We catch up with Wellington alt/pop band The Phoenix Foundation who have just released their 3rd studio album. 'Happy Ending', and are touring NZ nationwide.
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Been around since?
1997
Current line up?
Samuel flynn Scott: vox, gat, keys
Conrad Wedde: gat, keys
Will Ricketts: percussion, keys
Richie Singleton: drums, keys
Warner emery: bass guitar exclusively
Luke Buda: gat, keys, vox
Where are you based?
wellington
Musical history? What were you listening to back in high school?
sepultura, black sabbath, led zeppelin, metallica, pixies, soundgarden,
beatles, nirvana, carcass, morbid angel, rage against the machine,
straitjacket fits, supergrass, beck, radiohead, the cure, hendrix, the
doors, ween
What are you currently listening to?
air, nick drake, judee sill, richard hawley, tom waits, tom petty, bruce
sprinsteen (ha!), radiohead, beck, arcade fire, m. ward, sigur ros,
beatles, supergrass, the cure, black sabbath, hendrix, the doors. led zep,
the cure ween etc etc.
The state of music in NZ is..?
ok. a lot of very terrible stuff, and some damn good stuff too. a lot of
funding goes to some pretty damn average imitation bands, but then again i
shouldnt complain cause we do pretty good for funding these days...
What’s your favorite place to play?
always had a great time at the sawmill in leigh, planning to go back to
the mussel inn this year. the out of the way places are usually where you
have the special shows!
What was your favorite show?
opera house in wellington in 2005. bishop, california 2007. like i said
an out of the way place, hadn't had a band in 6 years, the whole time came
out and dressed up, lots of kids with light sticks a couple of grannies in
wheelchairs the local native american community and everyone damn rockin
at the bishop masonic temple!
What is your recording process?
we get the whole band in, do live takes. choose the ones we are least
unhappy about and then wrestle with them for months. we like to see the
studio and production as a good friend. illusion/fantasy over raw truth
or something. there is a potency in all approaches of course, the studio
way is just the one we have taken for the last albums, but who knows in
the future.
What's been your best recording experience?
happy ending with the phoenix foundation. everyone had a feeling of
shared purpose. minimal disagreements. minimal fuss and angst.
What’s been your worst recording experience?
pegasus with the phoenix foundation. namely "all in an afternoon" and cars
of eden. oh god they were marathon angsty argumentative missions! ansgty
angsty angsty!
Favorite radio show/station?
hmmm. dont really listen to the radio so much. probably RADIO NZ
The Future holds…?
unbounbd promise and hope for all human kind? probably not. probably too
little too late is what the future holds.... ummm specifically for the
band though: a big old album release tour. perhaps touring aussie.
working towards a fourth album. the states. self sustenance would be
nice
Album Release:
This is album no.?
3
Where did you record it and who with?
lee prebble at the surgery like the other 2.
Any overseas excursions planned?
australia. perhaps elsewhere. but i dont know any other places.
Anything else you’d like to let the people of UTR know?
not really. oh ok, the video for bright grey is directed by taika waitit
and its awesome! check it our on youtube.
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The 3rd full length studio album "Happy Ending" from Phonex Foundation, is in-stores now though Flying Nun records
