INTERVIEW: Future Generations — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Future Generations

___________

THE chaps of Future Generations…

have been telling me about their new single, All the Same, and filming its video. They discuss New York City and what we will get from their upcoming album, Landscape – the band tells me how they got together and whether their latest work differs from their earlier stuff.

I discover what the guys do away from music and which upcoming musicians we should get behind; what they hope to accomplish before the end of the year; whether they all share music tastes – they each end the interview by selecting a song.

____________

Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

We’re great! Relaxing after a little tour in June. End of June/early-July is the time we’ve all planned our summer vacation/family obligations - until we get back and start getting ready for the fall tour.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We are five fellas looking to inspire future generations with new-fangled Indie-Pop.

All the Same is out. What is the story behind the song? How did it come together?

We’ve been working on this song for quite some time. We originally recorded it all the way back when we recorded One More Problem but something about it just didn’t sit right. It took us many tweaks and adjustments until we realized that the drums are what needed to be fixed. We took about eight hours straight in the studio going late into the night trying different drum grooves until we decided that the simplest groove was the best.

Sometimes, it just works out that way.

What was it like putting the video together? Was it a pretty eventful shoot?

The shoot was ultra-smooth. We worked with Ken Polyak and Drew Lewis. We had a similar vision for the song: retro party vibes juxtaposed with a dystopian work/school environment. We had a ton of fun and got the chance to connect with a few fans whom we invited via Twitter for the party scenes.

Landscape, the album, is out on 14th September. What sort of themes and ideas inspired the music? Do you each have a standout cut?

Heartbreak, maturity; exhaustion, perseverance and new love. These are the emotional themes behind the album. Musically, there are too many to name but the ‘umbrella theme’ would be challenging ourselves to make the best songs we could. There was never a specific genre, band or sound we were trying to achieve: we just wanted to take each song and bring it to what we thought was its full potential.

How do you think the album differs from your early work? Do you consciously add new elements in?

We’d like to think of this album as more of a cohesive set of songs. Our first record was a compilation of songs that were recorded throughout a few years. With this record, we had a ton of demos; picked the best twelve or so with our producer and re-worked them, one song per day, for almost two weeks straight in the studio.

What was it like working with producer Justin Gerrish?

The experience was a re-enactment of the movie, Whiplash. Just kidding. It was more like the movie, The Mighty Ducks, and Justin was Gordon Bombay. Aside from being a real talent in the studio and behind the board, Justin was pretty instrumental in encouraging us to experiment and get the songs to places we’re excited about.

How did the band get together? What was it that bonded you all?

We met in the basement of our freshman dorm at Fordham University in The Bronx. It was the music room (literally, a room with an electric piano) and Eric (with a guitar) stumbled upon Eddie (playing the piano). They started playing and it was going pretty alright but then Mike stumbles into the room with a weird box and some speakers. Turns out, it was a mythological sampling device known as the MPC2000 that would soon develop our sound and be the glue that made our songs come alive - and eventually made us decide that, hey, why not be a band. Soon enough, we landed our first paid gig (out on the quad, paid heavily with Taco Bell crunchy tacos).

When we started playing shows a bit more seriously, we recruited notorious bass legend on campus, Devon. When we started playing even more seriously we recruited our drummer, Dylan, off of craigslist.

Do you all share musical tastes would you say? Have you all discovered artists through one another?

We’re constantly introducing artists and songs to each other. One of the biggest ways we all discover music is through each other. When we’re touring, we like to pass around a phone with Spotify and each put on a song in a playlist for the ride. We’re always taking note of a song we like that some of us haven’t heard.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

Besides becoming the next Def Leppard, we want to visit as many Applebee’s across the U.S.A. as possible.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

We all have different favorites. One of the best experiences for all of us was our time at Firefly. Seeing Weezer, Muse; The Weeknd, Busta Rhymes and others only mere feet in front of you was so inspiring and joyous.

If you could all support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Dylan: I would play drums for John Mayer.

My rider would include water, red wine; cheese and crackers, steak frites; an Xbox with Call of Duty and a T.V. to view live sports. I think I could ask for all of that playing with him…

Eric: I’d open for Andrea Bocelli.

My rider would include a barbecue and a few hundred hot dogs and hamburgers.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Tour your freakin’ arses off. It’s the best way to grow your fan base and get tight as a band. Do it at any cost.

IN THIS PHOTO: pronoun

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Side Hustle, Ritual Talk; pronoun, YL; Petite League and Zuli.

IN THIS PHOTO: Ritual Talk

Do you all get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Yeah, definitely. We all have jobs aside from playing music. Typically to unwind, we’ll go to the beach or do some Tae Bo or eat at one of the many fine eating establishing we have here in N.Y.C.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Dylan: Vundabar – Oulala