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Despite what you might infer from their name and the (current touring) company they keep, Foreign Born is a band that was born and raised in the good ole U.S.A. While the band shifted south from San Francisco to L.A., they are by no means a band that can be easily classified as having an "L.A. sound," typified by heavy fuzz and a fascination with glam. Instead, the band finds inspiration from artists like ELO, Bruce Hornsby, and the Doors--or at least Val Kilmer’s portrayal of the Doors--and can count Ed Droste of critical darlings Grizzly Bear among the band's growing legion of fans spread across the globe. In advance of Foreign Born's show at Chop Suey tonight (with headliners The Veils and openers The Other Girls, $12, 21+), we were able to catch up with lead singer Matt Popieluch to discuss the band's sound, influences, and upcoming plans.
Many have compared
your sound to a number of critically acclaimed and for the most part NYC-based bands, like The Walkmen and White Rabbits. Which comparisons do you feel are on
target and/or flattering, and which are less so?
Well, we've gotten the U2 comparison from the get-go, and although we've evolved quite a bit, some people are still sticking with that one! I don't know, maybe it's my alter-ego and tireless humanitarian work that's fanning that flame, but musically, these days we sound as much like U2 as we do Seal. We also get a lot of Arcade Fire and Walkmen [comparisons], which I don't mind so much. I have read that we sound like Snow Patrol a few times, and that just makes my mind sad.
How do you all
describe your music to those who have not yet heard it?
A darker and more energetic version of The Traveling
Wilburys.
What prompted your
move from San Francisco to L.A.? As musicians, what are the pros and cons of each
city? What are the pros and cons, more generally?
San Francisco was becoming dark. I was working in a ticket
booth at the Conservatory of Flowers and foresaw little upward mobility. I
think Lewis was bar-backing (although he also worked at the Conservatory at one
point). We both had been in SF bands throughout our college hazes, and felt we
needed some new scenery and a little less fog on our plates. San Francisco will
always be dear to both of us, but its season had passed in our lives.
L.A. feels more wide open, more productive and fertile. I just want to sleep in
parks when I come back to SF--which is not a bad way to go, but I got shit to
do.
What themes did you
look to explore in the new record?
Living in L.A., the darkness that haunts freedom.
You've mentioned in
past interviews that the moment you decided to become a musician came from
watching Oliver Stone's The Doors. Would you talk a bit more about this memory
as a foundation and how Val Kilmer and/or Jim Morrison have factored into your
thought processes over the years?
Ha! Well I don't know if I'd go that far, but it definitely
inspired me to write some bad poetry. I was already playing and writing my
first songs then, but that movie crystallized my budding psychedelic/band-dude
ambitions. Val Kilmer is the naked Indian I see at parties out of the corner of
my eye, if that's what you want to know.
Of those you have
toured with to date, from whom have you learned the most on a personal and/or
professional level?
Well, from touring with St. Vincent, I've learned there's
about ten million more things I could be doing with my feet while I'm singing
and ripping on guitar. Anne's footwork is a marvel.
What venues and
cities would you count among your favorites?
Vancouver in general, the Bottle Tree in Birmingham, Alabama, Spiraling Orchard Park in L.A., The Fernwood Campground in Big Sur, The Hideout in Chicago.
If some strange and
unfortunate phenomena forced you to only listen to music from one decade, what
era would you select and why?
It would have to be the 70s. Neil Young.
Who are among some of
your favorite artists who have been most influential to your sound?
Leonard Cohen, ELO, Lindsey Buckinham, Roxy Music, and of
course, Bruce Hornsby.
What artists are you
listening to these days?
I've been listening to a $2 tape I bought in Little Ethiopia
a lot. I don't have it with me on tour and can't remember the name nor could I
pronounce it, but it hasn't left my car's tapedeck in 2 weeks! Other than that--Group Inerane , John Webster Johns, Sprigs of Time compilation,
Luke Top, Martin Rev, Rolling Stones'
Sucking in the 70s.
If any, what current
Seattle artists do you count among your favorites and why?
Still MUDHONEY!!!
Are there any sites
or activities that you hope to see or do while in Seattle?
I'd love to get a cheeseburger while we're here.
What else do you have
planned for 2009?
Tour America with The Veils, conquer the airwaves, and barbecue our brains out!
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