Faded Paper Figures

Los Angeles’ Faded Paper Figures came to NYC for CMJ, and talked with QRO....
Faded Paper Figures : Q&A

Faded Paper Figures : Q&A

Los Angeles’ Faded Paper Figures came to NYC for CMJ, and talked with QRO. In the conversation, Kael Aldean, Heather Aldean, and R. John Williams discussed their new album, Relics, how they started making music together, their video for “Breathing”, being described as “upbeat,” and more…

 

 

QRO: When it came to recording new album, Relics, what was it that you felt had to be said (whether it be lyrical content or how the sound of the album was desired to be)?

FPF: We wanted Relics to be both the musical and lyrical culmination of all our other work thus far, as well as a vehicle for venturing out into new ground. The idea was, since this is our fourth album, to both reward our long-time fans with inside references that only they’d get and also appeal to listeners who may be encountering our music for the first time. So, for example, whereas the opening track “Breathing” is a song about death and its mysteries, the line, “No love escapes this last necropolis” was intended to not only conjure up those questions but also echo a line in one of our very first songs, “Metropolis,” “Only love escapes this glass metropolis” – riffing, I guess, on our earlier selves while diving into even deeper philosophical waters. It’s a recognition, in other words, that our songs don’t just emerge out of some kind of composition-machine, but are part of a longer trajectory of artistic expression – they’re expressions of who we are, and so all the pain and joy in those songs are our own pain and joy.

QRO: The sound of Faded Paper Figures is highly distinctive and I can hear the influences in such a refreshing way. When you guys first met what would you say clicked in terms of ‘I should be making music with these people’?

We wanted Relics to be both the musical and lyrical culmination of all our other work thus far, as well as a vehicle for venturing out into new ground.

FPF (Williams): Our first collaboration was as casual as me bringing pizza over to Kael’s house, recording a simple song with guitar and voice, and then Kael spending the night waving his magic production wand over it, with the final result completely blowing me away. I’d tried recording songs on my own before, and had been writing for some time, but not until I met Kael did I think, “I completely trust this person with my art!”  And that trust has turned out to be very mutual, and mutually rewarding. When you’re in a band that exists for as long as ours has, you need to trust each other, and to continually renew that trust, since the sound has to evolve and we as people will naturally evolve and change. That we’ve managed to continue in the face of so many difficulties and transformative experiences is no doubt due to the equally magical effects of our fans and their support. We have entered a time in our careers where we realize, this isn’t just for us anymore, and that a lot of people will be hearing these songs and thinking about these lyrics, which is a weird kind of privilege in a way, and that privilege also motivates us to keep going, keep ‘clicking’ with each new project.

QRO: Was their ever a goal in terms of where you guys wanted to be as a band or was it more of a form of escapism?

FPF: The “goal” at first was simply enjoy making music together, and to try to do so in a way that didn’t involve a lot of debt. In fact, that’s still the goal, although things have evolved to a point where it’s less of an “escape” than it is a fully integrated part of our lives and careers. There are always those times, especially when pressed with the gigantic tasks involved in finishing and releasing an album when we think, “Is there some way to escape this?”, but what keeps us moving forward is the continued support we get from our listeners.

QRO: How has the band dynamic evolved when you guys play live? What were some hurdles that you feel that have been overcome when it comes to playing live?

Our first collaboration was as casual as me bringing pizza over to Kael’s house, recording a simple song with guitar and voice, and then Kael spending the night waving his magic production wand over it, with the final result completely blowing me away.

FPF: We realized right at the beginning that we weren’t going to be one of those bands that goes on tour for months at a time, but we have always loved the challenges and rewards of putting together a show (even if our shows have been relatively few and far between). So obviously most of our shows have been in southern California, which is where most of the band lives, and that has made the logistics of putting together our live sound relatively manageable. But having done shows along the east coast now, we feel like we’ve finally figured out how to be relatively mobile and pull of a live show in a way that both provides a kind of ‘energy’ with drums and loud synths and is also true to the albums. The only problem now is time. How to carry on our regular careers and still play all the shows we’d like to? We don’t have an answer for that yet.

QRO: How did the video for “Breathing” come together?

FPF: After talking with the director Richard Farmer we knew right away that we wanted him at the helm. We basically gave him only three conceptual cues: ancient Egypt, digital Tron-like world, and Heather as goddess. The world of the lyrics seemed to demand as much. And we couldn’t be happier with the result!

Faded Paper Figures’ video for “Breathing”:

QRO: It’s almost impossible to read about the band without coming across the word ‘upbeat’. Would you describe Faded Paper Figures as an upbeat project, and if so would you say that came from a lack of upbeat/positive music in the world?

FPF: “Upbeat” is nice, although I think we’ve always tried to combine optimism with earnest melancholia. Our goal has never been to try to make people ‘feel better’ with music, but rather to make music that feels *true*. And there’s no doubt something comforting about encountering a musical or lyrical phrase that seems to capture an emotion – even if that emotion is extremely sad or pensive. That’s really the idea: to be as true as possible to our emotions, even if they are sad, terrifying, joyful, or upbeat.

QRO: What has been your favorite experience playing live and what do you think it is that’s made this experience a memorable one?

FPF: This last tour has to be our best experience playing live!  We’re always worried that no one will show up to hear us, but everywhere we went people came out and sang along. It seems totally impossible that people we don’t already know would be motivated to leave home, come to a dark club somewhere, and shout along with us, and yet it happened at every show. It’s extremely gratifying.

The truth is, nearly everyone has something dark and interesting going on behind the scenes. Ours just happens to be music.

QRO: What’s the main reaction you get from colleagues/students when they find out what you do?

FPF (Williams): I imagine it’s the same for Heather (who is a medical doctor): there’s an initial “huh?” followed by a “oh, cool!”  The truth is, nearly everyone has something dark and interesting going on behind the scenes. Ours just happens to be music.

QRO: Lastly, when it comes to where Faded Paper Figures are now as a band; how does that contrast to how you guys started and where would you like to take the project from here?

FPF: Where we are now is feeling exhausted by an album release and tour, but we’re already thinking about what’s next, which includes a cover of The Smiths’ “Hand in Glove” for a 30th anniversary tribute to their first album, as well as an EP with an unreleased recording from the Relics sessions and a few remixes/covers.

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