
Fendahlene Interview
Q: Can you talk about the history of the band?
A: Ash and I have known each other since high school. We'd played in a few high school bands for one-off gigs and band comps, but it wasn't until 1994 that we decided to put something more serious together. We formed Fendahlene with Ben, another school friend on drums, and spent about a year writing and rehearsing before playing our first gig in Sydney in December 1995. We became something of a fixture on the Sydney live scene throughout the late ‘90s and early 2000s, and in that time, we released two EPs (Blue Fortress in 1997 and Touchdown in 2002) and a full-length album (Anyone Who's Anyone in 1998). We also released a double album in 2005 called A Decade of Near Misses which comprised 13 of our favorite tracks from our (then) back catalogue plus 13 new tracks. We relocated to the UK and Europe in 2006 and after a hiatus we started writing and jamming again, which culminated in our latest album, High and Low and Back Again.
Q: I was reading you spent almost a year recording High and Low and Back Again. What was that experience like?
A: We recorded the album in essentially three blocks of about a week each, and in each block, we'd record and mix four songs. It was a good way to build the album because having the gaps of time between each of the recording blocks allowed us to consider the shape that the album was taking. It also helped us to consciously not get locked into one particular sound or style of song. Recording is always a great experience – it’s fun and totally absorbing, and so those week-long blocks went by in a blur.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: It varies, but lately I've been finding that a good way to kick things off is to play a song by someone else, or to try to play some chords in the style of someone else. Somehow that seems to free up my mind a bit, and I can then just let my mind wander and the song ideas seem to flow. I don't really understand it, but it's somehow finding a way to tap into the creative part of the brain…. I try not to overthink it, and in fact thinking is really the enemy, at least at the start when you're trying to come up with an initial idea. Once you have that initial idea the process can then get a bit more analytical, but certainly in the early stages of a song I find that it's best not to think, I just play and let my thoughts wander.
Q: Can you talk about the history of the band?
A: Ash and I have known each other since high school. We'd played in a few high school bands for one-off gigs and band comps, but it wasn't until 1994 that we decided to put something more serious together. We formed Fendahlene with Ben, another school friend on drums, and spent about a year writing and rehearsing before playing our first gig in Sydney in December 1995. We became something of a fixture on the Sydney live scene throughout the late ‘90s and early 2000s, and in that time, we released two EPs (Blue Fortress in 1997 and Touchdown in 2002) and a full-length album (Anyone Who's Anyone in 1998). We also released a double album in 2005 called A Decade of Near Misses which comprised 13 of our favorite tracks from our (then) back catalogue plus 13 new tracks. We relocated to the UK and Europe in 2006 and after a hiatus we started writing and jamming again, which culminated in our latest album, High and Low and Back Again.
Q: I was reading you spent almost a year recording High and Low and Back Again. What was that experience like?
A: We recorded the album in essentially three blocks of about a week each, and in each block, we'd record and mix four songs. It was a good way to build the album because having the gaps of time between each of the recording blocks allowed us to consider the shape that the album was taking. It also helped us to consciously not get locked into one particular sound or style of song. Recording is always a great experience – it’s fun and totally absorbing, and so those week-long blocks went by in a blur.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: It varies, but lately I've been finding that a good way to kick things off is to play a song by someone else, or to try to play some chords in the style of someone else. Somehow that seems to free up my mind a bit, and I can then just let my mind wander and the song ideas seem to flow. I don't really understand it, but it's somehow finding a way to tap into the creative part of the brain…. I try not to overthink it, and in fact thinking is really the enemy, at least at the start when you're trying to come up with an initial idea. Once you have that initial idea the process can then get a bit more analytical, but certainly in the early stages of a song I find that it's best not to think, I just play and let my thoughts wander.
Q: What are some of themes of your latest release High and Low and Back Again?
A: A lot of the album deals with the modern world of social media and instantaneous communication, and the way that, paradoxically, we can all be instantly connected and yet we fail to truly connect. There are also some songs that look at the current political environment in various places, and there are some songs that are more personal and reflective. Perhaps the common theme that runs through all the songs is one of empowerment: that is, the power to effect change – whether that be personal change at an individual level, or political or societal change – is within all of us.
Q: Have you played any of the material live or perhaps virtually?
A: Yes, we played “Two Sides” and “Speak Out” at a festival gig a while back, and we also did “Cookie Cutter Life" and “Which Way to Go” in a pub gig in London during the recording of the album. Since then, we've done virtual performances of “Burnt Out,” “High and Low and Back Again” and “Get Over It,” and there's more to come.
Q: What else should we know about your music?
A: It’s always evolving – I hope we're continuing to improve as songwriters, and we hope that what we write and record has some weight and merit to it. But of course, it’s also meant to be fun, catchy and enjoyable, and so hopefully the fact that we enjoy what we do comes across in the music.
A: A lot of the album deals with the modern world of social media and instantaneous communication, and the way that, paradoxically, we can all be instantly connected and yet we fail to truly connect. There are also some songs that look at the current political environment in various places, and there are some songs that are more personal and reflective. Perhaps the common theme that runs through all the songs is one of empowerment: that is, the power to effect change – whether that be personal change at an individual level, or political or societal change – is within all of us.
Q: Have you played any of the material live or perhaps virtually?
A: Yes, we played “Two Sides” and “Speak Out” at a festival gig a while back, and we also did “Cookie Cutter Life" and “Which Way to Go” in a pub gig in London during the recording of the album. Since then, we've done virtual performances of “Burnt Out,” “High and Low and Back Again” and “Get Over It,” and there's more to come.
Q: What else should we know about your music?
A: It’s always evolving – I hope we're continuing to improve as songwriters, and we hope that what we write and record has some weight and merit to it. But of course, it’s also meant to be fun, catchy and enjoyable, and so hopefully the fact that we enjoy what we do comes across in the music.