Interview with Indie Rock Band Foals

from calculated math rock this band has

from calculated math rock this band has evolved into a much more emotionally

evolved into a much more emotionally

evolved into a much more emotionally charged danceable rhythm hi I’m Maya

charged danceable rhythm hi I’m Maya

charged danceable rhythm hi I’m Maya fear and welcome to watchmojo.com and

fear and welcome to watchmojo.com and

fear and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with the fools can

today we’re speaking with the fools can

today we’re speaking with the fools can you tell us the origin story of the

you tell us the origin story of the

you tell us the origin story of the foals and how you guys originally met we

foals and how you guys originally met we

foals and how you guys originally met we met in Oxford where most of us grew up I

met in Oxford where most of us grew up I

met in Oxford where most of us grew up I went to university there and so it came

went to university there and so it came

went to university there and so it came together from the remnants of a few

together from the remnants of a few

together from the remnants of a few other bands it was a band that Yanis

other bands it was a band that Yanis

other bands it was a band that Yanis sing about the trauma were in when they

sing about the trauma were in when they

sing about the trauma were in when they were quite young

were quite young

were quite young they were like a really serious mascot

they were like a really serious mascot

they were like a really serious mascot fans they took everything really

fans they took everything really

fans they took everything really seriously they had like proper Punk

seriously they had like proper Punk

seriously they had like proper Punk ethics and they basically wanted to do

ethics and they basically wanted to do

ethics and they basically wanted to do something else and actually have some

something else and actually have some

something else and actually have some fans so they decided to write pop music

so who did you guys grow up listening to

so who did you guys grow up listening to and who are some of your musical idols

and who are some of your musical idols

and who are some of your musical idols I think the bands would bring us

I think the bands would bring us

I think the bands would bring us together a bunch like Fugazi hounds some

together a bunch like Fugazi hounds some

together a bunch like Fugazi hounds some acute levana

acute levana

acute levana I was never that into the barn above the

I was never that into the barn above the

I was never that into the barn above the rest of the band was the Pixies when the

rest of the band was the Pixies when the

rest of the band was the Pixies when the band form was at 2006 we were listening

band form was at 2006 we were listening

band form was at 2006 we were listening to a lot of dance music I was listening

to a lot of dance music I was listening

to a lot of dance music I was listening to stuff I’m like compact a German label

to stuff I’m like compact a German label

to stuff I’m like compact a German label a lot of minimal techno that in

a lot of minimal techno that in

a lot of minimal techno that in retrospect is a bit that’s what

retrospect is a bit that’s what

retrospect is a bit that’s what we’re listening to and the aspiration

we’re listening to and the aspiration

we’re listening to and the aspiration was to join these two things to make a

was to join these two things to make a

was to join these two things to make a kind of music that had a sort of techno

kind of music that had a sort of techno

kind of music that had a sort of techno template with guitars and quite a drive

template with guitars and quite a drive

template with guitars and quite a drive I haven’t quite try sonic palette and

I haven’t quite try sonic palette and

I haven’t quite try sonic palette and that sort of fell by the wayside as we

that sort of fell by the wayside as we

that sort of fell by the wayside as we basically started making music it just

basically started making music it just

basically started making music it just came naturally to us

so you wouldn’t be able to describe your

so you wouldn’t be able to describe your sound for someone that had never heard

sound for someone that had never heard

sound for someone that had never heard it before I could do it and I’ll do a

it before I could do it and I’ll do a

it before I could do it and I’ll do a really bad job of it I think other

really bad job of it I think other

really bad job of it I think other people do much better job with this one

people do much better job with this one

people do much better job with this one being a sound because I don’t really

being a sound because I don’t really

being a sound because I don’t really think about it in words I think our new

think about it in words I think our new

think about it in words I think our new record has a lot more going on in it and

record has a lot more going on in it and

record has a lot more going on in it and there’s a lot less easy to pin down

so how would you describe your live

so how would you describe your live performance and do you have any rituals

performance and do you have any rituals

performance and do you have any rituals before you go on stage as a band we

before you go on stage as a band we

before you go on stage as a band we don’t really have any rituals aside from

don’t really have any rituals aside from

don’t really have any rituals aside from a bunch of guys jumping around and we’re

a bunch of guys jumping around and we’re

a bunch of guys jumping around and we’re kind of making out with each other

kind of making out with each other

kind of making out with each other without actually using songs that kind

without actually using songs that kind

without actually using songs that kind of thing the show is always a lot more

of thing the show is always a lot more

of thing the show is always a lot more raucous and the album might suggest

raucous and the album might suggest

raucous and the album might suggest because I think it’s in our nature

because I think it’s in our nature

because I think it’s in our nature certainly in the guitarist and the

certainly in the guitarist and the

certainly in the guitarist and the drummer’s nature to play really loudly

drummer’s nature to play really loudly

drummer’s nature to play really loudly and always a little bit too fast and

and always a little bit too fast and

and always a little bit too fast and it’s something that we’re kind of

it’s something that we’re kind of

it’s something that we’re kind of sticking with just because it works

sticking with just because it works

sticking with just because it works whereas when we go into a studio in

whereas when we go into a studio in

whereas when we go into a studio in doing help like that that would just get

doing help like that that would just get

doing help like that that would just get boring

so how has your music evolved from album

so how has your music evolved from album to album well we’ve only done two albums

to album well we’ve only done two albums

to album well we’ve only done two albums so it’s like describing the journey

so it’s like describing the journey

so it’s like describing the journey between two points just expect line

between two points just expect line

between two points just expect line we’ve learned to do different things I

we’ve learned to do different things I

we’ve learned to do different things I think we got a little bit boards with a

think we got a little bit boards with a

think we got a little bit boards with a kind of dance punk thing that the last

kind of dance punk thing that the last

kind of dance punk thing that the last album so I think we sort of recognized

album so I think we sort of recognized

album so I think we sort of recognized that if we were to continue down that

that if we were to continue down that

that if we were to continue down that path we were basically going down a

path we were basically going down a

path we were basically going down a dead-end road so we’ve decided to do

dead-end road so we’ve decided to do

dead-end road so we’ve decided to do different things we wrote songs in

different things we wrote songs in

different things we wrote songs in different ways we used to write over all

different ways we used to write over all

different ways we used to write over all our songs in a small room call it

our songs in a small room call it

our songs in a small room call it playing really loud so all the songs

playing really loud so all the songs

playing really loud so all the songs have had the same kind of dynamic Alicia

have had the same kind of dynamic Alicia

have had the same kind of dynamic Alicia guitarist would like go off to a room by

guitarist would like go off to a room by

guitarist would like go off to a room by themselves and just work on something

themselves and just work on something

themselves and just work on something quietly without drums which allows us to

quietly without drums which allows us to

quietly without drums which allows us to write songs like Spanish Sahara where

write songs like Spanish Sahara where

write songs like Spanish Sahara where the first half of the songs come with

the first half of the songs come with

the first half of the songs come with couched out I think if that’s something

couched out I think if that’s something

couched out I think if that’s something on the first one what it would have I

on the first one what it would have I

on the first one what it would have I mean it wouldn’t have had the first half

mean it wouldn’t have had the first half

mean it wouldn’t have had the first half it wouldn’t have had the build which

it wouldn’t have had the build which

it wouldn’t have had the build which which is

so your music has been featured in a

so your music has been featured in a couple of television shows like

couple of television shows like

couple of television shows like entourage and skins so why do you think

entourage and skins so why do you think

entourage and skins so why do you think it’s important for musicians to product

it’s important for musicians to product

it’s important for musicians to product place their music in a sense I think

place their music in a sense I think

place their music in a sense I think it’s important for fans if they choose

it’s important for fans if they choose

it’s important for fans if they choose to do

to do

to do skins was a weird converse in retrospect

skins was a weird converse in retrospect

skins was a weird converse in retrospect that was like a big break for us it was

that was like a big break for us it was

that was like a big break for us it was a really big deal we didn’t really know

a really big deal we didn’t really know

a really big deal we didn’t really know it at the time and we kind of resented

it at the time and we kind of resented

it at the time and we kind of resented it because we were just really uneasy

it because we were just really uneasy

it because we were just really uneasy with the television show using up

with the television show using up

with the television show using up working for doing and we kind of got

working for doing and we kind of got

working for doing and we kind of got bullied into doing it by our management

bullied into doing it by our management

bullied into doing it by our management and I think it’s really a good thing to

and I think it’s really a good thing to

and I think it’s really a good thing to do but at the time we hated it and now

do but at the time we hated it and now

do but at the time we hated it and now we’ve come on to Entourage and it’s in a

we’ve come on to Entourage and it’s in a

we’ve come on to Entourage and it’s in a different country and a lot more relaxed

different country and a lot more relaxed

different country and a lot more relaxed about it it depends how it’s used I

about it it depends how it’s used I

about it it depends how it’s used I think it’s a lot less of an issue than

think it’s a lot less of an issue than

think it’s a lot less of an issue than actual advertising because it’s someone

actual advertising because it’s someone

actual advertising because it’s someone using it through another creative

using it through another creative

using it through another creative purpose okay so thank you very much for

purpose okay so thank you very much for

purpose okay so thank you very much for sharing your insight