Faint On Call Talk “Pearl”
Photo Credit: Jorge Cazares
Your latest single, “Pearl” just dropped. Congrats! How’s it feel to have new music out?
Super exciting! I, personally, haven’t released any music in almost 10 years, so it’s almost like the first time. It’s very satisfying to finally see something that we’ve put a lot of time and energy into come out and be heard by people.
Can you walk us a little bit through the writing process? How was it different from past releases or other projects you may have worked on?
It was different in every way; for starters, I never met Toby in person until 3 days before recording. Everything we wrote was online. Some of the songs were inspired by drum grooves that Art had, but I essentially would send Toby an instrumental track all structured and ready to be sung over, then he’d send me back vocals that he recorded on an app called Spire by izotope. From there, we’d talk about focusing on certain hooks, changing structures, and doing it all over again. It would take us about a week per song.
Were there any speed bumps or mishaps during the recording process?
Not really; it was probably the smoothest recording I’ve ever been in. The only thing I would consider a “mishap” would be that we scheduled time with Sylvia Massy for 10 songs, and we ended up doing 12. So we did run out of time here in Mexico, and Toby had to go to Sylvia’s studio in Oregon to finish vocals.
Who are some of the influences you drew from while putting the album together? -Are there any specific songs you can talk about specifically where these influences came into play?
I took influences from all over the place. Beatles, Pink Floyd, Stone Temple Pilots, and Sting are some of my go-to’s. Pearl was inspired by a groove that Art sent me, that was in turn inspired by a Counting Crows song that Toby had a role in writing. Of course, my interpretation of that groove and what came out was something completely different to those influences.
Our latest single, “Harpoon,” was inspired by a band called He Is Legend. I heard a song that had this huge phat riff and then went to a poppy verse, so I wanted to do that in my way. What came out was a combo between Soundgarden style riffs and Radiohead verses. Go figure…
How was working with Sylvia Massy?
I’ve said this again and again: To me, it was a dream come true. It is a little overwhelming to see that much talent, knowledge, and experience all put together. And the best part was that she makes one feel like her equal. We could read each other’s minds when we’d make changes to songs, or tones, and instruments, without having to say much.
How has her input helped shape the single into what it has become?
More than anything, that was the song that convinced her to come to Mexico. And in the recording process, she was able to perfectly capture the essence of our performances. She loves to record every little take, even if it’s a dud, and that’s how she caught some really cool drum fills, some lucky mistakes, and some subtle sounds here and there.
Any live shows the readers and fans can catch you at?
No! A big challenge with being a band in 3 different parts of the world is playing live. It’s very frustrating, but we are planning a record release and a tour for next year. Hopefully, people can see us then.
What’s your favorite local venue to play?
Local in SF, LA, or Mexico? I lived in California for almost 20 years, and I guess in LA, the Whisky a go go and The Roxy always felt like home. I also enjoyed the Utah Hotel in San Francisco.
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