…in an era when most bands find themselves resorting to giving away an album without any label support, somehow Louisville quartet The Fervor find their new album Arise, Great Warrior coming out via 3 different labels on 3 different formats. Teaming up with Yim Yames’ Removador Records for the digital release, SonaBLAST for the CD issue, and drummer Mat Herron’s Karate Body Records for the vinyl issue. Regardless of format, Arise, Great Warrior is an excellent album that somehow manages to channel delicate introspective pop, epic arena rock gestures, and rollicking swagger into a singular statement both grandiose and earnest. We spoke with keyboardist/vocalist Natalie Felker recently about the recording sessions, the multi-faceted release, and being a band from one of the Midwest’s most fertile music scenes….
The Buddha Den: How have things changed for The Fervor over the past year? How have recording and touring schedules changed for you?
Natalie Felker: We spent the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010 recording and mixing Arise, Great Warrior. We weren’t able to tour as much, since we were working on the record and trying to work our day jobs to pay for said record. But we managed to play about twenty shows, including some festivals like Forecastle and Boomslang. It was actually kind of weird not to tour as much. I think we are all dying to get back in the van again.
TBD: How do you feel about the results on the new album, Arise, Great Warrior? What was the recording process like for the band? How long did you work out in San Francisco?
NF: We were in SF for about two and half weeks. All four of us got sick immediately upon our arrival, so that made things interesting. There was a lot of “We need more kleenex” and “Who wants to go in on a bottle of Mucinex?” Very rock n’ roll. But it didn’t matter, because we were basically like kids in a toystore. We worked in two studios, Radical Sounds and Mission Bells, both of which had a wonderful selection of vintage gear they kindly let us use. We began at Radical Sounds by tracking all four of our instruments live, in one room to two-inch tape. It helped to put us in our element. Afterwards, we did guitar, keys and percussion overdubs. It was fantastic to wake up every morning in the Mission and have nothing to do but go record for two solid weeks. Unfortunately, I was too sick to record vocals while we were there, but that allowed me to come home and work with our friend Kevin Ratterman. We brought the tapes back to him and mixed the album through an analog board, without the use of computers.
TBD: With the new album coming out on Yim Yames’ Removador Records label, what are your expectations for exposure? How did that partnership come about? Why the decision to put it out on vinyl on Karate Body Records?
NF: I think Removador can help put us in front of an audience that might not otherwise hear our music. We liked their style and knew we wanted to work with them. We gave a copy of our record to our friend Johnny Quaid of The Ravenna Colt, who is also involved with Removador, and to Yim Yames. We knew at the very least, they’d give it a good listen. Putting the vinyl out on KBR was a no-brainer, since Mat Herron is both founder of Karate Body and our drummer. Isn’t the whole point of starting a record label so you can put out your band’s records? Ha. But seriously, they have a great catalog and we’re fortunate to be able to put out our first vinyl album with KBR.
TBD: What is the songwriting process for the band? Where do ideas initiate? What sorts of themes lyrically do you gravitate towards?
NF: Songs generally originate with either myself or Ben. We tend to work on them at home before bringing them to the rehearsal space. Once we’ve got the whole band together, it’s more collaborative. We like playing together and bouncing ideas off each other. Mat and Michael have been playing music together since they were about 15, so there’s a level of familiarity and comfort with the four of us working together. Lyrically, I tend to gravitate towards themes of moral conflict, spiritual renewal, travel, sex, anxiety, loss, courage… you know, the little things.
TBD: The tone of the album bridges a lot of gaps between 70s arena rock and modern indie flavors. How do you reconcile these two elements as a band? Is there any conscious effort on your parts to adhere to any sonic templates or is just instinctual?
NF: A big part of that is the instruments we play, the kind of sounds we like and the way we tend to record. I love big drums, loud guitars and a nice, warm electric piano. I also love melody and harmonies. I think we just like what we like, and it shows through in our sound. While our taste in music overlaps, it’s also pretty varied between the four of us. I think if you asked each of us what our top 5 Desert Island Records would be, you’d get four different answers.
TBD: Louisville continues to be one of the more unique music towns in the Midwest. How do you see yourselves in the context of the ‘Louisville scene’? What do you feel is unique about the city’s music and people?
NF: I think we’ve added our own unique patch on a diverse quilt of Louisville bands. What I like so much about this city’s scene is it’s sense of comraderie. When Ben and I first formed The Fervor, we didn’t know very many people in Louisville. We were pleasantly surprised to see how receptive people were. On the whole, I think Louisville is pretty supportive of its artists and musicians, and that makes for fertile ground to be creative.
….you’ll be able to catch The Fervor in Dayton this Wednesday, first on WYSO with Juliet Fromholt during Kaleidoscope, then down at South Park Tavern along with The Motel Beds and Smug Brothers. We’ll see you there…
MP3: The Fervor “Crazy for the Feeling”
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MP3: The Fervor “Bent Around a Dying Dream”
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