All Set For a European Adventure // An Interview with THE COLOURFLIES

• Thanks so much for the interview. Let’s trace the band’s roots and story. 

Matt: The band was conceived in an all-night cram session of every band we wanted to smush together and sound like, somewhere along the way, we lost ourselves, but then again, were we ever really there?

• What are your main influences and inspirations?
  

Matt: Our main influences starting out were the Beatles, Graceland and  Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr., Foo Fighters and Breeders, Mike Watt, and Genesis. Also “Grease” and “CATS” Broadway soundtrack (1988)

Tom: The biggest influences that directly inspire my current playing are Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Frank Zappa, Johnny Marr, Jerry Cantrell, J. Mascis, Billy Corgan, David Gilmore, and Zakk Wylde. 

• How would you describe your sound?

Matt: I would describe it as the essence of the human soul being pushed through a razor wire fence. Fisticuffs and zithers. Very loud, but also very quiet. Very delicate, very brat. 

• What does the word ‘shoegaze’ mean to you?”
  

Matt: Shoegaze, is the ability to create a world or atmosphere with a piece of wood with wires on it. It’s truly amazing, the scope of sound that can be made. I play shoegaze sometimes, but I talk to the audience, I’m not looking down. We can transcend, we can be ethereal. 

• Tell us a little about your recording process and how you create your songs.
  

Matt: The recording process is meticulous, in the sense that I have mostly a full scope of what I want to do, and even a work order usually written down. Usually, I just layer and layer until it sounds right. I can usually get things done in one take, but I do alternates to see if anything creatively springs up. For example, I just recorded in Vegas and all of that recording is one take on everything, sometimes to make it just so, more time has to be taken though. 

Tom: As far as recording goes, Matt presents a song. It varies, but in many cases, he has finished the arrangement before he brings it to the table. He’ll then layer his parts and depending on time I often get about 20 minutes or so to find a way to shine. With him laying down 3-4 rhythm tracks and an additional 2-3 solo tracks, mostly I find ways to carve out some extra flavor here or there as opposed to being a more foundational element. If there’s a gap in the chords, I’ll try to hit something heavily effected as a filler. Almost as a drummer would. Something that hangs in the background but makes for an interesting moment here and there. If time allows, I also try to do single-note leads centered around matching the vocal melody. Just little sections to highlight the lines without distracting from them. That’s the goal at least. 

• Which song(s) are you most proud of and best represent the band?
  

Matt: There are a handful of songs I’m proud of in our catalogue. “Talithia de Flavor” from the first record, “Jurassic Park” from the first label released album, a song that will come out called “Cow,”  “Bomb Pop,”  and “Hair,” are very true songs to where I was the last three years and have reached thousands of people, which is crazy and “Rush,” “Green Tea,” and “Love Letters” off the new album, “Staresque.” The last two being ambitious in Scope and sound. The solo I play on “Rush” is one of my favorites of all time. “Green Tea” is one of my only times of following the muse of someone I love to come out with a pure pop song I can be proud of, and it’s getting played on actual radio in the States, so that’s something. “Oh” and “Diamond Dolls,” but I didn’t write it. 

Tom: With there being such a large body of work from over many different eras. It would be difficult for me to think of songs that most accurately represent the band. I think the Been there seen it time of the band could best be described in the tracks “Jerkass”and “Jurassic Park” really drive home the rock band vibe. While Scharlie’s kiss and Avocado out an emphasis on the songwriting element. Songs like “Vamps” and “Kasha” I think represent the most previous variation. Further exploring more psychological and emotional paths. This current and future era I think is going to be captured best by “I’m so Tired,” “Rush,” “Shibari,” and our version of “Avocado.” I’ve loved playing “Rush” for a long time and I’m glad we’ve finally got to get it recorded. 

• What kind of old/new music are you listening to? Any current bands/artists that you are excited about at the moment?
  

Matt: I’ve been listening to a lot of Jeff Buckley, you have to go with the live versions. I’ve been going back and listening to the white album outtakes, which I love. Blushing, a newer Shoegaze band. The new live Jimi and Frank Zappa stuff that’s coming out. Barenaked Ladies, Artfull Dodger, Alliyah, Animal Collective, Squeeze, Shudder To Think. At the moment, I’m falling more in love with the Supremes, Billie Holiday and Nat King Cole. I really enjoy Teenage Wrist, Kitty Junk, The Salt Riot, and a band called Bug, Waves Crashing and Blue Cocoon, we just played with them and they were amazing. 

Tom: Some Modern bands I’m into are bands like Teenage Wrist, Softcult, Enumclaw, Blushing, Cherry Pick, White Reaper, Castle Rat, The Band Royale, Electric Citizen, Sleepy Dog, Melanie Faye, Narrow Head, Blvck Hippie, and Animal Ghosts to name a few. I’m hopeful that these acts will gain more traction in the coming years. 

• Who would you most like to collaborate with?
  

Matt: I wouldn’t mind doing something with J Mascis or Jacob Givens or Micheal Tighe. 

Tom: I’d most like to collaborate with Teenage Wrist. They have such a great record sound and out on a great live show. I’d really love to see what kind of insight working with them would bring. There’s a lot of mutual influence between the bands while having vastly approaches, so I think the potential for something unique could exist. 

• What has been your best/worst gig so far (both as a performer and spectator)?
  

Matt: Worst gig would probably be when everything stopped working on a tour and then I knew I had a whole other week of playing ahead of me. Best gig, would probably opening for the Meat Puppets or Green Jelly on tour in front of like 800 people. Or even some of the local stuff where people are packed in this place we have called Neato burrito, like 50 kids fill the place and it goes off and is wild. Shoes are thrown. I remember seeing Iron Butterly or we opened for them or something, back when I was a teenager and it was really bad, but we grooved anyway, I saw Steppenwolf that same week at the same place, in our very small town. 

Tom: As far as best and worst gigs it’s far easier to pick my best show from the bunch. Played The Whiskey a go go in LA as the bassist for Lust for Glory. It had been my dream since I first started playing. To get to be on the same stage as bands like The Doors and Van Halen, and basically every other musical hero of mine was an absolute highlight. To say what the worst show was is difficult. Some standouts are a particular show in the middle of a farmer’s field where I got bit by fire ants before the set. We still played good but it was a painful experience to say the least. Another time I had an amp blow up playing in 105 degrees after driving 6 hours to the gig. And another time, at some vegan punk club in Seattle, we had a sound guy literally turn off the monitors mid show and proceeded to turn my amp practically off. I’m guessing my tone was too meaty for his tastes. 

• What are your plans for the future?
  

Matt: I expect there to be a lot of 9 v power supplies plugged in, as far as our performance, we have sent puppets in place of us and we doubt anyone could tell the difference.  The puppet’s amps will be at 11. 

Tom: The next plans for the foreseeable future are to hopefully do a European tour next year to kick off this last album release. We have more songs recorded and ready to go for when the time comes and I’m really looking forward to traveling and playing them on the road soon. 

• Any parting words?
  

Tom: As far as parting words, I’m excited for the next adventures that come. I hope other people who like explorative music find their way to us and get to be part of the adventures as well.

Matt: We plan to come play Europe for a month. Paris first, then London, and then Dublin, and I’ll see you there, you bring the fish, and I’ll bring the chips.