Falklands

I knew it was going to be a good idea to interview Falklands about their new album and Canadian tour when I saw where they were finishing it. The Edmonton band closes out their month-long tour back here in the city…at Teddy’s.

I first discovered Falklands when putting together some weekend events in mid-August. They were playing at Wunderbar, which has become one of our favourite haunts – but you’re probably going to know Falklands if you listen to a lot of CJSR. The band is really pushing, and really proud, of its college radio play.

“College radio, independent radio,” says Falklands guitarist Mark Budd, “is the supporter of independent music. It’s the way independent music thrives. It’s important to support local stations like CJSR, like CKUA. You’ll hear stuff that will blow your mind, expand your horizons. It’s incredibly important to support local music and local stations like that.”

Not that Falklands are hoping college radio will carry them to sold-out shows on their pending tour. The band reaches out to fans in all kinds of ways, including their website, MySpace, a Facebook page, a Bandcamp site, and they’re also on CBC Radio 3.

Before we talk about the tour, and the new album, I should bring you up to speed.

As noted, Mark plays guitar in this 70s bass-rock, power-pop, indie band. Jason Stevenson sings, Lee Klippenstein drives the bass groove, and Jerf Sebastian bangs the drums. These guys are more than lead singer and guitars too. You’re going to dig the bass and drums, because this is a band that knows rhythm, likely from listening to so much Motown.

Example:

As Mark tells it, he and Jason got together last year, when Jason had some songs he wanted to work on with some backing musicians.

“But I was like ‘Hey, how about we just make music?’” Mark explains.

They needed a drummer and phoned Lee, who was actually in another band at the time. He told them to try “this guy named Jerf.” (He’s the one with the amazing mustache in the photo above.)

Mark and Jason met Jerf one winter night.

“He broke his kick drum within the first 30 seconds of the first song that he played.”

“(He) rushed out to the music store, got another kick drum…alright, this is our man.” Mark’s got the excitement of finding the band’s drummer when he tells the story.

“A few months later we kind of courted Lee, over some donairs. He was actually the real instigator of us becoming a high-energy band. That guy’s a firecracker.”

“If you want to ply someone, you do it with a donair. I think it’s the sweet sauce actually,” Mark laughs.

The band’s played about 60 shows in the last year and change. They’ve also put out two EPs and two 7-inch singles.

(Hey, look at that! One of the 7-inches was recorded by our friend Doug at Edmontone Studio. Small world.)

Heading into Edmontone for their 7-inch single prepared the band for recording a full album.

“You can hear [in the single sessions], you can hear holding back. It’s intimidating. You want to catch the energy but you want to hit all those notes.”

“But we learned about recording. About parts of songs, overplaying, enhancing certain parts. Recording really exposes you as a musician.”

For the new album, their first, they spent two weeks in Vancouver at The Hive Studios, recording for 10 days with Jesse Gander.

“Jesse’s an outstanding producer. He’s been recording for a long time. And he’s a super-good friend of ours, which helps. You want to feel comfortable in studio. We felt comfortable there. I think it shows too. It captures the immediacy of the live show, but I’m happy how the instrumentation turned out, happy how the music turned out.”

—–

Shrimp Break

Now, I’ve been to Teddy’s before for dinner.

And I knew they served their shrimp cocktail in a gravy boat of sorts.

So it seemed like the perfect snack to accompany lively music discussion.

Shrimp Break Over

—–

Falklands is taking their new album (available on vinyl and via digital download) all the way to the maritime provinces. They’ll hit pretty much every province between here and the Atlantic Ocean (except Newfoundland and Labrador).

“It’s the fifth or sixth time we’ve been out on the road. Done Winnipeg, Vancouver… bunch of western Canada… Once you decide to go past Winnipeg you might as well go all the way, which is why we’re going to Halifax.”

The guys in the band all have day-jobs too. How’d they swing four weeks off?

“You get very understanding bosses,” Mark says with a smile. “But sometimes you can’t take six weeks off to hit Newfoundland.”

“We’re all really comfortable with each other. Whether it’s playing music, writing music, driving or just hanging out. (It’s ) a polyamourous relationship with three other dudes. Going out on those little tours, really, it was like preseason to this. You learn how each other live, and how to deal with it.”

“You hear some bands have a hard time getting together with each other, hanging out, not this one.”

They’ve also got a secret weapon on the road.

“Backgammon. One of the simplest games in the world and it’s hours of entertainment.”

Mark says this is a band that wants to be on stage, with a crowd.

“If you don’t like playing live I just don’t get it. It’s one of the most exciting things in the world. You’re always on your toes, always on the edge. It’s an awesome feeling. And I know that Jason, Lee, and Jerf, they all feel the same way. That’s why we play so much, why we go on tour.”

And they do have a reason for criss-crossing the country to end up in downtown Edmonton at Teddy’s.

“You want to find someplace special, someplace that people may not see shows often. But you want somewhere people also feel comfortable. We thought this would be kind of the perfect place,” Mark says.

“You rent out the room and it’s like having a party with your closest friends you want to celebrate with.”

Being on stage, exciting the crowd, that’s what Falklands seems to be about.

“Playing live, that’s how you get your name out, people buy your records, you get paid at the end of the night. You get beer…you get enough money to fill the gas tank.”

So, no, they aren’t rich rock stars. That doesn’t seem to bother Mark.

He gets excited talking about some of the fun, intimate, crazy shows they’ve played, and some of the Edmonton venues, and bands, that blow him away.

“There’s nothing like Edmonton. The weather here is terrible, the roads are terrible. But why complain about that stuff when you have a bunch of great friends. You have a really great art scene, it’s not pretentious, it’s not cliquey, it’s really accommodating and welcoming.”

“We could easily run off to Montreal or Vancouver, somewhere with better weather, maybe better roads, somewhere where it’s easier to tour. Edmonton bands have a certain strength to them, a certain work ethic you don’t see in other towns.”

“For now, and I think for a long time, we will be an Edmonton band. This is where home is, this is where you get your foundation. Why run away from it?”

Falklands launches their first Canadian tour, with Plus Perfect, Saturday night at New City. Falklands is back in Edmonton, at Teddy’s, October 23.

Their new album is available, in vinyl, Tuesday. You can get the digital download for whatever you think it’s worth a’la Radiohead.