All Fanfarlo photos by C. Marcoux
U.K.-based Fanfarlo headlined at the First Unitarian Church on March 31st in Philadelphia as part of their ongoing tour. Opening for the group were newcomers Robert Francis and Fanfarlo's tour support Lawrence Arabia (who seemed, already, to be a crowd favorite). Robert Francis' Springsteen roots-rock definitely strays to the side of southern-rock (during his set there were two exuberant fans running out to clasp hands and dance to the catchy pop of his recently released single, "Junebug"), while Lawrence Arabia's music landed purely into 70s Beach Boys harmony-laced pop territory, treading only lightly on the fey-folk sound similar to that of headliners' and tour mates Fanfarlo.
Lawrence Arabia photo by C. Marcoux
Robert Francis photo by C. Marcoux
Fanfarlo headlined to a largely cheering crowd who knew which lyrics to sing along with as the band launched into their first songs (having also become familiar with the group from their album Reservoir, and previous visit to Philly). Wearing pastel and looking every bit in preppy style with their mid-80s garb--barring bassist Justin Finch's staunch punk look--the group played it cool, switching easily from instrument to instrument between songs as they warmed up the crowd--urging on hand-claps and conversing with everyone easily from the stage. Although the set was long, the encore felt as though it had ended too soon as people lingered, hoping for one last track to cap Fanfarlo's already lovely evening set.
Fanfarlo's drummer Amos Memon spoke to Girl About Town via email this past week discussing everything from the band's sound, living their dreams, and their favorite songs...
Girl About Town: For "Reservoir" there seems to be so much happening in the background as far as instrumentation for each song. Was it your original intention to have such full songs, or was this brought out after discussing your ideas with your album's producer, Peter Katis? Was he much of an influence or mostly a guide?
Amos Memon: It was our intention to layer the brass and strings on certain songs on "Reservoir." When we arrived at Peter's studio we decided to plunder nearly all the vintage instruments he had there and as a result a lot of songs ended up with that "full" sound you mentioned. Peter was into the idea of layering our songs and sometimes he'd be the instigator for some crazy ideas, but at other times we'd be thinking of ways to beef up a song. "I'm A Pilot" is a good example of this where Mark was shaking a box filled with stuff and everyone else was stomping, clapping and slapping their thighs for percussion. Then we got every guitar we had in the studio and recorded all of us simultaneously playing them for about five takes. That changed the dynamic of the song and gave it a textured feel. To think I used to play that song live with brushes…
Would you say that the release of your band's album "Reservoir" has collectively changed your lives?
It has changed our lives in as far as it demanded that we quit our day jobs in order to be able to tour and dedicate time to the band. As a result we haven't spent much time at home this year.
Sometime after Reservoir's original release date in 2008, you offered it as a $1 download for a limited time on your website until the beginning of July 2009; do you feel like you made an impact by doing this and would you do it again with any future releases?
The $1 download was a success for that moment in time, but we wouldn't do it again with future releases. "Reservoir" had only been out for a few months and as it was self-released, it wasn't available in the shops and could only be purchased from us via our website or at our shows. We thought it might bring us some attention and help shift a few physical albums that we'd paid to have made.
Your album art and video imagery fits the sound of the music perfectly. Did you feel an instant connection with Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard for the making of your video featuring European escape artist Roslyn Walker? And had the making of this surreal video impacted yours or your bandmates dreams at all?
Simon and I had seen Iain and Jane's video installations and art before we worked with them as a band, and Simon used to work alongside Jane on other projects, so there was already a connection by the time we decided to make a video together. The video inspired us to use an escapologist for our show in New York last year which we may not have pursued if we hadn't had seen Roslyn Walker up close that day.
What has been your most flattering moment for the band since the release of "Reservoir"?
Performing on "The Late Show with David Letterman" was probably our most flattering moment to date. We never expected to be asked to do anything like that.
As poetic-related as your band name is; do you have other favorite poets beside Charles Baudelaire (where the name Fanfarlo came from)? Our favorite poem by him of course, is "Get Drunk!".
Leon recommends T.S. Eliot as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century.
Would you say that any particular writer influences the way that you frame your lyrics from the page to actual instrumentation?
In this case, Simon says Jorge Luis Borges is an influence.
What are your thoughts on playing SXSW this year? Are there any bands that you think will make a big splash besides yourself that you are hoping to catch while there?
We didn't want to play SXSW this year after playing for the previous two years, but that would have made no sense since we're still a new band to a lot of people. Regarding new acts, Cathy saw Mountain Man and attempted to see Washed Out but the queue defeated her (it was too long). Simon saw Yellow Fever and liked them enough to purchase their LP. Goatwhore gets Justin's vote, but they've probably been around for a bit. I saw Gonzales at the Presbyterian Church, but he's not fresh off the boat by any means. He was touting a "demonstration cassette" at his gig and hoped to get signed while he was at the festival. The audience knew it was part of his show but went along with it anyway.
What would you say to someone who has never seen you play live--what do you feel would draw people to see you play live?
We purely just try to play our songs with energy and conviction. We spend a lot of time putting a set together, and people often comment that we're better live than on record, so I'd go with that.
When can your fans expect a new album, and will you work with Peter Katis again?
We need to take a break from playing to write new songs, demo them, play them live, re-arrange them. I don't think we'd work with Peter for our second album, just because we're interested in working with different people, but that's not to say it might happen in the future. Anyway, expect a new album next year.
How does the band decide on a particular setlist, and what are your favorite songs to play compared to what the crowd responds to?
Piecing our setlist together is like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle. You have all the shapes but you're not sure how they fit together. We don't like having a lot of trumpet heavy songs in a row and we also need to play a couple of slower songs for our own benefit, then there are new songs or covers that we sometimes throw in. It takes a while to make a setlist. My favorites are I'm A Pilot, Finish Line, Luna and Ghosts. The crowd responds to The Walls Are Coming Down, Luna, and depending on where it is in the set; I'm A Pilot.
Lastly, Fanfarlo will be playing Philadelphia again very soon--what is your favorite thing about Philadelphia?
We had an hour to walk around the city last time we were there, so I know where the record shops, art galleries, community allotment and vintage stores are now. Everyone I met seemed easy going and friendly. It's got a nice atmosphere about it. Much better than when we stayed in West Philadelphia and the pizza shop owner near the hotel told us to make sure we turn left rather than right out of the shop to avoid any trouble. In answer to your question, I'd say the people.
Fanfarlo, live at First Unitarian Church, 3/31/10
Fanfarlo Set List, 3/31/10:
The Walls Are Coming Down
Finish Line
Harold T. Wilkins
We Live By The Lake
Atlas
I'm A Pilot
Waiting In the Wings
Ghosts
Comets
Luna
You can see Fanfarlo live one more time (at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA) on April 11th before they head to Europe for further dates! Watch for the band's new 7" record (to be made available as a Record Store Day exclusive on April 17th) which includes two tracks; side A's "You Are One" and on side B, a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "What Makes You Think You're The One".
Fanfarlo - band site / myspace
