this is it - An interview with Fawcett Poustie
October 5th, 2003
Following the September 22nd release of this is it fawcettpoustie.com sat down with Nick Fawcett and Chris Poustie for an exclusive interview to discuss the making of the album, the stories behind the songs and the band's personal feelings about their 11th studio album !
FP.com You mentioned in earlier interviews that the intention was to release a funk album and yet there seems to be much more than just funk on this album, so is this the funk album you originally envisioned ?
Fawcett Haha - it's good of you to notice. It felt to me that when we recorded Here on business it was like oxygen being injected in our sound and it really gave us scope to do whatever we wanted. Much of that was due to new technology helping us realise the wealth of ideas that we always had but were limited in terms of recording capability in the studio. So it turned out that what we really wanted to do was get a little bit funky but in a completely contemporary manner and the breaking down of the technological barriers really allowed us to do it. I must admit I'm not really into labels and trying to write in particular styles but it just happened that the first few songs penned for TII were pretty funky - I'm thinking of Would you care to funk? and Love Bullet and I potentially had 2 other funk songs: Viva La Fonk (a fantastic title supplied by Chris) that was a calypsofonk affair and another tune called Do you like the funk? which will now appear in the rarities box set. So at the offset it just looked like the funk was going to dominate the album but that was not really intentional, not by me anyway, and I think that it actually stemmed from how great the title track to HOB turned out and we just wanted to keep going in that vein for a bit. When I started writing more material for the album I actually found the funk label a bit limiting so I just wrote what I felt like writing and I'm glad that Chris did the same as I love the rich variety of songs that we eventually agreed on. Personally I'd call it a funky album instead of a funk album - I think that's different haha!
Left: Fawcett / Poustie - pretty in pink.
Poustie My original intention was indeed to do an all funk album and the title for the album was going to be "Would You Care to Funk?". As I remember we agreed on this as a concept but it was never set in stone. We were so pleased with how the song Here on Business had turned out - after years of trying we finally had reached the point where we could play just the kind of hard rock-funk that we are so fond of. So at the outset I wanted us to basically focus on a single genre and see what would happen if we tried to do a whole album in that mold. As it turned out, and for whatever reason, we decided the album needed more flavours and so although there is a lot of funk on the album, it's really a very well balanced album in the end. Between the March and August sessions particularly we decided the album needed some different ingredients and so we both wrote a pop song each and Nick added the acoustic blues of Sunday Sun and I think it gives the album a more rounded feel than we first intended. So I certainly agree with Nick that the album is more funky than it is funk !
FP.com The album was recorded in 2 main sessions, in March at Cooper's Court and in August at the Coach House. This is the first album to be recorded at Cooper's Court, does the studio location have much impact on the recording sessions. Also, what was it like to record at the Coach House again, for the first time since Framed ?
Fawcett Chris always describes the Coach House as F/Ps spiritual home and I'm in total agreement. It has always been a place where the positive energy and life force that drives F/P, not just musically but as friends too, has been incredibly strong and that creates an environment where not only magic is possible but also great fun which is first and foremost the most important ingredient in making a fantastic album. When I think back to Framed that really was an intense session - 19 songs in something like 5 days was hard, hard work but in true F/P style we pulled it off AND managed to get a few pints in the pub every night! I remember falling asleep secretly in a corner in the middle of the sessions only to be awakened by a crazed Mr. P screaming 'EEEAAAARRRTHHHQQQQUUUAAAAKKKKEEK' which as you all know turned out to be a classic track but it still scares the living daylights out of me every time I hear it! Cooper's Court was cool too but in a different way - a bit more enclosed made it a bit more intense. The location is important but as long as the old chemistry is there it doesn't really matter that much!
Poustie I guess it doesn't really make much difference where we record. We had a fantastic time during both sessions. But there's no place like home and The Coach House is our home. It's definitely a comfort returning to the Coach House and having sessions in the Red Lion and cigarette breaks in the garden. So, yes it was a great feeling being back at the Coach House, actually we used it as a rehearsal studio for the Chinchok sessions and the video was partly shot there. I'd like every album to be recorded there, but having said that, we had a magical time in Cooper's Court and would certainly enjoy recording there again.
FP.com There was a gap of 3 years since Here on Business and yet you have said that the 5 songs recorded in the Coach House in August were all written within a month of being recorded. Is this typical of how you approach writing for an album ?
Fawcett It just happens like that - every time we are about to get together the excitement grows and so does the inspiration and the creativity so new songs seem to simply flow out of you. I actually wrote 2 more songs the day before I met up with Chris which made it hard when deciding what to record. I also always want to better myself and I know Chris is the same so logically that means the your most recent songs should be your best and the songs you wrote 2 1/2 years ago are now stale and outdated. I think it best to write a song then record it immediately and time will tell you if it's a classic or a turkey!
Poustie We hit a rich vein of form in July/August when all of a sudden we were bursting with creativity. Sometimes if you have too long to do something then you tend not to be motivated. Our early albums were all written very quickly and there's probably something in that. If you wait too long between albums and the inspiration dries up you tend to fear that you've lost your spark for good. But when the pressure was on we rose to the occasion and wrote probably some of the best songs we've ever done. I wrote Somebody Wake Me Up about a month before the recording sessions and then This is It a couple of weeks before we started. It's a great feeling to be writing something you know will be recorded within a month. Also there were a bunch of other songs written at the same time that didn't make the grade ! It's usually the case that I will turn up with a brand new song or two, written immediately prior to recording - Everything Turns Out Right in The End, Going on Holiday, And There Was Suzy, they were all last minute jobs !
FP.com How do you write songs, in what order do the pieces come together, is it lyrics first or music first, or both at the same time ? Are there different formulas for different songs ?
Fawcett It is different for different songs but I do have a general formula. I tend to come up with a chord sequence or a tune and then simply sing the melody over the top - tends to be first time lucky as well which is handy - and then come with a title which normally leads to a lyrical theme. For example I was sitting on a deck chair in July in the South of France with a nice little Spanish guitar for company, it was a Sunday there was glorious sunshine, I'd just arrived and I was overlooking the ocean. I strummed an appropriate set of chords for the surroundings started singing and out came Sunday Sun - it would have been harder not to write it given all the stimulus!
Poustie These days the formula is nearly always the same for me. Title first, then music and vocal melody and polish of the lyrics later. I rarely start a song these days without a title in mind....also having titles in mind helps set the mood and makes writing lyrics easier. Getting the titles is by far the hardest part !
FP.com Lets now talk about the songs themselves, starting with the first song, Would You Care To Funk - Tell us a little about the song and why you chose it for the opening spot on the album.
Poustie As I said earlier, it was originally intended as a title for the album and so I wrote this song as the title track and opener. We later dropped the idea of using it as an album title but the song was so rockin' that it had to be the opener. Has quite an old school rock'n'roll vibe to the riff and then the song gets a bit funkier and boppier. I really like it in that it's rock and yet it's a bit partyish. Not sophisticated in anyway - and that's alright with F/P. I'm pleased with the recording and feel that it captured the raw energy and enthusiasm that you need at the beginning of an album. My keyboard solo was either first or second take, which took Nick by surprise and put the pressure on him ! His solo was somewhat influenced by a certain Rick Nielsen, who we'd seen in concert the night before.
Fawcett I think it's the perfect opener in terms of painting a picture of what is to come.
FP. com Time To Start Again, follows a certain FP formula in that it is a commercial, good time Fawcett song as the second spot on the album like such others as Long Way To Go, Blue Skies and Lemonade Girl. Did you intentionally set out to right something in a similar pop-friendly vein ? The song is co-penned by Emma Fawcett, tell us a little about that ?
left: Poustie chillin' in Cooper's Court
Fawcett As I said before nothing is really done intentionally and TTSA was no exception. It was the last song that I wrote for the album and it came again from a few strums on an acoustic guitar. You talk of classic FP formula and that probably hits the nail on the head as I love writing songs like this which are uplifting, fun, simple and catchy so because I love it so much I find it really easy. I actually always have a bit of fear about songs like this because of their commercial nature they can be literally a bit hit or miss - you basically don't know where they're going to end up until they're completed. Fortunately for this one and a few in the past it turned out pretty well and has been really well received by the fans so far which is the best gauge of what works and what doesn't. As for writing it as I said I came up with the music and the vocal melody with no real intention of including the song on the album. I played it to Emma, my wife, explaining that I was missing a title and a lyrical theme and she immediately came up with Time to start again which seemed to be a perfect fit rhythmically over the chorus. From then on I left the lyrics to her and I think the fresh start, move on and smile theme suits the upbeat musicality to a tee. Of course we argued a bit whilst in the heart of the writing process but sugar always needs a bit of spice and I think it provides the song with a slight edginess which gives it that contemporary feel. A welcome addition to the mix was also Richie Flood's wonderful sax line which glides above the song lifting the whole thing to another dimension which differentiates it from the Fawcett good time songs of old. Mr. Ps dangerous keys solo also generates a bit of dirt under the fingernails and adds so much to the overall witches cauldron and helps make it one of my fave songs on the album.
Poustie On the subject of my keyboard solo, this was certainly not a one take wonder. I really struggled with this solo, partly because I felt it needed to be a bit raw and yet Nick wanted something more melodic. In the end he left the room and I struggled through with it as long as I could and then went to bed, slept on it and when I heard it in the morning I really liked it - not sure if Nick did. I think it has just the right amount of edge to bring a little dynamic of its own to the song and build the tension nicely.
(below: The winning writing partnership of Nick and Emma Fawcett !)
FP.com Love Bullet is the only co-written song on the album. How did that song come about and how happy are you with the end result.
Poustie Nick sent me a demo some time ago which was basically this great funky guitar riff and the basic structure of a song without lyrics. I often played the demo but Nick never really developed it or referred to it much. One day I played it and decided then and there that it needed polishing off and so I wrote the lyrics and recorded it and sent it back to Nick. I think he liked it as much as I did and so it stuck. I think it's probably one of my favourite couple of FP songs ever - possibly my all time favourite. Totally perfect blend of rock and funk, catchy vibe, good lyrics and some wicked solos.
Fawcett Personally I am totally happy with the end result in fact I think it sits there nicely in our top 10 tracks of all time and really is a good example of co-writing. It actually came from an instrumental demo that I did shortly after the HOB sessions when I was experimenting with our new sound. I did the basic track in one take, creating all the riffs on the spot and then overdubbed some lead which is mostly all still there on the finished article. I sent the demo to Chris just for interest really and about a year and half later he came up the whole genius Love Bullet theme where he developed the vocal melody, lyrics and song structure and I'll let him tell you more about that. I then recorded the music for the song earlier this year and built on Chris' structure until I had the finished article including ridiculous extended solos with about 6 key changes! I have a feeling that Chris' wrote some alternative lyrics to the song calling it Last train to Fonksville which never got completed. All in all it's a great track and a totally worthy first single.
Poustie Actually the lyrics were once again inspired by the title, and the title was inspired by Fawcett's totally nasty riff. Something about the music made me want a title that was both dangerous and sexual but in a kind of 1970's TV thriller kind of way - if that makes any sense. I wanted to make it kind of dangerous and '70s and funky and I think Love Bullet was the right title. After that I wrote the verses and chorus lyrics and melody in maybe 5 minutes - so it's always easy once you have the title and the inspiration that that brings. I guess with Nick having done the basic demo in one take and me writing the lyrics and melody in five minutes - you can see how important spontaneity is to Rock'n'roll.
FP.com What is the story and inspiration behind Sunday Sun. Your acoustic guitar technique seems to be better than ever, is this something you have been focusing on ?
Fawcett As I explained earlier the song was inspired by a trip I took in July to the South of France. I had borrowed a classical/Spanish guitar for the vacation and made a conscious effort to develop a different style of playing. Up until then I had always used a plectrum and so I really focused on finger picking in both country blues and classical styles. It was like being given freedom to go places that I wouldn't normally venture and it brought it home to me how we are all ruled by the personal boundaries that our minds dictate. When I returned to the UK I invested in a new electro-acoustic (as announced exclusively at fawcettpoustie.com) and further developed this style and the end results can be heard on Sunday Sun which I'm very proud of. I feel the whole song is a refreshing oasis in the middle of the album and has a similar intensity to it's mellowness that other tracks do to their brashness. There is an almost evangelical feel to the song which was never intentional but works out great - especially with the pleading, 'heal me, heal me' line and Chris' gospelesque organ underneath. The volcanic Hammond eruption towards the end takes the listener to somewhere unexpected and potentially enlightening with it's rude and unsubtle interruption and adds beautifully to the overall mosaic effect of the song.
Poustie Not for the first time in my life I was totally blown away by this song when I first heard it. Nick never fails to amaze me how he can conjure up such beautiful music. This really is an Oasis and a change in the mood of the album which helps keep it fresh.
FP.com Apart from the acoustic you also play both a Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul on the album. Do you remember which guitar in which songs ?
left: Fawcett crooning out his dulcet tones
Fawcett Good question! The rockers tend to be Uncle Leslie and the more mellow and funky strumming moments Mr Strat as for which and when I can't really remember. Although I'm sure that the whole of Afterglow was the strat and the down and dirtiness of Love Bullet came from the Les Paul. I do however remember switching from the strat to do the intro solo to TTSA because I couldn't really find the depth and breath of sound that I wanted. In a few cases too you'll hear a mixture of the two instruments - whilst doing some of my now trademark 'octave' solos I would play the lead line on the strat to give it that crisp clarity and then play the same line an octave higher on the Les Paul giving it that growl and sustain.
FP.com Somebody Wake Me Up - Seems to be more poppy than most of the songs, was this deliberate ? What is the lyrical theme ?
Poustie It was absolutely deliberate. For whatever reason, I decided I wanted to write a 1970's pop/rock song in the vein of Hi-Ho Silver Lining by Jeff Beck or something you would expect to have seen on Top of the Pops in 1975 by T-Rex or the Bay City Rollers or the Bee-Gees or whatever. I think it turned out pretty well and it's a song I really enjoy listening too. It's a good time song. Some of the distorted Electric Piano reminds me of Video Killed the Radio Star for some reason. It's all a good mix. I think I will leave the lyrical theme a secret. There are plenty of clues in there for people in the know....20 years, 10 million tears and especially "Out of Darkness, Cometh Light" - that's a very big clue. Basically the song is for anyone who has waited a long time for something and finally, what you thought would never happen comes true...that's why it's called "Somebody Wake Me Up" - it's a feeling of elation, of not believing something so good could happen. What the specifics are in relation to me is irrelevant. Play the song when you're in the mood to celebrate !
below right: Harvey in his "Groovsters" guise
left: Time to Start Drinking Again - Fawcett, Poustie & Flood
FP.com Just A Little Bit, along with TTSA and TII, feature Richie Harvey Flood on sax, tell us about your private and working relationship with him. There seems to be a flute playing also at the end of this track, is that correct ? Who is playing it ? I remember Chris was credited for playing the recorder on Nancy's. Tell us about how you came up with this song Nick.
Poustie Richie was a friend since the three of us met at school in 1983. So we've been best buddies for 20 years. For a few years I played drums in a jazz band with Richie. He's a beautiful guy. The three of us went on holiday together in 2001, which is why there was no FP music that year. We ended up on a beach getting drunk and lounging around for a week. Harv's the man and he plays an awesome sax. We're so lucky that we have such a talented buddy to help us out.
Fawcett Well Richie is a friend of old and has always taken an active interest in F/P having known us both for the last 20 years. His first musical contribution to the band was on the song 'Syncopated Man' and I'll leave Chris to fill you in on that suffice to say that it was just a small taster of what was to come as you can hear when you listen to This is it.
Your ears do not deceive you there is some weird stuff going down at the end of Just a little bit, and this time it's not Mr. P it's multi-talented bag of tricks veteran sax man Mr. Flood. We were putting the finishing touches on to the song and Richie pulls out a tin whistle - I believe that it was quite late in the evening, that we'd had a few beers and we thought what the hell and just went for it. And as ever it worked out beautifully, I added a few digital effects and the combination of sounds and the concept of a tin whistle on such a sleaze bag of a song is what gives it the magic.
It was another one of those spontaneous songs. I woke up in the morning humming the riff, started putting words to it in my head, the chorus then came along so I got up went in the studio and recorded it in one or two takes. I thought it sounded pretty down and dirty in my head but once in the studio it started dripping with sleaze - and that's okay with me! Then the boys had their crack at it and became even more X rated. I had no idea what the keyboards could sound like on this one and really left it to Chris so we came up with this semi-distorted electric piano sound which weaves and sways around the infectious central riff to great effect. Then Richie came in with his double tracked smoky jazz cafe romp over the chorus and climax riddled solo and what we had was an unexpected last minute dollop of sexual ecstasy. And by the way the young lady who appears wishes to remain nameless!
Poustie I love the simplicity of this song. Some of the songs are so complicated and JALB works on a more basic, gut level - another case of finding the right ingredient for the big picture view of the album.
FP.com Hippy is an interesting song both lyrically and musically. What made you come up with the theme ? The modern jazzy production appears in contradiction to the theme and yet it works, how happy are you with this song one year on ?
Poustie Hippy is a weird song and I think it worked out pretty well. It worked very well as the opener for Groovsters, adding a more modern sound to the rest of the older songs on the album. I think it also paved away for some of the jazzy instrumental stuff that surfaced on TII too. Lyrically I like the humour in the theme. We've always had the occasional humourous song on each album, songs like Magic Bowler Hat Ride, Uncle Bernard - songs where you introduce a strange character and give him his day in the sun. So hippy is just one of those characters, it's part me but it's really more character based !! One year on the only thing I have a gripe with is the vocals on the choruses. It was not my best day in the studio. We considered re-doing the vocals for This is It but I just didn't want to have to put the vocal chords through that strain again !
Fawcett The take it down section and jazz piano tinklings are among the most refreshing parts of the album.
FP.com Afterglow, is the longest song you've ever done at just over 20 minutes. A very welcome Fawcett epic, and the first since If I Was a Poet, how do you go about writing such unconventional songs ? What do the three parts represent and how do they tie in with the lyrical theme ? There's a good 3-minute long piano passage in the song, was that written or just improvised ? How do you think the song stands next to legends like IIWAP and MoB ? Can we expect more Fawcett epics to come ?
I thought you'd ask about this. Writing an epic is very different than writing a standard track as in reality it's about 10 different songs all built into one and sometimes it can become a creative release for many ideas you've had but couldn't seem to place anywhere. It's funny really that on the day I started writing Afterglow I was having a bit of a problem with writers block in fact I couldn't even come up with a 3 minute blues tune let alone anything else - there was just no spark. Now the mind works in mysterious ways and quite where the 'good' idea that I should right write a 20 minute epic came from is certainly unknown to me. But strangely as soon as I made this radical decision the creative juices started flowing again and the verses to AG pt2 just came to me, melody, lyrics and all - and so the concept was born. I suppose it shows that if you continue to challenge yourself you will always grow and if you try to always use your tried and trusted formulas eventually you'll dry up.
Above: Fawcett going it alone, lost in the Afterglow !
After this shaky beginning I actually approached AG as three distinctly separate pieces tied together by a common theme. This theme is based on the afterglow idea - the pleasure of remembering some pleasant event as the dictionary decribes it - basically when you dream you sometimes become engulfed by love and beauty and even after you wake it remains with you and adds subliminal positive thoughts and feelings to your day. This can be so pronounced that sometimes you just want spend your life bathing in the afterglow until your rational mind drags you back to reality - this presence is represented by the mad narrator in part 2. So the first part is the dream - it's light and fun and full of colour and musically one of our first forays into acid jazz which I've wanted to explore for a few years now. It then goes into part 2 which is actually a pretty standard balladesque song in it's own - it represents the waking up, the distant memories of the dream and the wrestling with the rational demons. Part 3 really is when we move into more classic Mr. F epic territory with the two man FP music machine doing it's best to become the New York Philharmonic Orchestra with many twists and turns along way. It begins with the demons gradually taking control with the building nerve jangling intro, then as the dream creeps back we slide into a beautiful piano interlude which melds the neo-classical genius of Mr. Poustie with his more traditional pubby fingered blues roots. Most of this section was improvised by Chris on the spot which goes to demonstrate not only the talent of the man but also the understanding, trust and flexibility that working together for so long affords. Chris then rocks out as we celebrate regaining the dream and I then continue down the same road until we're taken to yet another crossroads. After a lengthy instrumental passage where there is almost some afterglow stability introduced we finish with the central theme and vocal returning to frame 20 minutes of fun. All in all I'm very pleased with the track especially from a joint musicianship standpoint where I feel we're are both on top form.
Poustie The long piano solo on AG3 was a magical moment for me. I was honoured that Nick just let me go for it. I'd had a
few beers that morning and felt that the song needed a long piano solo for some reason ! I did the first part, up to when the drums come in, and thought it was fabulous - but at that point Nick decided it was lunch time and that we needed to be in the pub. I was a bit concerned that the lunch break would cramp my style, but after a couple of Guinness' and some fortifying English fare I returned to the studio in absolutely top form...even if I say so myself.
FP.com This is It. Which came first the album title or the song ? What are the lyrics about and why the reference to Groovsters, Funksters & Hipsters ? How happy are you with this as both the title track and album closer ?
Poustie We had the album title in place long before the song was written. Actually I had a couple of attempts trying to write a song called TII but they never had the right vibe, they were too mellow or serious...I wanted something more anthemic and light hearted. Funnily enough I came up with this song called "Groovsters, Funksters & Hipsters" and thought what a ridiculous song title for this album...I then realised that If I thought about it I could rework it to be TII - and it worked out even better. I am absolutely delighted with the song, it's just a fun song that I always look forward to putting on. It's certainly a celebration and a not-so-serious finger to anyone who doesn't understand us or doesn't appreciate our music. It's a very confident song and that reflects the confidence we had in the album since we started in March. I think it's the perfect closer in a way. We originally intended to close with Afterglow - which would have made a lot of sense with it being so grand and so long. But in the end we decided that we needed one final dance and boogaloo at the end for a bit of fun. It also worked great as a vehicle for the solofest that ends the album.
Fawcett I'm very happy on all fronts - perfect end to a great album and I love the way it contrasts with AG with it's immediacy and funktastic grooves. I think Chris Poustie is the worlds top purveyor of pianolafunk!
Above: Poustie working hard
Nick. What is your favourite song by Chris and why ? Chris, what is your favourite song by Nick and why ?
Fawcett My fave Chris song is This Is It for many reasons. The groove right from the offset is totally cool and has a modern day Paice, Ashton, Lord appeal to it, the structure is simple yet deadly effective and the lyrics are Mr.P through and through; quirky, funny and percussively genius. But it's the groove that gets you with this one you can't stop boogying until the very last note and however you're feeling you end up with a big wide smile on your face and just hit the rewind button and go for it all over again. The solos are also great especially Chris' Ashtonesque jazz dabblings and Floody's killer retort to the guitar frenzy - all in all a winner of the highest order! SWMU is growing on me too.
Poustie That's a hard one. I tend to view Love Bullet as one of Nick's although it was co-penned and that's certainly up there. Probably Time To Start Again because I love his melodic stuff and have missed it somewhat on the last couple of albums. I think TTSA has a really fantastic vibe and production, the guitar intro is just uplifting and beautiful, Harvey's sax is also great and punchy and his riff adds a very happy melody line to the song. Also you can't help but love and admire Sunday Sun - a very classy song and one that really adds to the overall texture of the album. I really like the cool laid back lyrics and guitar plucking. That's not to forget Afterglow too !!!! Hell I love all his songs, he's put in a top drawer performance - not sure that I can pick the best ! Depends on the day.
Where, when and by whom were the album photos taken ?
Poustie It was a nice sunny early spring day in March. The lovely Emma Fawcett was shooting and the sun was shining but it was pretty cold and we were freezing without any jackets which is why we look a bit miserable on the album cover. All the pics were taken outside of Cooper's Court except for the 2 pics on the back of the album which were taken in Thailand on our 2001 holiday with Harv.
left: An artistic view of the Cooper's Court arch - taken by Emma Fawcett
FP.com Does Nick play bass on all tracks on the album. What is his favourite song in terms of bass playing ?
Fawcett I play bass on all tracks apart from TII and SWMU which Chris plays on synth bass which works perfectly for them. The problem I have is that as a guitar player I play bass like I do the guitar which sometimes leads to overcomplication and lack of discipline and normally takes a few takes to get it just right! I'd really say that my bass playing is at it's best throughout the whole of Afterglow as I really stuck to simplicity and tightness and with the big production the song has anyway it works really nicely. It's good it improve with every album though - in fact in about 10 years I may get a bass solo!
FP.com Until HOB all your albums had been recorded in analogue - now digital - what are the advantages / disadvantages of new technology to FP
Fawcett Flexibility and sound quality are the main benefits. The only disadvantages are your dependence on technology and the tendency to overelaborate just for the sake of it. We're getting better at that though. We always seem to have a least one technical disaster with every album - keeps us on our toes!
Poustie The advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages. The advantages are better quality, more control and more tracks. Disadvantage is that we often suffer techincal troubles which can be quite harrowing, like the day we started recording in August and the computer program corrupted and we ended up spending the day panicking and running around trying to buy some new software and install antivirus. Not a nice experience but an adventure that like everything else turned out right in the end !!
FP.com What are your favourite moments/solos/vocals on the album ?
Poustie One of my fave moments is the beginning of the guitar solo on LB where Nick sounds just incredible and I'm doing some groovy backing on the piano, that's a magical moment. The end of Richie's sax solo on TII which runs into the line "Groovsters, Funksters & Hipsters" is a very tasty moment...also when Richie pipes in toward the end of Just A Little Bit is very, very cool. I like my vocals on This is It very much and love Nick's acoustic noodling in the Sunday Sun solo passages. Also dig it when Nick's brief vocal part comes in in AG Part 1, that's very acid-jazz and quite groovy, I also love his Frehley-esq widdle at the end of his tremendous solo in TII.
Fawcett The first line of LB when the low down vocals kick in and the piano struts along - The high guitar and piano gelling perfectly just before the take it down section in SWMU - Richie's wicked sax speed run at the end of his TII solo - The intro to AG Pt3 in all it's operatic bombastic beauty - The first two mellow vocal lines of Sunday Sun Mr. Ps Groovsters last verse on This is it - The raucous keys solo in WYCTF - The banding kicking back in after those sultry words in JALB....I could go on indefinitely because there's not a moment I'd change - not even the crazy bridges in AG2!
FP.com The title This is It suggests that perhaps you consider this is your best ever album. Is this the case ?
Poustie It is our best album This is it dude. It's been a while since we could say that with some certainty. HOB reached our highest level but it really wasn't long enough or quite consistent enough to be unquestionably our best. This album is undeniable. It's got the serious songs, the fun songs, the pop songs, the funk, the jazz and some cool lyrics - not to mention dozens of solos and the added thump of Harvey Flood.
Fawcett Most definitely. Life is about learning and improving and TII is our testament to that. The thing is, we always out do ourselves so I have no doubt the next album will certainly be better than this one. I've got a few good songs already.
Where do you see the band heading, in terms of musical direction from here.
Poustie Hopefully you never can tell with FP. What we plan today we'll probably change tomorrow as we did with this album Hopefully we'll keep mixing things up and doing different things whilst playing some familiar cards and keeping our sense of humour and of the ridiculous. Hopefully we'll be continuing to feature Mr. Flood on our coming releases too.
Fawcett Acidjazzcalypsofonkrockorollerclassicalcountrybluesfusion. I fancy writing a musical too!
When do you expect to record the next album ?
Fawcett When you least expect it !
Poustie That's the question. I'd say definitely in less than 3 years, hopefully within 2004 !
below: F/P celebrate the end of recording sessions with a flutter at Chester Races...Ruby, Ruby, Ruby !
