In Conversation: Spoon

As part of our SXSW round up...

Marking the release of their ninth studio album ‘Hot Thoughts’, Austin based Spoon played a three-day residency at SXSW in their hometown. Clash spoke to keyboardist Alex Fischel the day after their show at a rammed The Main in the heart of the festival about a new sound, a love of disco and how Dr Dre might have been their biggest influence.

Walking past The Main on East 6th Street in downtown Austin, there's a crowd snaking down the side of the building and into the bustling street. It's half an hour before Spoon play their biggest show as part of the three day residency here. As is the curse with big shows and small venues at SX, unless you have the right pass or know the right people, seeing the bigger headline acts is pretty impossible. If you're in, you're surrounded by makeshift gazebos and outside bars blazing with lit up lone star beer signs, standing shoulder to shoulder with people who've travelled from all around the world to be at the hottest industry festival, now in its 31st year.

For Spoon, it's a local gig. The band started in Austin in 1993 and is still based here. Frontman and born and raised Texan Britt Daniel, originally from Galveston a couple of hours south east, and drummer Jim Eno released their debut more than 20 years ago. As they take to the rickety stage of The Main, it's 1am and new record ‘Hot Thoughts’ is officially out. It's a different sound to that jagged experimental guitar led indie Spoon is known so well for – which could be because of keyboardist and relative Spoon newcomer Alex Fischel, who joined the band four years ago, as well as some more surprising influences.

– – –

– – –

We’re in Austin, at a veteran festival with a band pretty veteran to the local scene, so what better way to get all the insights into these crazy few days. Accept Alex is from and still lives in LA. He can't even tell me where I can see an armadillo, although he assures me Britt has a stuffed one in his house.

It's not his first South By, but it's his favourite to date, catching bands like A Giant Dog and Sweet Spirit among their own sets. Alex isn't the first to say this is a quiet SX, which seems strange as you can barely move for the thousands of people hanging out on the downtown streets and filling every bar.

"It's great playing to a small crowd," Alex says. "A lot of the show is back and forth energy. There's something about the smaller sweatier clubs where you can feel the exchange between audience and performer. It builds and grows and feels great."

The band played new single ‘Hot Thoughts’ at these shows among a host of Spoon classics during each 45-minute or so set. With a rapturous applause and whoops, the new heavier electro synth sound seems to be going down well.

– – –

There's something about the smaller sweatier clubs where you can feel the exchange between audience and performer.

– – –

Moving in a slightly new direction wasn't a conscious decision, Alex says. They started writing the record while still touring 2014’s ‘They Want My Soul’ and it seemed a natural progression from one song in particular.

"The last song we put together on the last record was ‘Inside Out’ and I think in hindsight that was the starting point for where this record ended up. There's a lot more keyboard and there's not a drum set. It's electronic drums. It's more sound-scapey and adventurous sonically," Alex says.

"We didn't say let’s go down this path more, but everyone felt good about that song and enjoyed it, so naturally we picked up from there and kept going that way."

Listening to a lot of Talking Heads and Bowie’s ‘Lodger’ at the time might have seeped slightly into the mind of Spoon, as well as an unexpected favourite.

‘I couldn't put my finger on one thing that defined making it that way, but we we listening to a lot of Talking Heads and Lodger when we were recording. ‘Inside Out’ was inspired by Dr. Dre. We were listening to ‘2001’ a lot and when ‘Inside Out’ started as a piano song, we were like 'how can we do this differently?'. Britt was the one who said we should try it like a Dre track."

"There's probably bigger Dre fans out there, but it's such a good album. Fuck, I don't know how it got into my brain. It's just undeniably great so every now and then I go back to that record. We all do."

From Dre to disco. Alex has his first penned song on this record, ‘First Caress’, written in collaboration with Britt. His biggest influence is probably his mum!

"I never thought I would write disco because my fucking mum loves it, it's all she would listen to. I fucking hated it. But the seeds are deep within me and there's nothing I can do about it," he says, denying he ever used the term ‘disco rock’ to describe it.

"It's just fucking fun. It's a fun song. It's a driving rock song with synths and bass and drums and vocals. I had sent him [Britt] shit in the past, but this one he sent me back him singing over it. I can't sing so I just sang a melody and syllables over it."

– – –

I'll deny it’s disco ‘til the day I die!

– – –

"I brought it down to a different key and then got his version back. He'd changed the melody a bit and put lyrics to it and that was a very cool feeling. I was like “this is exactly how it should be”. He's got good taste. He's a good guy and he knows what he's doing that's for sure."

But, more importantly, what does his mum think about it?

"Oh, she loves it. She's like 'this is a disco song. I told you it was great'. I'll deny it’s disco ‘til the day I die!"

"‘It's the groove of it. The drums and bass. To me that's a big part of music – the rhythm of it. That's probably why I'm not great at the lyrics because, to me, the most satisfying part is coming up with something that feels good and makes you move a little bit."

The record was launched at small gigs in Austin and London’s 100 Club earlier this month and the band will be back in the UK soon… that's if their new venture of anti-Trump tacos doesn't go crazy.

Pairing up with Austin restaurant Veracruz All Natural, the band created El Norten’, a taco overflowing with egg, cheese, bacon, peppers, and tortilla chips. They know how to make great tacos here, but it's more than a delicious munch – it's two fingers up to Trump.

"It's so crazy here," Alex says. "It's fucked. To me, immigrants and refugees is what this country is supposed to be. I'm Jewish. My grandparents made it over. I know so many people that wouldn't be here if immigrants were turned away. It's fucking insane to see this happening. It hurts."

"The taco is the perfect foundation for a revolution."

– – –

– – –

Words: Gemma Hampson

‘Hot Thoughts’ is out now.

Buy Clash Magazine

-
Join the Clash mailing list for up to the minute music, fashion and film news.