LA's The French Semester produce charming shoegaze pop that's really worth your attention. They have a new EP in the works that's joining a pretty solid library of music -- so we spoke with their lead Riaz early last Sunday morning to learn more about it.
Here's the lightlly-edited IM transcript, along with a brand new MP3 off the forthcoming release.
frenchsemester (10:04:54 AM): Good morning, sir. Riaz here...RFSL (10:05:19 AM): Morning!
RFSL (10:05:27 AM):Sorry I'm a little late.
RFSL (10:05:32 AM): Just grabbing coffee and donuts.
frenchsemester (10:05:48 AM): No problem You're still several hours ahead of me.
RFSL (10:05:51 AM): How are you doing today?RFSL (10:05:59 AM): Yeah, this is early for me.
RFSL (10:06:43 AM): Or are you still up from last night?
frenchsemester (10:08:13 AM): Nah, previous night was a pretty good blowout over at Echo Curio. Last night was pretty quiet. Been tons of good local shows as I'm sure youre aware. How is the RFSL telecommute treating you?
RFSL (10:08:59 AM): It's going pretty well. I'm sneaking out often and a lot of LA bands have been playing here lately. (Happy Hollows, Henry Clay, Princeton...)
frenchsemester (10:10:28 AM): Nice. Good people, all of them. And I'm sure the idea of actual seasons is appealing to all expats.
RFSL (10:11:22 AM): Yeah, the walk to the donut shop a few minutes ago was frankly kind of stunning. All the bright oranges and yellows and leaves being blown across the street.
RFSL (10:11:29 AM): So, what's new with you guys?
frenchsemester (10:12:53 AM): Where to begin?
frenchsemester (10:12:59 AM): The Eagle Rock Festival was amazing earlier this month. Really a highlight of the year, and the true end of summer. Were you in town?
RFSL (10:13:25 AM): I'd meant to come out but missed it.RFSL (10:13:35 AM): It was a great line-up.
frenchsemester (10:14:37 AM): So true. And then we've been finishing this EP since. Five new songs. A shorter format than what we're used to but a little bit more varied. An excursion of sorts.
RFSL (10:15:27 AM): Yeah? What direction are you taking it?
frenchsemester (10:19:02 AM): Well, as you might know, we had a lineup change after our Europe tour last Spring. The trip was amazing, and we played to some of the greatest crowds ever, especially in Spain. But the stresses of that trip left us a different group in the end. We then picked up an organ player (Russ) and a female backing voice (Elaine), and are probably much more dynamic now as a result. On record, this amounted to a sound that was both bigger but more delicate.
RFSL (10:19:55 AM): Love to hear it. Do you have any demos or finished tracks from the EP on myspace?
frenchsemester (10:22:49 AM): Yeah we sure do. Right now three of the final tracks are on myspace. "The Greater Good", "What's in the Bag?", and "The Large Bouquet". I can say that the first one is "about" the story that I mentioned above, and also provides the EP title "Forces Afield".
RFSL (10:23:20 AM): When's it due out? Do you have a release show planned?
frenchsemester (10:24:38 AM): So the expected release is still first week of December (dang, thats coming up) although we are still in talks with the label. A release show is coming together that week and will likely be on or around December 8 with the good people of The Echo.
RFSL (10:25:51 AM): Nice. Do you have any openers set yet?
frenchsemester (10:28:28 AM): Nothing set. So many great friends to choose from. A lot of that may depend on the venue but this is also a likely residency early in 2010 so that provides some leeway in trying to get everyone together. I'd be psyched to pull together old and new pals alike.
RFSL (10:29:20 AM): Oh, that's great. You guys are a good choice for a residency.
RFSL (10:29:40 AM): Any touring plans?
frenchsemester (10:32:20 AM): Thanks man, would love for you to make it to one night. Touring, yes definitely. We will likely head back to Spain later in the year and have had some discussions with a much bigger LA band to possibly join us. That or another Pacific Coast route. The five piece group presents new logistical issues for touring, but maybe we'll leave me at home.
RFSL (10:34:11 AM): Listening to the new tracks on myspace right now...
RFSL (10:34:35 AM): Pretty dreamy. I like the female backing vocal, too.
frenchsemester (10:34:45 AM): Thank you.
RFSL (10:35:51 AM): My friend Paul once used the term "pleasantly melancholy" to describe Saturday Looks Good to Me...
RFSL (10:35:58 AM): And I think of that w/ you guys, too.
frenchsemester (10:36:18 AM): I love that.
RFSL (10:36:43 AM): Music that makes you nostalgic for moments you may not have lived. Or that makes you happy when you're melancholy or slightly melancholy when you're in a good mood.
RFSL (10:37:01 AM): The Spires are like that, too.
frenchsemester (10:38:38 AM): Oh yes. Spires are like family to us. I had the same feelings about them you're describing, and we got them set up pretty well with Spanish radio where I think they are taking hold pretty well. We've been getting more Velvet Underground comparisons lately but a Spires parallel is better.
RFSL (10:39:15 AM): That's great. I saw they were getting some play there.
RFSL (10:39:25 AM): Cool. Well, I've got one last question for you:
RFSL (10:39:30 AM): What are you listening to these days?
frenchsemester (10:44:15 AM): Hmm. Ive been hooked on the latest Wilco most recently. They've taken this Nels Cline collaboration and run with it tastefully. I found this old country rock LP by a group Heartsfield that's pretty sweet - maybe a little Dennis Wilsonish. I know Gil, our bassist told me he has been playing this one Donovan song on repeat for a week. Thats the best when the answer is song-specific. And I'm sure Charles our drummer has his usual assortment of bebop on the table. But, I have one last question for you: what kind of donuts are we talking here?
RFSL (10:45:10 AM): I've got some house guests from Montreal, so grabbed six...
RFSL (10:45:32 AM): Two old fashioned, two glazed, a coconut, and a chocolate glazed.
RFSL (10:45:53 AM): The coconut one is fantastic. Local spot.
frenchsemester (10:46:05 AM): Cool. Donut Free Silver Lake.
RFSL (10:46:53 AM): Radio Free Donut Town.
DOWNLOAD:
- Ivy Letters Upsetting the Norm MP3- Winter Song MP3
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