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Musician Matt Friedberger of Fiery Furnaces
Fiery Furnaces are chaotically interesting, their music often traveling down a path you'd never see coming. And that's the fun of it. While the rest of the industry seems happy to slip into their own indie genre, Fiery Furnaces seem intent on sidestepping any sort of standard style, with their sound crossing lines in such a compelling way you don't want to stop the album once it starts, taking in each chord until it's the last. In their live shows, brother-sister duo Matt Friedberger and Eleanor Friedberger are well complemented by Jason Lowenstein (Sebadoh) and Bob D'Amico, who joined the Friedlanders back in 2005. Good stuff!
Below is an interview we conducted last year but thought you'd want to read it as the band is currently on tour, maybe even in a town near you.
Holly Lang/Pine Magazine: How would you describe your music?
Matt Friedlander/Fiery Furnaces: The band, we just play rock music, that’s not a very description for people. We play conventional, traditional rock music and the songs are structured to supply small surprises as opposed to immediately gratifying, but very traditional music made up of simple rock tunes. The songwriting and arranging are a little different than other things.
HL: ...You are from a music family of sorts, right?
MF: People played music but no one was… our grandmother was a choir director, that was what she did in life. My mother just played the piano. People played music for fun instead of just listening to music for fun. Normal to not be afraid of musical instruments, I feel lucky to have grown up in that environment.
HL: Ever get tired of your sister?
MF: I’m always tired of her. (But) it’s not a problem. Even if you haven’t seen your siblings for a long time, the annoyance level is high even still. You are always already annoyed by them often, but in a way you’re not really annoyed. So it’s easier in that situation, being with a sibling. If you do have a fight, you don’t have to worry about making up. …
HL: When did you two come together musically?
MF: We started playing together the end of 2000, but it took about a year to get serious to where we wanted to record.
HL: Can you tell me about this tour now? How many shows are you playing with Super Furry Animals?
MF: We’re playing just five shows with Super Furry Animals, and we’re playing before and after on our own, playing places we haven’t played, such as Birmingham, Ala. I think the friendly people of Alabama will open us with open arms and open ears.
HL: What is the difference between being abroad and in the US? Abroad vs. US
MF: Superficially it’s no different at all. Everywhere in the world where people like guitar rock, indie rock, dressed similarly, just bought or not bought the same records that just came out… all the same, could be in Berlin, Tokyo, Atlanta and not know the difference, except for the differences and context, it just like the same in the states, the … atmosphere outside club, what’s going on there (determines what’s going on inside the club).
HL: Where do you feel most a part of it?
MF: Nowhere. It’s more fun when you don’t feel a part. It’s more fun when you feel alien. If you feel like people understand what you are doing, and … if you understand, you might as well not even be there, not bringing anything new to the situation. Just more fun be four little aliens, and not understand how people are reacting to the music, even if… they don’t clap or move.
HL: So what are the political connections for this tour?
MF: It’s called (the) Roll the Dice/Leap of Faith tour 2008. …Trying to tie it into, traveling around the country, most of the places we are going is in primary season excitement. We’re having a nonbinding caucus, as to what the next Fiery Furnaces record should be. With little descriptions, (listeners) can caucus up to tell us what direction the nation wants this album to be.
The tour seems to endorse him but we don’t think it’s appropriate for the band to endorse a candidate. But the tour does seem to endorse Obama (and) change by rolling the dice, taken from Bill Clinton. …We want people to roll the dice, make a leap of faith, and come to a Fiery Furnaces show. Or in the case of Atlanta, a Super Furry Animals/Fiery Furnaces show.
Matt Friedlander/Fiery Furnaces: The band, we just play rock music, that’s not a very description for people. We play conventional, traditional rock music and the songs are structured to supply small surprises as opposed to immediately gratifying, but very traditional music made up of simple rock tunes. The songwriting and arranging are a little different than other things.
HL: ...You are from a music family of sorts, right?
MF: People played music but no one was… our grandmother was a choir director, that was what she did in life. My mother just played the piano. People played music for fun instead of just listening to music for fun. Normal to not be afraid of musical instruments, I feel lucky to have grown up in that environment.
HL: Ever get tired of your sister?
MF: I’m always tired of her. (But) it’s not a problem. Even if you haven’t seen your siblings for a long time, the annoyance level is high even still. You are always already annoyed by them often, but in a way you’re not really annoyed. So it’s easier in that situation, being with a sibling. If you do have a fight, you don’t have to worry about making up. …
HL: When did you two come together musically?
MF: We started playing together the end of 2000, but it took about a year to get serious to where we wanted to record.
HL: Can you tell me about this tour now? How many shows are you playing with Super Furry Animals?
MF: We’re playing just five shows with Super Furry Animals, and we’re playing before and after on our own, playing places we haven’t played, such as Birmingham, Ala. I think the friendly people of Alabama will open us with open arms and open ears.
HL: What is the difference between being abroad and in the US? Abroad vs. US
MF: Superficially it’s no different at all. Everywhere in the world where people like guitar rock, indie rock, dressed similarly, just bought or not bought the same records that just came out… all the same, could be in Berlin, Tokyo, Atlanta and not know the difference, except for the differences and context, it just like the same in the states, the … atmosphere outside club, what’s going on there (determines what’s going on inside the club).
HL: Where do you feel most a part of it?
MF: Nowhere. It’s more fun when you don’t feel a part. It’s more fun when you feel alien. If you feel like people understand what you are doing, and … if you understand, you might as well not even be there, not bringing anything new to the situation. Just more fun be four little aliens, and not understand how people are reacting to the music, even if… they don’t clap or move.
HL: So what are the political connections for this tour?
MF: It’s called (the) Roll the Dice/Leap of Faith tour 2008. …Trying to tie it into, traveling around the country, most of the places we are going is in primary season excitement. We’re having a nonbinding caucus, as to what the next Fiery Furnaces record should be. With little descriptions, (listeners) can caucus up to tell us what direction the nation wants this album to be.
The tour seems to endorse him but we don’t think it’s appropriate for the band to endorse a candidate. But the tour does seem to endorse Obama (and) change by rolling the dice, taken from Bill Clinton. …We want people to roll the dice, make a leap of faith, and come to a Fiery Furnaces show. Or in the case of Atlanta, a Super Furry Animals/Fiery Furnaces show.
Tags: fiery furnaces
I love these guys!
Posted by: Sarah
Tue 22, 2008 05:03 PM
Sometimes I have a harder time following it but this band is one of those that is just far more intersting than most others around. they deserve to be famous.
Posted by: Jessica
Tue 22, 2008 05:36 PM
This band is pretty damn awesome. I saw them before at the Earl and people did actually dance. It was crazy. One question, though - how does the writing work for music like that? Is it collaborative, I wonder?
Posted by: Taryn
Wed 30, 2008 11:37 AM
My guess is collaboration, of sorts, though it seems friedberger is the mastermind of it. on stage, though, it really does come across as a give and take. it's a show to behold, by and large, though i've never seen them with the guy from sebadoh.
Posted by: heather
Wed 30, 2008 12:06 PM
