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Fink Talks...
Linda Spence catches up with Ninja breakmeister-turned-singer songwriter Fink...What's the best gig you've ever done?
The best Live gig so far was at Bergenfest his year - the venue was great, an old bank, and the people were ace. We were on before an ace death country trio Elliot Brood - we did our thing, had a great time, then after the last song we were backstage and the promoter came through and said - look guys - you gotta do another one - and the crowd were still stamping their Norwegian feet and stuff - and for a support to be forced to do an encore - I guess that’s a good gig right? Also - playing Shepherds Bush Empire with Zero 7 in June was a really great gig for us too, as we’d all been on so many gigs there, and my drummer used to work there - so it was a big one…
So, what and where would be your best night out and with whom?
If I could just factor a time machine into this question - right now - I think it would be to chill with Genghis Khan on the Holy Mountain, overlooking the Kherken river in Mongolia at the beginning of the 13th century - or to dine with Caesar in Ancient Rome.
Could you give us some 'leads' on the folk front?
Right now I’m really into a few unsigned peeps, a few legends you know - this singer Carrie Tree is mesmerising - the most intensely original talent I’ve heard in years - a real acquired taste - but the voice is like silk and the songs are just sublime. I love Zahra Hindi, a French singer too - like Parisienne stuff with a Moroccan edge, I tell you what though - Jose’s going back in the studio soon - and I bet his new one is a belter. I hate this procession of Major Label Teen Folk that’s starting to hit - God it’s sickening…
What are Fink’s 5 'unmissables' at this years Big Chill?
Martha Wainwright, Ojos de Brujo, Lou Rhodes, Jamie Lidell, Nathan Fake.
How do you approach making tunes? What are you working on right now?
I approach every tune with the same eager anticipation and fear. I believe the tunes kinda make themselves, it’s hard producing and being in the band sometimes - the music is immediate and spontaneous and the producing is delicate and patient. Generally the singer/songwriter stuff happens in my living room - then the guys come over and we take it upstairs - it’s a long bitty process until we all say - yeah - like that - and then we bang it down - I’d say something like 80% of the current album was done in one take.
Right now Fink is touring pretty much all the friggin time - we can’t even enjoy the chill too much this year as we’re gigging in a different country the day before - and then opening Fruitstock the day after! - Currently I’ve just finished a remix of Pretty Little Thing for the Secret Love comp on Sonar Kollectiv, finished the new Sideshow (my electronic alter ego on AUS recordings) 12” late last night - the later you work the more delay you use - always works for me - and just about to remix the new Husky Rescue single from their new album - which is sounding sublime - the album, not the remix…”
What are your 5 best films?
Tim (Percussion) should answer this one really - he even remembers lines and stuff - mine are pretty typical I imagine - Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction, Deerhunter, The Shining, and Smokey and the Bandit - I say that - coz the weirdest thing happened to me this morning - the first thing I thought about when I woke up was Burt in Smokey and the Bandit - random….
Have you heard and what do you think of, the ‘guilty pleasures’ phenomenon?
I’ve heard of it - a girlfriend of mine last year went to one and had a great time - although I think from memory that Phil Collins was mentioned a few times - so I guess I need to check it out just in case…
Any good/funny work anecdotes to relate?
Yeah - one time I was at work, and like - I was like “dude - this whole work thing is killing me, and I’ getting fucked every month financially, and giving all and getting simply the promise of an empty future, RSI, lower back pain - and no matter how many orthopaedic wrist rests I get it doesn’t counter the fact that my body was not designed to sit in front of a screen for 12 hours a day” And every boss I had was like “dude - you’re too pussy to leave, you’re just as lazy as us” in my office, on the fifth floor…man that was so funny - happy days……
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from life so far?
Life is not a rehearsal.
Who are the best musicians you’ve worked with?
Amy Winehouse - a voice like a magnum handgun, a Tarrantino attitude, and seriously, one day she’s gonna make a seminal album - I also worked with Martin Taylor, a jazz guitarist whose skills are sick - and it’s really cool to hang out with someone and they say stuff like “oh yeah, when I was playing with Stefan Grappelli….” Or “no, can’t make that date mate - I’ll playing the Albert hall with Bill Wyman” - seriously cool and open minded guy - I hope we get to make a record - just trying to work something out right now with him and I'm thinking Leo, the drummer from Herbert, and Oro, the bass player with CBR - haven’t asked them yet…My band are also simply fantastically solid musicians too - every time is a pleasure…”
Who would play you in as movie of your life?
Jonny Depp, no wait, Brad Pitt, no wait, De Niro for the early stuff, Brando for the later stuff….
What's do you think of the state of the music industry?
I think it’s in a very healthy state - there are lots of indy’s out there - and labels like Domino, Ninja and Warp are still changing and getting stronger - and the majors and the indies are becoming more polarised (with a lot of thanks to the digital thing levelling the playing field somewhat) so that we don't tread on each others toes - at the end of the day, for all the shit on the majors - it’s easy to forget that some great bands are able to do what they do because Mariah Carey or James Blunt has filled the coffers with cash on some Asda tip. I think the difference between entertainment and music is slowly getting more defined….
And now the Big Chill forum users would like to ask you some questions is that ok?
That’s totally cool - fire away!
Why didn't you sing on the first album when you’ve got such a great voice? Is "Biscuits For Breakfast" really about waking up and dropping eckies? (Piz)
I didn’t sing on the first album coz I totally didn’t know - I only really started to sing stuff maybe 18 months ago - when I was trying to lay down guide takes for guest singers - one of them was like - mate, I don't wanna sing this this - the guy whose already on here sounds great” - which kinda made me hear my voice in a different way - my girl at the time was also like - you should sing, you should sing, - and I’m glad I did most definitely - also when I made Fresh Produce back in 1999 I was all into dj’ing, and electronica, and sampling - I was really into instrumentalism y’know - the song is dead and all that - I didn’t realise until maybe a year ago that this singing thing could work out..
Biscuits, for me, is about pushing a trolley around a major label delivering tea, coffee and biscuits to all the kitchens on each floor - my first job when I arrived in London, and the whole realisation through actually doing it that sometimes what you dream for isn’t all that, and that’s heartbreaking and liberating at the same time - it’s about turning into your job, and it’s about the joy, for me, of realising that before it was too late…
Are you a member of the cloud appreciation society? (Rich Wigglseworth)
No man - but I saw some guy on TV recently that had written a book about all the different kinds of clouds and how cool it was - last year was spent in pubs and studios - so the sky is something I rarely get to savour and enjoy….
How did you feel when you were awaiting a reaction from the label about you’re new album and why he you not tell them that it was you singing on the album? (Didn’t you tell them it was a guest vocalist or something?) (Hoods)
I just wanted an honest reaction to the stuff - if I was gonna do this it was gonna involve some major life, career and everything else changes - and just wanted to be sure Ninja were up for it in the rightest possible way - we told them it was some session singer guy I’d found in the states - and played them the early stuff - at that time I was looking at the record like I’m a producer and I’m just one of the guests on the album - it was only when everyone kept saying- you should do a whole album with this guy that I kinda dived into the whole singer/songwriter thing and came clean with the label - they were chuffed - they wanted a singer/songwriter - as we’re all big music fans at the label - and lo! - A free one, on a cheap deal - bargain!
Do you feel that making electronic music has altered you’re approach to 'traditional' song writing? (Henry)
Definitely - it has opened my eyes to the linear and hypnotic nature of some material - it’s why, I think, I really like John Martyn, Joni Mitchell and John lee hooker so much right now - they grab a vibe and ride the vibe so well - making electronic music in the nineties also kinda taught you that sound can be art - a good idea can be a good record, and tat the right record can really change things - albeit briefly - like LFO by LFO, or BORN SLIPPY, or 138 TREK, or Krust’s WARHEAD .
Why did you change musical styles so radically and was it considered commercial suicide by anyone? Also how are you going to play the two different styles live - singing fink for an hour followed by toon fink? (Dave & Kitty)
The dj’ing Fink is dead, buried, retired like batman - I still love partying and playing out - but not, like, seriously - the live set is all the new album - well as much as we can do live anyway! It’s 45 minutes of live winging it…I don't think anyone involved with Fink hasn’t thought at on the stage or another - is this gonna work - but I have faith in a good song, and a good label - and so far every dial has been pointing in the right direction - the label and I, were really concerned that, under no circumstances, were we going to allow ourselves to get lazy and jump on the bandwagon
I couldn’t really care less about how he got into music or what pets he has, but you can pass on my comment below:
'Fink mate, you are singularly the finest singer songwriter I have heard this year' - I thank you. (Dombles Shiloggy)
Thanks Dombles - that’s a Lovely thing to say - and I don't have any pets.
Written: 12th Jul, 06
Read: 3006 times
