Brian
Fowler interview November 16th 2003
Jeff Hill: Hello Brian, great to see you
Brian Follicle: Thanks and Hello
Jeff Hill: the "Pop Art" album is very eclectic, mandolin
and therimin together is a new sound for sure. What influenced you
to make music like this? Who are your influences?
Brian Follicle: Bill Monroe,Hawkwind,Bob Harvey,Gabe Holland,Wisdo,Ian
Anderson the list goes on.....
.
Jeff Hill:The intro is a nice lead in to crazy. The therimin work
is awesome and I like the country blues licks on the guitar.Great
start for your album.
Brian Follicle:Crazy is a acoustic song that we recorded on the
Roland 840, We usually use Gabriels Yamaha and work tracks w/ that.
We are getting better w/ the sound. We go to Area 51 Studios and
have Larry Rose help us w/ the sounds and mastering. Our Sound Man
Stan Stephens ,Larry,Gabe and myself mixed the album. We just kinda
rotated and mixed the album. The whole album rolled out and off
the tip of the tounge and worked. Larry rose has Willie Nelsons
old mixing console, some awesome vintage sound. Larry's Studio is
a hub for Southern Rock, Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie) is recording his
new album there now. Gabe really did some great work w/ the therimin.
I love the atmosphere he creates w/ it.
Jeff Hill: Bob Harvey worked on this album w/ you, what was that
like working with Bob again?
Brian Follicle: It is always great to work w/ Bob Harvey. We have
been playing bluegrass and picking some, We recorded a couple demos
and are writing and tossing around ideas. Gabe brought a beat to
one of the sessions and asked me and Bob to record a track, I got
on the Acoustic bass and Bob got on Autoharp and we recorded to
Gabes track. Gabe had his friend JOBE to scratch and I added some
more mandolin and wallah "Serial killer Subculture". Me
and Bob have written 15+ songs together and have always helped each
others music any way we could.
Jeff Hill:What are the buzzlighter Series?
Brian Follicle: Pete Knapp of Shuteye Records has compilations that
go out to college radio w/ different Singles of indie Rock Bands.
In Zeitgeist we have those for sale.
They have our singles "Haunted" and "House of No
Windows" as well other bands.Buzzlighter 6 will be available
in December w/ our new Single "Only Minds are Worth Reading".
That song is available on 6 lives at www.sfblue.co.uk
Jeff Hill: this will be your 5th album in the last 3 years, how
do you go about writing and coming up with new material?
Brian Follicle: I am fortunate to have people llike Bob Harvey,Dr.
David Wisdo and Gabe Holland who are great writers around me. Gabe
is a excellent writer we almost write a song every time we get together.
Each album has been different and I feel they are sounding better
with each one. That is what I am trying to do.I get by w/ a little
help from my friends.We all write and there is never a shortage
of material.
Jeff Hill: The trumpet is great on the title track "Pop Art"
Tell us more about Master Jimmy Holland?
Brian Follicle: Jimmy is Gabes Father and he really cooks. He has
recorded w/ the Memphis Horns and is a great player. He can play
jazz,space you name it. he really sounds great on "Unchartered
By thieves" as well as "Haunted" He will be a regular
on the albums and a proud member of the Jones Ave. Flying Circus.
Jeff Hill: Jones Ave. did alot of live shows this year, did Superczar
perform live this year?
Brian Fowler : Yes we did a movie premiere of "Chaos god and
the sun monster" which is a 23 minute short movie written by
Kreg Thornley. We went to Atlanta did a WREK live interview promoting
the show then we did a concert after they showed the movie. The
movie is available at www.thunderbubble.com
you can download and watch it. They used the cut Superczar in the
film. We may work w/ Kreg again in the future. His dad was Kerry
Thornley who founded the Discordian religion. interesting stuff
for sure.The venue was the EYEDRUM in Atlanta, I liked the atmosphere
and wouldn't mind going back. Currently we are rehearsing a live
show w/ Superczar and have added a few new members and suprises.
Jeff Hill: Superczar uses alot of proggramming and beats, why don't
you use more live drums?
Brian Fowler: We use alot of different instruments and percussion
Ideas. The beats are mixed in w/ acoustic songs, as well as the
electronic stuff. Stress Signal,6 lives and now pop Art are completed,
one thing for sure when you get music from our camp it will be different
and evolving. The next Superczar album will have live drums and
hardly no programming. Superczar has been a duo, with jones Ave.
backing us up live. Superczar is moving towards having a full band
and being a separate entity. We plan on doing some live shows this
year and promoting Superczar heavily.
Jeff Hill: You have been recieving some airplay lately on college
radio and internet radio overseas do you feel the music of Superczar
is being discovered by more people.
Brian Fowler: We have been getting more and more steam and help
from radio and friends overseas that want to promote our original
music. Shuteye Records has helped us w/ the compilations Buzzlighter
4,6, and Melodic Marvels. Alot of folks who wouldn't normally hear
us have found us. The internet Radio like Radio Caroline and Aural
Innovations and Alchemical Radio have been very helpful and I thank
them for it.College Radio has picked up and played "Haunted"
and that has been helpful getting us out there to those who don't
know about SUPERCZAR.
Jeff Hill: Where would one buy your cd's and music?
Brian Fowler: We have all our cd's available thru Zeitgeist
in Edinburgh Scotland at the website www.sfblue.co.uk
. You can pick them up at a good price, Any cd sale is important
to us, It helps keep the band w/ equipment and it helps us make
more cd's. Song samples are available at the Zeitgeist
MP3 sitel
Jeff Hill: I really enjoyed POP ART the cd and i wish you luck w/
it, I think it is the strongest album to date.
Brian Fowler: Thanks, We are glad we have 3 albums now and they
are done and out.Those albums are a product of 7 years writing and
playing music together. Gabe, myself and John Joiner founded Jones
Ave. so Gabe has been there since day 1. Gabe co-wrote "Reality
Aroused w/ me on the Idiots Vision album w/ Bob Harvey. Me and Gabe
keep working and trying to make good music. Anyway thanks for the
interview it helps us get the word out..
Jeff Hill: Thanks for the opportunity to do this and good luck with
your future endeavors..!
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