Interview with Fierce Creatures
After The Rock Hop two weeks ago Ed did an interview with Fierce Creatures! Get the inside scoop on them here.
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How did all the band members meet? Any childhood friends or the like?
Nathaniel: Mathr and I met through a mutual friend John Quiroz. We all played in a Fresno band in the early 2000's called Most Inspirational. When that band ended we didn't talk for a while and then he and I some how got reconnected and decided to start working on music again. To make a pretty long story as short as possible, we asked our old drummer to work with us again, got introduced to Jon Rulloda, did a few shows, nixed that project, started another with Mathr, Jon and myself, went through a few drummers before we got Tomas, nixed that project, Mathr invited Joel Melton and our mutual friend Mike Adame to jam and then Amanda Valdez came along. That line up clicked and we just locked ourselves in the studio for a few months and started writing. Then we had cake.
Jon: I didn't grow up with any of the members. I met Mathr and Nathaniel when we started a band previous to this one. Everyone else I got to know over the years.
Joel: that's a quite a long story. i'll just say we are all forever indebted to eharmony.com
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Who are your main musical influences? I noticed some similarities to Foster The People, though not quite 100%.
Nathaniel: I actually haven't listened to Foster The People (gasp) except that one song that is every where ( all the little kids with the pom pom sticks and they run and they run then up jumped the boogie, those are the words right?) not that I'm dising them yo. I think we're all influenced by different things, I love the Beach Boys, Van Morrison and Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and Nick Cave. A lot of singer song writer stuff. Also, The Rascals and The Drifters. I think above all, I, like all my band mates, enjoy a really well written song.
Jon: Personally, my influences include the Beach Boys, Broadcast, Motown groups (specifically the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye), the Olivia Tremor Control, Joe Meek, etc.
Mathr: Mainly Lady Gaga. I listen to other stuff and things but always back to Gaga. She's neat!
Joel: i appreciate pop music, catchy hooks, strong melodies. i'm drawn towards the bands that can do that while creating something unexpected, or blur genre lines. some of my favorites are radiohead, pink floyd, blonde redhead, and most recently, tame impala.
How is the local music scene in Fresno? Who are some of your favorite local bands? What are your favorite venues to play?
Nathaniel: The scene in Fresno is pretty stratified. There are so many bands here that I'm not even aware of because they run in their own circle. There is a lot of hard rock, metal, thrash and punk music. It seems like there will always be an audience for that. The venues change all the time but there are staples like Audie's (aka Club Fred), The Starline, Tokyo Gardens and Kuppajoe, there have been some newer venues that are still in the early stages. We're inspired by the bands we meet on the road and what they are doing in their community. We're working on some things here for the Fresno music scene.
Jon: It goes through waves. There would be a ton of great bands playing lots of great shows and releasing great music and then they would disappear and then back again. It's a continuous cycle. My favorite local bands are the Quiet Americans, Achievement House and Strange Vine. All are amazing, amazing bands. If you get the chance, do yourself a favor and check out their music.
Mathr: It seems to be on some kind of 2 year cycle. Great bands will invariably find another market that supports them & cease to play as often in Fresno. Other bands tend to over-play the city & people lose interest. However, it has been said that any complex system on repeat will eventually become stable. Change is a-brewin'.
Joel: i think there has been a lot of positive energy lately. some really great music has been coming out of fresno over the last year or so. newer bands like achievement house, the quiet americans, and sahab, have been turning heads, creating some fantastic music and putting on killer shows. i would love to see more people coming out to support the local scene. the quality of local music is reaching new highs, and i expect more and more people will take notice and want to become a part of that.
Since your EP was released last year, have you noticed a steady increase in buzz around your sound? PK mentioned something before that I noticed too, that the crowd seemed to be left stunned after your performance. Do you notice this when you play?
Nathaniel: Well, the barista at Starbucks always sets aside the last blueberry scone for me and when I ask for extra napkins at restaurants they give me a nice big stack and less attitude. Other than that things are pretty much the same!
It's been good, things come and go in waves. With the music industry the way it is now and all the online blogs, everyone has a very short attention span. You try to stay relevant. We've had a good response from the EP and have been able to play SXSW and tour and even get a manager involved with our career as a result. It really has helped us network. Above all though the music has to be there.
I think we've had a pretty positive response overall but we do have our critics, Jason Pettigrew from Alternative Press Magazine said "If you believe the good stuff written about your band, you automatically have to believe the bad stuff."
Jon: I think there was. Blogs were picking up our EP and it seemed like we were getting a good amount of attention. As far as the crowd being stunned, I don't know if I notice anything like that to be honest. When I play (not sure if I can speak for the rest of the band), I get into a kind of zone and phase everything out. I think anything that's noticed is after we play and people come up to us to tell us how much they enjoyed our set.
Mathr: I'm actually a voodoo zombie and I'm only allowed out for shows. Due to this, I am usually quite fascinated by the world around me.
Joel: we have devoted a lot of time and work into playing shows as often as possible both at home and in other cities, and i have to say, it feels very rewarding to realize we are making some kind of an impact, or leaving a positive impression on people. we play the hell out of our music live, and i think people enjoy seeing a band get that into what they are doing.
It sounds like "Satan is a Vampire" may be a huge hit for you over the next several months. Are you ready for the success and exposure that may be on your horizon? What fears you the most about possible mass mainstream success? Would you be thrilled to follow Young The Giant as next year's rock act on the VMA Awards?
Nathaniel: Where there is a chance for success there is a chance for failure. I'm not sure if you can ever truly be ready for either of those but chance favors the prepared mind. We work hard to maintain and build what we have and we mentally and physically prepare our selves for the worst. I think as a band, if you want to survive, you put those grand illusions of over night success and money out of your head; instead, you practice your ass off, learn to live on pennies and focus on playing every night of the week. You put on a good show and care about your audience so they will have you back and maybe bring a friend or two the next time. It's an experience I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.
The only fear I have is being told what to do; you accept it a little, it comes with the territory but like most musicians and artists we want to retain creative control.
Jon: I think we're ready for whatever the future brings us. I think as long as we stay true to what we do musically, then everything that comes along with it is an added benefit.
Mathr: That song is ridiculous. It's about the Twilight Saga.
Joel: you can't fear success, when i think that is something most bands work for in their own way. as for being ready, i guess you can't fully anticipate what being in the "spotlight" feels like until you are put into that position. but we believe strongly in hard work and have a dedication to what we do. with or without a vma invite, there is a passion we have for what we do as musicians and performers that isn't going away anytime soon. ;)
Now some dumber/sillier questions....
What's your favorite television show?
Nathaniel: The Cosby Show
Jon: Currently, the best show on television is Community.
Mathr: Doctor Who. I've actually been compared to the Eleventh Doctor portrayed by actor Matt Smith. Bow ties are cool.
Which two members of your band fight the most, even if playfully?
Nathaniel: The band and Eddie Van Haulin' our van. It's a love hate relationship. We hate it when he breaks down but we will always love him no matter how bad he is. He also doesn't have A/C right now.
Jon: It's not just two member. We all fight. In a Royal Rumble.
Mathr: Brett and Owen. Brothers are like that, though.
Joel: i'll let jon answer that one, which leads into my next answer...
Who is the nicest member of your band?
Nathaniel: Brittini (our Merch Goddess)
Jon: I agree that it is Brittini.
Mathr: Definitely not our producer, Deon. He's never feeling it, this time.
Joel: jon. aside from being ridiculously good at any instrument he picks up, he just so nice it hurts me sometimes.
What are your thoughts on SLO County's group PK?
Nathaniel: lets just do some word association. you say PK and I say:
SexyAssMuthasWithReallyBigHeartsAndAmazingChopsAndAKillerLiveShowWithScreamingFansEveryNight.
Jon: They are a tight knit band with a solid following.
Mathr: Nicest bunch of dudes you'll ever meet.
Joel: fantastic bunch of guys. we've had the opportunity to play with them a few times, and it's always a blast.
Picture Atlantic brought you to San Jose, and we thank them. When is the first time you heard of Picture Atlantic? How did you get connected?
Nathaniel: Not really sure how it all happened. I think Mathr met Nik first. Regardless, on of our good friends from Fresno Rico (who now drums for PK) was drumming with Picture Atlantic. They came through Fresno a lot at the time so I saw them a bunch and we just kind of became friends. When you're in a band it's a lot easier to become friends with bands, especially when you have similar work ethics, you help each other out.
Jon: We played with them at Kuppajoe here in Fresno. We all knew the old drummer who happened to be from Fresno.
Mathr: Met Nik randomly about 6 years ago. Jon and I used to share an apartment and he was in town with my friend Risa. He needed a place to chill for a few hours so we hung out and got to talkin about music and thangs. Turned out we had a lot in common.
Joel: i first met them when we played a show together in fresno. since them they have become friends of ours, and i'm certainly glad we could join them in san jose. they organized a hell of a show.
Anything random that you wanted to say?
Nathaniel: The closing line of a quote I love by this man, a great thinker of our time. I invite everyone to read his words.
"...The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
Jon: "Don't go chasing waterfalls." - TLC
Mathr: Linguine. Fetuccine. Polka dot bikini. No problem!
