Brightest Young Things

The French Kicks are playing DC tonight (with Ravens and Chimes at RNR Hotel), with a new album under belt, and almost a decade of togetherness, a billion miles away from their initial, humble garage rock beginings. The sound is still as lushly layered and (knowingly) casually stylish as ever, the harmonies as intricate as you remember from loving "Trial of The Century" back in 2004, and the scope ever reaching.

Listen to it here, through the miracle of imeem:

So, to talk about all that, plus art, Curtis Mayfield and a few other things, I spoke to Josh Wise, bassist, song co-writer, album art designer and lead vocalist on four tracks on the new album, last Friday.
We were gonna talk on Wednesday, but Josh never called me.
I waited.
And waited.
And nothing.
But determination being my middle name, I picked up my stomped upon heart, rescheduled, and dialed him two days later.
This is what transpired.

Hey Josh.
Hey.

This is Svetlana, from BrightestYoungThings, I'm calling to preview your Thursday show in DC
Oh yeah, Hi! I'm sorry Wednesday didn't pan out. I was in sound check, and then there was the subway and stuff...

No harm, no foul. Glad we get to do this though.
Oh, me too.

So, lets kick off with some basics: (Swimming), the album is (sort of) out...
Well, it is out digitally as of April 1st, but the physical record does not come out till May 20th.

Is this something you've done before...?
No, this is our first initial digital release, to sort of build awareness for the arrival of the actual album.

We've been talking to a lot of bands lately about the whole "tangible vs. file based" album balance
I mean, I for one think that the physical records are kinda wasteful...

Yeah, record industry's carbon imprint must be through the roof....
Yeah, definitely, I mean, when you think about the amount of packaging waste that goes into the whole process. I think most people are satisfied these days with just having the music as a file they can use and that is enough for them. Times have definitely changed.

Most definitely.
I mean, maybe its a little harder to make actual money, as music is so readily available everywhere you look (and click-ed) but I think it is also a good time to be a touring band, because you can go places where once upon a time, if they didn't have a small indie rock independent store, they would never have heard of you, and now you have people knowing your songs and stuff....

Internet IS the new little indie rock store. Happy Record store Day, Josh! Still, some people like to have the master copy, or are fans of the artwork....
True. I mean, I am. I still get lots of vinyl myself too, and don't have an ipod, so, maybe I am contradicting myself.

Speaking of artwork...you do all the cover and t-shirt designs for the band, right?
Yeah, I mean, on "Swimming" (the latest LP-ed), Nick, Lawrence and I collaborated quite a bit on it.

I always thought it was kinda interesting that sort of simultaneously while you developed a more complex sound as a band, the artwork on the records became almost primally simple.
Well, we always wanted to go with something almost basic, sort of childlike. I did my fair share of colaging and painting in the past. For this record we played a lot with just basic geometrical shapes, primary colors....

Its pretty cool to see a band so involved in the design process of things, a record that is that way entirely your own, from the inside-out
I guess so, thanks.

We're pretty record cover design and design overall obsessed over here on BYT, I'll admit. I actually got kinda excited to see such a hands on approach. I mean, usually the bands tend to give some direction to the designer but it is the designer to keeps the reigns. Unless, of course, you're a teeny tiny band and then you go the whole "my girlfriend took this photo" route
(laughs) Oh yes, the old stand by...

Speaking of progression form teeny-tinyness .... you all have been together for almost ten years now...I assume, at this point you are all "full time French Kicks"...
Pretty much

So, for the bands just starting out, share some words of infinite wisdom, how does that come about...becoming a "full time indie rock band". When does that point arrive?
Well, for us, and for most other bands, I think, there comes a time when you are just touring so much, or REALLY want to start touring THAT much more, that it is impossible to sustain a fixed schedule job. So, you try to balance it out, but eventually, you have to cave, and give in. But even now, when we're not busy, we still sometimes pick up a free lance gig or something...

I can see that so clearly. So, on the new record you sing lead vocals on four tracks...
You've done research, I see

I have this big pile of info in front of me...none of them are questions really, just statements, that I'm going to throw out sporadically and see how you react...
I imagine you with a wall projection of French Kicks trivia in front of you.

How did you know? But seriously, the band kinda sings overall in group harmonies on all songs and plays on all of them too with you and Nick taking leads...
Yeah, I mean, right now, we're back to being just a quartet, so it has been interesting to see how things work out live with the vocal and instrumental layering, that was, maybe initially intended for more than four people

And...
I mean, we're really happy. We just played a bunch of shows in New York before kicking off this leg of the tour, and we're really happy how things are coming together.

I've actually seen you live a bunch of times...at 930 Club, when you played with Stellastar, and at RNR hotel last time...
Oh cool

And when you guys DJed
Oh right (laughs)

(as a side note, The French Kicks actually do a pretty rad DJ after party job, and their imeem contains a classy DJ playlist for all to peruse and share

)

Yeah, and I mean, I know you also DJed in college...
I did, is this all coming from your wall of trivia?

Indeed it is. So, before the next batch of questions, I wanted to ask what is some music you've been into lately...just stuff you've been listening to...
Me personally?

Yeah, I mean, if need be...take your ipod if need be and tell me what the 5 most played songs on it are.
I actually don't have an ipod.

Surprisingly a lot of people in the industry don't.
I mean, I have music on my computer, and I have speakers on my computer but I guess I just listen to CDs in the car, and records in my house. Lemme just look through some stuff... (starts shuffling through records)....

You're actually looking through things?
Yeah I mean, why not...so lets see...I just got myself some pretty awesome Fats Domino stuff, and ... Lawrence just got me into J.J.Cale, I've been listening to a lot of The Impressions too...

Awesome.
That's Curtis Mayfield, you know.

Oh I know. (I do, I promise). I am just taking notes because last week I fucked up some band recommendations while transcribing so am trying to keep things doubly backed up.
Haha

I mean, how embarrassing is it when you get a letter from the PR people informing you that "the band that Stereolab came off of was called Spaceman 3, NOT Basement 3". Whoops, I mean, I should presumably know this stuff.
That is exactly the kind of stuff I DON'T KNOW.

But back to The Impressions, that's some smooth old school choices right there Josh...
Yeah, its really awesome, chill, lazy beautiful music

Perfect for summer Sundays
YES!

Everyone needs more lazy summer Sunday (or Thursday music)

No new stuff?
Well, I am kinda shuffling through some recommendations from friends right now.

Trying it on for size, before fully commiting?
Yeah, but I'll keep you posted.

You better...So, back to business, for the longtime live show fans out there (ahem), what can we expect this Thursday, old to new stuff ratio wise.
Well...

And, before you answer, I only say this because "Trial of the Century" is still one of my favorite songs live of the last few years...
That's sweet (Josh is 100% creeped out by me right now, but hey, I own my fandom. OWN IT)

So, I REALLY DO want to know. (Josh probably imagines me pulling a knife and holding it to his throat should he say that "Trial of the Century" will not get played)
Well, we try to keep a good balance out there... I mean, we've been really excited about finding out what the new songs sound like so we've been playing 9 to 10 even of those, but we like to keep a nice balance, so definitely some stuff from Two Thousand, and some from Trial of the Century, even some stuff older than that....

Good to hear. So, we're in for a nice, epic set tonight.
We hope so.

And its a DC show...are DC shows any different for you guys than other shows? I mean, I know you yourself are not a native (Josh is from Alabama and went to Princeton, while the initial Kicks lineup (which has been no more for almost 9 years now) are from DC, (along with Stewart Lupton, his soon to be Johnathan Fire*Eater bandmates, that are now The Walkmen, with whom French Kicks extensively toured in the past) and then to Oberlin College.-ed.) but the rest of the band could kinda call it home...
Yeah, its always cool to play a DC show because of that. Nick and Lawrence's friends and family tend to come and stuff. It feels more cozy.

We've interviewed a bunch of DC native bands lately: Dead Meadow, Stewart Lupton...
Oh Stewart, that's so cool.

Yeah, he was great.
He is.

And the general consensus is that..there is nothing like a Mom and Dad shout out at a show.
Truly...Nothing like it. (laughs)

Well, we're really excited about it.
We are too.

Any beyond Thursday plans you'd like to share...
Well, you know, more touring, and then some more touring. And we're really looking to sit down and write some more....

So, already thinking of a new record?
We always are.

You seem to be on a neat 2 year schedule with those (2004, 2006, 2008...)...
Haha...yeah, I guess, no matter how spontaneous we try to get, we end up on a schedule. The next one may be sooner though.

Well, in the meantime, we'll just enjoy this new one.
Yeah, we're looking forward to this one slowly but surely growing on people. Its meant to be kind of a grower.

We're looking forward to it growing on us (what am I saying...? the end is obviously necessary here) See you Thursday.
Yes. And I don't know what the weather is like in DC, but here it is so great, I hope you enjoy the weekend

You too Josh.

Want more:
Befriend French Kicks socially here
Be at RNR tonight
and keep your eyes peeled for some exclusive BYT live session footage I somehow managed to make Josh and the boys agree to, which we will be filming before the show itself.