F in Math is Michael Logie, ex-Mint Chicker and multi-instrumental artist who under said pseudonym creates assaulting electronic singles. UTR caught up with Logie just before Flying Nun's 30th anniversary celebrations to chat about what he's been up to, how he's involved in Nunvember and what it feels like to be on this country's most critically acclaimed record label.
Tell me what’s happening with F In Match at the moment?
I’m just preparing for this Flying Nun 30th thing. They kind of wanted me to do some covers but I didn’t think I was going to be able to because I’ve been really busy playing for Bic Runga. I’m going to try and sort one out over the next few days.
Have you got any idea of what you're going to cover?
I really wanted to do a Darcy Clay song but then I realized that he wasn’t on Flying Nun, so I think I’m going to do this Chris Knox song about Darcy Clay which is called “I Wanna Look Like Darcy Clay’. And then if I get time I’ll try another one but we’ll see.
You're pretty well known for all your covers. Are you going to release them at any point?
Yeah I’ve got heaps of covers that I haven’t done anything with any of them really; I just keep them for playing live. I may end up releasing them but I don’t know. I don’t want to release too many covers because I’ll just turn into a covers band or something. I use them quite a bit because a lot of people find the music I play quite weird – it seems that way anyway – so I use them as a calibration thing. So the audience know what I’m doing because their favourite song is in there or whatever.
You’re on Flying Nun for F in Math and you were also on it in The Mint Chicks. Are there any differences this time around?
Yeah it wasn't the same with the Mint Chicks at all because it was literally just a label. They didn’t have any staff specifically at FMR or Warners that were working as Flying Nun people; it was still just Warners or FMR records. I guess we did meet Roger but it wasn’t like being on Flying Nun really. I know Roger from then I guess and he just liked F in Math and wanted to put some out.
What made you want to go on Flying Nun?
I guess I wanted to put my stuff out and they approached me. I really like Flying Nun but I was quite surprised in a way because my stuff is a lot more electronic than the kind of stuff I imagine them releasing. But I guess they’re trying to get out of that box of bands that sound like The Clean - Flying Nun doesn’t necessarily have to sound like ‘The Dunedin Sound’ anymore.
Do you think it's a good time for the label to be re-establishing itself?
I guess anytime’s a good time. It’s also a bad time in general for music so I guess it’s difficult with sales and everything, but I think it is because everyone needs to keep moving forward and pushing themselves and things. I think it's cool.
How do you think they’re gonna go?
It’s smaller than those major labels; they’re the ones who are freaking out. The artists or the ones I know aren’t selling any less – not much less anyway. The major labels are the ones struggling quite a lot at the end of the day, it’s not the artists who are struggling because we always struggled and always will struggle. It’s the people who are making heaps of money off the artists who are struggling, which I don’t have any problem with. Times are changing and they have to change too. Flying Nun has a cult following and people will always buy stuff, and they’re into making nicer objects which is great and that works for now.
