by Joe Fielder
LA-based synth pop act Light FM put on a pretty phenomenal live show -- which is great since they're playing the Monday residency at Spaceland all month and you can see them multiple times for FREE...
We spoke with lead Josiah Mazzaschi over IM earlier this week about what to expect from those nights, the band's new line-up, the making of their latest album, Let There Be Light FM.
LightFM (4:06:14 PM): YOYO
RFSL (4:08:19 PM): How are you doing today, Josiah?
LightFM (4:08:25 PM): Howdy ho.
LightFM (4:08:44 PM): Just recovering from the Eagle Rock Music Fest!
RFSL (4:08:53 PM): Yeah, how was it? You didn’t play, right?
LightFM (4:09:24 PM): We played last year. The Happy Hollows and Pity Party were amazing as usual!
RFSL (4:10:05 PM): Excellent. Sad I missed them, but I caught The Hollows at their release show a few weeks back and they're headed this way soon.
RFSL (4:10:33 PM): So, congrats on the new album.
LightFM (4:10:44 PM): Thanks!
LightFM (4:11:06 PM): I'll stop yelling.
RFSL (4:11:27 PM): How did it come together?
LightFM (4:14:03 PM): Well, after we released Black Magic Marker on Devil in the Woods at the RFSL show almost a year ago we had some struggles. I put my heart and soul into that record but felt we weren't brought much justice as far as the label promoting us. Nobody's really heard that CD.
RFSL (4:14:35 PM): Sorry to hear it. That was a good CD.
RFSL (4:14:43 PM): Lots of great tracks.
LightFM (4:17:34 PM): I realized I had to rely more on myself and less on other people. My band mates all kinda bailed on me. We had some drama. “Save the Drama for your Mama!” I was about to dissolve the band but realized I had signed a contract with Myspace Records’ "Friends and Family" program and could utilize that program to further promote this new CD I had been working on.
LightFM (4:18:05 PM): It started as my own personal demos.
RFSL (4:18:31 PM): You recorded on your own w/o a band?
LightFM (4:18:42 PM): I decided to play most of the instruments and then put together a new-line up. Drama free!!!
RFSL (4:18:57 PM): So it's a whole new line-up from before.
LightFM (4:19:56 PM): None of the original members are playing with me live. Kim Haden plays keyboards and sings back-ups on a couple tunes and Harry Trumfio played drums on 2 songs.
LightFM (4:20:42 PM): I guess this is the third metamorphosis of Light FM.
RFSL (4:21:00 PM): Yeah? You'd reformed when you moved from Chicago a few years ago, right?
LightFM (4:21:54 PM): Yes! Brian Barbier (the bass player) moved to Los Angeles and played in the LA incarnation.
RFSL (4:22:24 PM): Who's in the new line-up and where are they all from?
LightFM (4:24:12 PM): Nicole Fiorentino (Veruca Salt, Spinnerette) is playing bass and bckng vocs with me, Byron Reynolds (Sea Wolf, Possum Dixon) on drums, and Sophia Male on keyboards and vocs. Sophia sang backups on the CD.
LightFM (4:25:33 PM): I've added a new guitarist/ keyboardist Stephen Becker for our residency. He just moved here from Chicago.
LightFM (4:26:01 PM): He's really great. He has a band called Le Concorde.
RFSL (4:26:49 PM): Oh, yeah. Byron was also in Tigers Can Bite You for awhile too, right?
LightFM (4:27:22 PM): Yes! That's how I met him. He's amazing!
RFSL (4:27:46 PM): Cool. So, how many albums have you made as Light FM now?
LightFM (4:29:33 PM): This will be our third full length! It's kinda coincidental cause the CD is titled, "Let There Be Light FM" and Let there be Light is the third line in the bible. This shit is holy!! We also put out one EP, "Save the Drama".
RFSL (4:32:15 PM): How would you say the new material is different?
LightFM (4:32:36 PM): The new CD is pretty personal. I think I let a lot of my own personal dilemmas into the lyrics. I went through a period of existential angst and dehabilitating anxiety and panic attacks while writing this CD.
RFSL (4:33:00 PM): But you worked through it by making the album?
LightFM (4:34:22 PM): Pretty much. It sounds kinda corny but my music is very therapeutic for me. I can't really articulate feelings through words. Music is the only way I can really explain my feelings.
LightFM (4:35:17 PM): Reading this back I sound like a total art school idiot.
RFSL (4:35:23 PM): Nahh. RFSL (4:36:53 PM): So you're playing the Monday night Spaceland residency this month.
LightFM (4:40:32 PM): Yes. We have some amazing line-ups. Tigers Can Bite You, We Barbarians, Queen Kwong, The Meeting Places, Apostle of Hustle, Kav (from the Happy Mondays), Wrong Way Driver (Brian from Earlimart), Wait Think Fast, Modern Time Machines, Nightmare Air (Dave Dupuis from Film School), His Orchestra, Obi Best.
RFSL (4:42:58 PM): You've got three albums and an EP worth of material. How are you going to decide what to play each week?
LightFM (4:43:00 PM): The new band doesn't know much of the older material. So, we are working on varying it up every week up with songs from Black Magic Marker and the Save the Drama EP. We may throw a couple of covers in there as well!! We have a cellist and violinist joining us for one song every week. Matt Fish (Cello) and Chanda (Violin) from Modern Time Machines.
RFSL (4:43:23 PM): Nice.
RFSL (4:43:46 PM): Any special plans for the pre-Halloween show?
LightFM (4:45:06 PM): We definitely are encouraging people to dress up. We are definitely going to be dressing up for the show on the 26th. It should be a lot of fun!!!!
RFSL (4:45:48 PM): Cool. One last question: When is the official release for the new album?
LightFM (4:47:17 PM): Well, the pre-sale on iTunes is up 10/06 and the official release is 10/13. We'll have physical copies for sale at our show on 10/12.
RFSL (4:47:52 PM): Excellent. Congrats again, Josiah.
MP3: Light FM's "Waiting Room”
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