Fickle Friends – Hello Hello

By starrymag | April 19, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Disco tinged indie pop

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Erm….Phoenix, Friendly Fires, Michael Jackson and Max Martin to name a few.

 

Q) How did the band get their name?

 

A) Before the band was a thing I was going to be one half of a DJ duo called Fickle Friends because we were crap friends. [laughs] But that never went anywhere and I stole the name for the band.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Hello Hello.”

 

A) We wrote it in twenty-eight minutes in our make shift home studio in an Airbnb in East Hollywood. It’s about being with someone who is in a bit of a downward spiral…doesn’t know who they are anymore…doesn’t see their worth….and sticking with them through that, hoping the person you knew is somewhere deep down.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I always thought this song was quite easy to “get” musically. It’s not particularly complicated. So, lyrical content aside, I feel like its main hook is something people may want to turn up. But I reckon a lot of people will know what I’m talking about…It’s multifaceted. The subject applies in relationships, platonic or romantic. I, myself, have found in the last couple of years, struggling with anxiety, that I don’t recognize myself sometimes and it’s the people around me who make me feel more like myself.

 

Q) How will the video play into the message of the song?

 

A) I don’t think it really does. [laughs] I quite like it when the video has nothing to do with the song subject. I guess you could view it as an opposite…People desperately trying to be something they’re not/do things they wouldn’t naturally do whereas the song is more about being with someone who is a bit lost and wants to find themselves again.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I keep a book of lyrics and poems. We start the music first, mostly, and once we have created a melody I start piecing together then lyrics. Recently song titles have been inspired by the percussion loops we use or the project file. That was the case for “Brooklyn.” [laughs]

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) We were completely self-produced up until we record the finished product. But even the demo is 80% of the song. Usually we just re-record guitar and bass and track drums and vocals. All the rest of the production stays mostly the same. We’re control freaks ha.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Fickle Friends performance?

 

A) High energy live pop music. Big percussion sections. Mediocre dance moves (on my part). The audience tend to throw a lot of glitter and inflatables.

 

Q) Will there be an EP or full album coming in the near future?

 

A) There is an album coming at the end of the summer!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans

 

A) It means we have direct contact with our fans. We love being able to offer last minute guest list for shows and reply to fan art and any questions people have. Our new fav thing is Instagram live! Someone suggested a tattoo for me the other day and I got it there and then.

 

What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

Q) THANK YOU, THANK YOU! YOU ARE SO RAD! (Ya know, keep it simple and to the point.)

ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY NATI SHINER

Watch the video for “Hello Hello”