For those out of the loop, the Fiery Furnaces are the brother/sister duo of Matt and Eleanor Friedberger. It wouldn't be a stretch to say they're one of the most critically acclaimed and highly praised rock bands playing today. Last year, their two releases, EP and Rehearsing My Choir, made them the only artist on the College Music Journal's year-end chart with multiple records, at numbers 22 and 191, respectively. With two red cats stamped on my hands (the mark of being under 21 at the Cat's Cradle), a digital camera, and a spot to sit close to the stage against a graffiti-tagged wall, I was ready for the show to start. Eleanor Friedberger, the main vocalist, showed up on stage in an all white outfit with a very energetic start to the show. The man behind the music, Matt Friedberger, was playing only guitar this time around (no keyboards like on the albums) and a bassist and drummer who were both very impressive backed them. The mood was established early with the familiar tune "Asthma Attack" and an impressive up tempo version of "Straight Street" before diving into songs from their newest record, Rehearsing My Choir.
While the show wasn't the pyrotechnic phenomenon that is a Kiss show, it wasn't supposed to be. They proved that they have even more depth than their albums show and bring something more to the table live than just carbon copies of their songs. Luckily, I was able to talk to Matt Friedberger on the phone about the tour and upcoming albums.
I know it's early in the tour, but does it feel any different from past tours?
Well, we played Charlotte and we're in Florida now. We haven't played any shows here yet, but we're playing different places this tour. Besides that, you know, it's not much different. It feels different for me because I'm not carrying around a keyboard with me.
Yeah, I noticed that. The last time I saw you, about a year ago, you played a lot more keyboard and the bassist was playing a synthesizer, so it was sort of a different feel. Is there any reason you're not playing any keyboard?
No big reasons. It's a way to make it a different experience. We're sort of in-between records, I mean even though Rehearsing My Choir isn't that old, we're in-between that and Bitter Tea. It seemed more appropriate to me to just play guitar.
Is Bitter Tea going to be more guitar-based like what you're doing with the guitar live or is that just something your doing on tour?
Oh no, it's all keyboards, a lot of pianos, organs, and synthesizers. Well, some guitar, but heavier on the others.
Similar to what you did on Rehearsing My Choir?
This record has drums and drum machines, unlike Rehearsing My Choir. And the songs have choruses and it's not really narration like the last album was but more songs with repeating choruses, the same lyrics and what not. Does that make sense?
Yeah, definitely. Did you know when you were recording Rehearsing My Choir that the versions you were going to be playing live were going to be so different than the way they were in the studio? They seem much more consciously rock.
Live, you have the drums so it's natural to make them louder. You know, we try to make them into rock songs. I thought that would be fun. Live, there are drums and no Grandmother, so you've got those differences and so that was fun, to change them live.
When you sit down to write a song, what are your personal goals-is it to write something people will like or something they'll think is weird or unique?
[laughs] I think you just have to try to feel fulfilled, personally. It's not like writing for a goal, but you just have to try to satisfy yourself. So, no I don't write for someone to listen and think it's good or bad, but just that it is for me, if that makes sense.
This summer you have some solo albums coming out, are they going to be a lot different than the music you write for the Fiery Furnaces or is it similar?
To me, they sound completely different because I wound up singing. One record is all songs and one record is a story record. On the story one I sort of have this ghost language which is something that happened because I wanted an excuse to use a lot of backwards vocals [laughs]. It's more like Rehearsing My Choir in that there's a story but no narrating. The other is just songs. It's a much louder rock record.
Finally, I guess I was just wondering if the band name, The Fiery Furnaces, comes from the Bob Dylan song "Jokerman."
Oh "Jokerman," no, the name comes from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I was watching and the dad says he's going to put the car in the Fiery Furnace and I knew it was a biblical reference. The idea of fire and brimstone I just thought sort of just fit for a rock band, plus my last name is Friedberger and there are two of us [in the band] so you have the two F's. And the plural of Furnace just when you say it seems sort of hard and tongue-twisting.
From: https://www.piratemedia1.com/archives/article_1015d0af-bf60-55cc-bd49-39af76679842.html
