person, just by its very nature, you’re going up there with nothing to hide behind. But it’s those songs that are the most profound or affect us the most. I’d rather attempt it in first person and not get there.’

In fact, it’s that very first-person approach that “gets him there” and far beyond besides. Country Gentlemen, whilst not a concept album, tells a definite story and, in doing so appears particularly novelistic, an idea Pearson agrees with: ‘It was definitely written that way. I’d written the songs and tweaked what I needed to, taken away what I needed to so that it wouldn’t be one particular piece. The songs sit on their own but there’s one theme… They’re sort of little journals that make up one piece that you need to listen to from beginning to end but hopefully stand on their own too.’ In fact, Pearson often compares his work to artforms not usually associated with a seemingly simple folk album. The length of most of the tracks (four of the seven are over ten minutes long) takes this strictly out of the realm of traditional songwriting, and it seems other areas of culture have informed this approach: ‘You look at classical music – they had pretty long songs… The nature of that stuff affects you the most. I mean you read a long book or watch a long film, those things have always affected me most profoundly. I guess the depths and breadths that take a little while for the listener mean you can get to a deeper spot by and large.’

But, just as we can (and should) celebrate this approach and the benefits it reaps, the costs are just as evident. Quite apart from Pearson’s own struggle to bring the album to the public, when something’s quite so good we can selfishly demand more. Pearson seems wary about committing to any more work anytime soon: ‘I’m not gonna be pretty about it, I don’t know. I’ve got to think about the value of it. I’ve got tons of songs [but] I wouldn’t want to be infringed upon by putting out records. I mean you put out records and certain things are required of you; touring, interviews. It takes away a certain perspective of a normal experience of life – I don’t wanna be an asshole. People who do all that have to take preventative measures, they build up walls, y’know? Become a dick. I’ve never really met a hero of mine that wasn’t. That’s just the nature of the game. So I’ve really gotta think about it and see what to do.’

That said, he does admit to having recorded ‘Neil Young cover versions’ of his own tracks with a full band, but seems unsure as to what to do with them. ‘I’ve got so many unfinished ideas to pull from, I’ve been collecting them as scraps and putting them in categories. I’ve just gotta try to work on the songcraft side of it… Once you put something out you can never take it back. You don’t want to take away from what good has transpired. What little good’s come from it, you don’t wanna go fucking it up.’ Who knows what we can expect of Josh T. Pearson next, or whether we can expect anything at all. The sheer duality of the man makes him impossible to read and yet so much more readable when he presents his work. Then again, we might already have an answer: ‘I could go home and record pop versions. I’ve travelled a lot, I don’t need to see anymore. I say go pop. Fuck this art shit.’

Josh T. Pearson is currently touring and you can go and see his incredible live show in the following places and on the following dates:

Wed 21 Sept Nottingham Glee Club www.alt-tickets.co.uk 0871 2302360

Thurs 22 Sept Norwich Arts Centre www.norwichartscentre.co.uk 01603 660352

Sat 24 Sept Cambridge Junction 2 www.junction.co.uk 01223 511511

Mon 26 Sept Leeds Bluebell Social Club www.jumborecords.co.uk 0113 245 5570

Tues 27 Sept Gateshead The Sage www.thesagegateshead.org

Wed 28 Sept Birmingham Glee Club www.glee.co.uk 0871 472 0400

Mon 21 Nov Manchester Royal Northern College of Music www.alt-tickets.co.uk

Tues 22 Nov Glasgow Oran Moor www.pclpresents.com

Wed 23 Nov Leicester The Musician www.wegottickets.com

Thurs 24 Nov Cardiff The Globe www.seetickets.com

Fri 25 Nov Exeter Phoenix www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Sat 26 Nov London Barbican ‘An Evening with Josh T. Pearson and Guests’ http://www.barbican.org.uk/music

Interview | Schmercury best album nominee Mechanical Bride

Lynn Roberts — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:27:29 +0000

Our 3rd Schmercury-nominated interviewee Mechanical Bride’s album was one of those long-awaited debuts. We’d been following brains-behind-the-name Lauren Doss’s career since FFS was founded three years ago. Living With Ants was finally released in June this year, after a long gestation period and takes the listener on a gently turbulent journey through genres and moods. FFS reviewer Joe Skrebels said “Mechanical Bride, rather than a simple pseudonym, appears to be a space for musical storytelling… with masterful songcraft.”

For Folk’s Sake: Congratulations, you’ve been nominated for a Schmercury Best Album award. How do you feel?
Lauren Doss: Very Flattered, Thank you.

Have you paid much attention to the Mercury nominations this year? What do you think of them if so?
There are a couple of goodies in there. I’ve been listening to the Anna Calvi, Metronomy and PJ Harvey albums a lot this year, they’re really good records.

Aside from your own, what ís your favourite album on the Schmercuries list?
I do like Fleet Foxes, have only listened to it once, but I like it.

What album (released in the past year) have we missed off the list?
Connan Mockasin- Forever Dolphin Love

How do you feel about your album now it’s taken its first steps into the world?
Hopeful. I hope it can grow up and establish itself and gain lots of new friends on it’s way.

Did you know it was special when you were making it?
It was very special to me and it felt special to have the chance to work with some really great people.

What do you think about the critics and fans reaction? Was it what you expected?
I didn’t know what reaction it would get, but there has been some really positive responses from people which is a good feeling.

What ís your favourite album ever?
That’s hard. I’m going to say Rumours, Fleetwood Mac, for the moment….

Do you have plans for your next album?
I have inklings yes…..I have started to put sketches together.

We’re sorry that Barclaycard aren’t sponsoring us to give the Schmercuries winner a million pounds (we assume that’s how much the Mercury prize is). If they were, and we did, what would you do with it?
Have a cocktail, buy a house and build a little studio in it and start making the next album!

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