friendly fires interview

Exciting UK band, Friendly Fires, have been gaining attention for their genuinely entertaining dance-pop that fills the space somewhere between M83 and the Klaxons. They are in the midst of a world tour that includes a stop by the East Coast of Australia to play at a sold out Splendour in The Grass in July. Guitarist Edd Gibson was generous enough to find some time between a marathon of touring and fiddling in the studio on their second album to talk to us about Byron Bay, the Cocteau Twins, and the whirlwind of festivals.

AoTW: Hi Edd, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Have you been doing lots of press this morning?
Edd: A little. This morning we are just playing around with a new song that we have been working on over the past months.
AoTW: Ah cool – are you guys doing much recording at the moment or have you been flat out touring?
E: Well at the moment we have a week off and have been trying to record this new song.
AoTW: I read on your website that your next album will have a calypso sound to it. Is that actually true?
E: Ahh yes... Well, the song I mentioned before has a calypso feel, very much like ‘Jump in the Pool’, so it’s kind of picking up from that. But I don’t think the whole album will have a calypso style. It might be a bit too much (laughs)
AoTW: So Friendly Fires will be coming down to Australia for their first tour here. Have any of you guys been to Australia before?
E: I have, yes. When I was just out of school I came down with a friend who has family there.
AoTW: Cool, where about?
E: Um, Adelaide I think
AoTW: Okay cool (snickers). The last stop on your Australian tour is the Splendour in the Grass festival. Are you guys fans of playing festivals?
E: Sometimes they are great, sometimes they can be tricky. We really like playing ones that our friends are involved in.
AoTW: Do you know much about Splendour in the Grass or Byron Bay – the town where it’s set?
E: No not at all! I know we have a few shows in Australia and I know that the festival is the last stop on the tour. What’s it like?
AoTW: Well Byron Bay is probably one of the most beautiful places in Australia...
E: How great!
AoTW: And Splendour in the Grass is one of the most popular festivals. It’s not one of the biggest, but it sells out really quickly. This year it sold out in just over an hour.
E: really?!
AoTW: Do you know much about the other bands on the line up?
E: No. No I wouldn’t have a clue (chuckles)
AoTW: Do you guys try to see other bands play at festivals?
E: Well we try. At most festivals there is always someone great playing that I would love to see. But it can be really rushed – you get on and play, then you get out of there and back on the road. Sometimes it’s a good move not to find out who’s playing so you don’t get disappointed if you have to miss out.
AoTW: I can understand that. So you guys started out in high school as a hardcore/punk band, and now your sound is obviously quite different. Was there a defining moment when you decided to change the sound or was it more of a gradual evolution?
E: When we started the band we were only 14 and had limited exposure to types of music, so we just wanted to make music that sounded like bands we listened to, like NOFX. As we got older we discovered more bands and our influences changed and so did our sound.
AoTW: So what are you listening to at the moment?
E: Well, I am a bit off the pulse at the moment... But I like re-discovering bands at the moment, like I am really into the Cocteau Twins.
AoTW: Are you planning anything special for your live shows?
E: Yeah! We’re planning to hopefully bring down a horn section for the shows, but Australia is so far away so there might be some issues getting them down there. Hopefully we’ll have them for the tour.
AoTW: We do too – that sounds awesome! We’re looking forward to seeing you play.

At this point the phone got cut off, so we didn’t get to ask him what is his current album of the week, but we’ll guess and say it’s ‘Head Over Heels’ by the Cocteau Twins. Make sure you check out the Friendly Fires tour dates and make your way to a show. Dancing, sweat and attractive people guaranteed!

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