On Song :: Still Flyin'

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A new year, a fresh start! That’s what we like at TLOBF Towers. What better way to begin a new year than with a new feature! Our new On Song series will focus more on the music, a place for you to find out more about what goes on when an artist discovers their music.

To kick things off we’ve got Still Flyin’ from San Francisco. Surf-indie-pop has never sounded so good. It’s what Los Campesinos would have sounded like if they’d grown up in the Sunshine State rather than the cold, damp British Isles. You can catch them at Be At Proud in London on 17th Jan to make up your own minds… In the meantime, here we go…

What was the first song that really caught your imagination?
“Believe It Or Not” by Joey Scarbury. I used to live in Germany as a teenager and my family was in some restaurant and that song started blasting and even though I thought I’d never heard it before I was singing all of the words. I thought it was some sort of mind-control trigger mechanism and my life was over. Turns out as a baby The Greatest American Hero was my favorite show and I was obsessed with the theme song – but I was so young that I have no memories of this whatsoever. Just proves that if a tune truly jams you to the bone it gets permanently lodged somewhere in the brain, waiting for that moment that you hear it again and get your mind blown.

What was the music your parents liked and do you think it’s influenced you at all?
Definitely! I grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac, the Byrds, James Taylor, Tom Petty, and Bruce Hornsby. Those were my dad’s choice jams. Although one time he brought home a Black Sabbath documentary and I was pretty into that as well. I really think that nothing can come anywhere close to influencing me as much as the music I was brought up on does. This was the first music I heard. My dad would play guitar and sing stuff to me as a little kid and this stuff is in my core. Nothing can touch Fleetwood Mac’s effect on me whether I like it or not.

What posters did you have on your wall as a kid?
I had the stupid idea to cover my wall with cd sleeves. I also had some posters and ripped out pages of magazines. Let’s see… Stone Roses, Husker Du, Small Factory, Superchunk, Pavement… indie rock, basically. Plus I had a poster of a menu from this hamburger joint I liked a lot.

Which songs or albums would you play at a party?
The ultimate party album is this cdr ep my buddies made. It’s by another band I play in called Je Suis France, but I’m absent from this ep. It’s called Tittania and it’s nothing but cover songs. It’s got the aforementioned “Believe It Or Not”, plus crucial jams like “I Love LA”, “Thank You For Being A Friend”, “Scatman”, and the best song of all time “Drinkin’ Bone” (their version at least). Everything you’d ever want or need at a party. I’ve jammed this several times at parties, sometimes on repeat, and it always takes it up a notch. Conversely, if it’s 2:30 in the morning and a bunch of random doofs show up because the bar just closed and they’re looking for a party to crash and you want them to leave, the best anti-party jam is a Tuvan throat singing album tuned up really loud. Any will do. I’ve done it before and it works splendidly. The people start muttering that the party is weird and leave.

Which songs remind you of a rainy day?
There’s that song “Rainy Days and Mondays”. That reminds me of a rainy day, especially if it’s a Monday and it’s raining. If that’s happening then I put that song on repeat until it’s either no longer raining or it’s no longer Monday.

Which album do you seek solace in when you are feeling sad?
“Sad Fella” by the Droopy Dudes

Which album would you play when you wanted to get down to some lovin’?
“Sex Miracle” by the Horndogs

What music was, or would be, the “first dance” at your wedding?
Actually I just got married a couple months ago. Still Flyin’ was the wedding band without me or my wife (she is a member too) in it. Pretty good band without me in there to mess it all up! The first dance was “Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place)” by Talking Heads.

What was the first gig you went to as a paying customer?
In high school one of my best friends was in this extreme sports punk band called Armored Bus. I saw them at some community hall or something. That dude is in Still Flyin’ now. I was scouting him 10 years ago and after years and years of heavy thought, I asked him to be in a band with me.

Name the one song you think everyone should hear.
“Who Let The Dogs Out”?

Which one artist do you think not enough people know about?
U2. Dudes from Ireland.

What’s the best thing you’ve heard recently?
I heard a leaked version of “Brothersport” from the new Animal Collective album. The best song of 2009.

Dead or alive, what 5 acts would you have play with you at a festival?
The Hott Chord bands (referenced in a Still Flyin’ song – “Hott Chords” are these sort of universal pop jams that transcend all barriers and generate good feelings for all):
Eddie Grant
Lipps, Inc.
Lionel Richie
Dire Straits
ELO
Michael McDonald
Sorry, that’s six. But I sing about all six and didn’t know which one to remove!

We’d like you to make us a mix-tape. Pick five tracks with a theme of your choice.
Easy!

Hott Chord Jam Mix 2008
Eddie Grant – Electric Avenue
Lipps, Inc. – Funkytown
Lionel Richie – All Night Long
Dire Straits – Walk Of Life
ELO – Turn To Stone
Michael McDonald – What A Fool Believes

Six again. Sorry.

And finally, who would win in a fight: a stoat or a goat and why?
I had to do some research to figure out what a stoat is and it seems like an English ferret/skunk/weasel hybrid creature. Apparently they eat animals larger than them, and a goat is larger than a stoat. Since I’ve never witnessed a stoat firsthand, you’ll have to take my answer with a grain of salt. I am no stoat expert (yet). Now, goats I am more familiar with. I know that goats can eat anything – they can tin cans if they want. Super stomachs. Based on this knowledge, I think what would happen is a stoat would challenge a goat to a brawl and the goat would offer to do a quick game of dare beforehand. The stoat, having no fear, would surely accept. The goat would eye the nearest pile of tin cans and challenge the stoat to eat one. The goat would gobble one up no problem, while the stoat would struggle to swallow it down, the metal shredding its throat and intestines. Then the fight would ensue and the goat would kick the stoat in the tin can-addled stomach and the pain would be too much for the stoat, who would give up. Goat wins. Easy.

Still Flyin’ on MySpace