What do you get when you combine ten years of relentless touring with nine musicians who love to create high-energy music?
The answer to that question is Vancouver’s own Five Alarm Funk. The band’s fifth studio album Abandon Earth is set for release on June 10th and is a concept album revolving around the destruction of the Earth by a giant robot. The band will be celebrating with an album release party this Saturday June 7th at the Commodore Ballroom here in Vancouver.
I had a chance to chat with vocalist and drummer Tayo Branston this morning about the writing process for the new record, the inspiration behind the cover art, and music festival highlights.
asapmusicblog.ca: What was the first song in your memory that inspired you to pursue music?
Tayo Branston: You know what, from what I’m thinking it’s The Moody Blues. I can’t remember the song but I remember my dad had The Moody Blues tape and I played it when I was a little kid, and I played this one tune on repeat. I can’t remember the name of the song but yeah, it was a song by The Moody Blues and that’s just kind of the time that I got my first drum kit and stuff like that and that really set me on the path.
A: The band approached the creative process for the new album, Abandon Earth, differently than your previous records. What was different about the writing for this record?
TB: The writing was totally different – the way we worked in the past was more of in a group setting. We’d all go down to our rehearsal and we’d kind of hash out songs over just jamming and kind of getting ideas and stuff like that. This one, we actually took the time to sit down in smaller groups and actually write and discuss the benefits and pros and cons to each part we were writing. So we did it in smaller groups, kind of a group of three, and then once we had finished writing the tune we’d get the whole formation, everything set, we’d bring it into rehearsal and then everyone would kind of put in their input and bring their piece of creativity to it.
A: What is the inspiration behind the cover art for Abandon Earth? I saw the image and I really liked the earth on the ice cream cone.
TB: Basically, Abandon Earth is a concept album and it’s a concept album that came about from one of our songs “We All Scream”, which is the opening song on the album. As we were writing all these songs, we kind of weaved them into this story that was revolving around the ice cream man and the destruction of the world. We thought what more perfect way than to show the earth in its fragile state that it is, you know, plopped on top of this ice cream cone. It’s the perfect image that relates a lot to things that are happening to the world as well, global warming and things like that. For us, that was the image that we needed to have.
A: Five Alarm Funk is known for the energy in your live shows. Festivals are a staple in both your past and present summer tour scheduling. What are some of the most memorable moments that you’ve had playing music festival?
TB: The first one that comes to mind, we were in Keelung in Taiwan and it was the Mid-Summer Ghost Festival they have over there, well, two great shows come to mind. One was down on this beach and there were thousands of people out there and I mean, the equipment that they had was awful – I broke through two drum skins on stage, but just being in that environment. I remember the heat, and the playing, and the people were having such a great time, and just being in that different environment – it really stood out to me. As well we did a five-hour parade on the back of a flatbed truck in Keelung and we were just playing and playing, we’d go around and people were lining the streets. Just being in that kind of environment is so different, it was so different for us that it really stands out in my mind.
As far as Canadian music festivals go, there are so many great festivals. One of my favourites is the Sunfest in London. It’s a totally free festival right in the city square of London, Ontario and it’s wonderful because it’s free and everybody comes. There’s food vendors everywhere, there’s six stages, and the hospitality and the people that put on the festival are so great. We’ve been back there for five years in a row now, it’s like home when we go there now, so that’s one of my favourites. Evolve in Antigonish [Nova Scotia], all the Jazz Festivals – Vancouver, Saskatoon Jazz Festival has been so great to us, we’re playing Ottawa Jazz Festival this year.
All the energy that Five Alarm Funk has onstage comes from the excitement about being able to play music we love for people who are enjoying it.
A: Do you prepare playing a show at a music festival differently than if you were to play a club show?
TB: Absolutely not, no. Every show that we go into, if we’re in a bar for a hundred people, we’re going to play the same show that we play at a festival for 10,000 people. That’s just the way it has to be. When you’re onstage or when you’re performing, you have to give it your best. You have to be there and you have to be in the present moment, and there’s no reason why it wouldn’t be the same.
A: If you could narrow down a single message that you would want your music to convey, what might that be?
TB: It’s to have fun in life. It’s to not get stuck in the little things and look at the big picture and be able to express your freedom and love what you do.
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For more information on Five Alarm Funk and their upcoming tour dates, please head over to: http://fivealarmfunk.com.
