A
song is all it takes to make you become a fan of a great band. Take
today's guests for example, it was the song – Yellow Hills – from
their superb debut album – Vol 1. - that had me instantly got me
hooked on Space Fisters, whose blend of Space Rock, Stoner Metal,
Psychedelic Rock with hints of Ambient and Jam-Based riffs spoke
volumes to me.
I
contacted the band if I could review their debut album – Vol 1. And
they provided me with a copy right away. I bought a copy of this
excellent album on Vinyl just after one listen. A very rare thing for
me to do. Sure I buy vinyl all the time but not until I have listened
to the album for a few days or so. Not so here as Vol 1. will appeal
to fans of Sleep, Kyuss, Hawkwind. Earthless and fellow countrymen –
Mars Red Sky.
I
said this about Vol. 1 -
”Just enjoy the ride as this is work of insane and twisted genius.
It may not fit into the conventional Desert/Stoner Rock mould but it
does make for one thrilling and disturbing encounter.
Space
Fisters have created an excellent debut album that I hope finds them
many fans within the Stoner Rock/Metal scene. It showcases another
great band to check out from the awesome French Stoner Metal scene.”
Space
Fisters have kindly agreed to talk to us at Sludgelord HQ. So lets
get down to business.
Q1
– Hi guys. How are things with you all today.
We
are good ! We are happy, we’ve got some gigs and we’ve got also
good critics about our first album so it’s cool for us !
Q2
– Can you give a brief history to our readers of how the band came
about and where it is today.
We
mate during our study and we spend a lot of time to smoke weed and
listen good music. But one day, we’ve decided to make something
great instead of do nothing and we start the band.
Q3
– Why did you choose the name Space Fisters. Any specific meaning
to the band.
First,
this name make us laugth, it was not really serious. We were looking
for a another name but we love that name, it’s the idea of the
band, just take a big fist coming from space ! And there is a lot of
band who got stupid name like us so, we don’t care it’s great in
that way.
Q4
– How would you describe your own sound. As I feel it's best coming
from the band themselves.
It’s
something like fat, heavy, something loud, something low,
progressive, warm but elegant !
Q5
– We have to talk about your new album – Vol 1. - So are you
excited, nervous or thrilled what people are going to make of it.
Oh
yes, we are fucking excited! We are playing together from three years
and now, we have our sound. So, we are happy about realease our first
physical album. We are not thrilled by what people can think about
our album, we just hope that they enjoy it and if not, no problem,
it’s cool !
Q6
– Was it a hard or easy album to write and record for. As you have
a lot of different sounds going on with the album.
The
first three songs are tracks we are playing since one year. We make
some changes but there were not composed speacialy for the record.
The last songs was writing because we need another song, so we’ve
decided to work from a old song we’ve got. We make a live record
and it was good at the third try so it was not so hard for us.
Q7
– What influenced you when writing and recording the album.
We
are influenced by Mars Red Sky, Radio Moscow, Sungrazer, Grandloom,
Dead Meadow. We want to make a shuffle of all this great band in the
writing. But for the record, we try to make sound like Sleep and Mars
Red Sky.
Q8
– Why did you call the album – Vol. 1.
It’s
homage to Sleep and Black Sabbath. And it’s also our first album,
so Vol.1, it’s simple and cool !
Q9
– Who designed the awesome album cover and how much input did you
have into the overall design of the album cover.
It’s
a friend of us – Alex Gletty – who propose to us this design, and
we love it ! You can check his work on his Facebook page “Bloody
Handy”.
Q10
– What does the album cover actually represent to you as a band.
First,
we wanted a designed who represent rocky stuff, because we are
leaving in the French mountains. And Alex made this flight den, and
that the best way to represent what kind of sound we are making.
Q11
– The album is being released on Vinyl. Congrats on that one. Are
you releasing that on vinyl yourself or through an independent record
label.
We
are helped by one association “Are You Stoned ? INC” who give us
some money to release it but it’s also self financed in a big part.
But we are looking for a great label to help us in our heavy project.
Q12
– How challenging is releasing your debut album on Vinyl. It's an
ever-expanding market but it's very expensive to do.
Yes.
We’ve decided to make vinyl because we love this stuff. Every bands
we are meeting on gigs have vinyl today, so it’s the proof that
people like it. But it’s expensive, so we hope that people want to
buy one.
Q13
– Which bands and artists influenced you all as musicians. Any
particular album that stands out that made you decide to become a
musician.
Clément
(bass) decided to become musician by Led Zeppelin 1 and Master of
Reality from Black Sabbath influenced him. Léo (drums) start to play
thanks to Rage Against The Machine with Evil Empire album, he his
influenced by the drummers of Earthless, Radio Moscow, Hendrix and
Mars Red Sky. Robin (guitar), it’s Sungrazer and Pink Floyd with
Whish You Were Here album who influenced him.
Q14
– Do you perform gigs/concerts on a regular basis. Do you have to
travel further afield to perform regularly. Though I know you have a
gig with Mars Red Sky coming up in Jan 2015. Another fantastic French
band starting to make a name for themselves. You looking forward to
that gig.
Most
of the gigs we are making are near where we live, we are looking to
travel the most we can on great stage like Make It Sabbathy
(Bordeaux), Stoned Gathering (Paris) and other. Now, we’ve got our
sound, the band is ready to play every where, we hope to find a
booker to help us in that way. For the gig with Mars Red Sky, we were
invited. But we play with them in February too. This guys are really
cool and if we can make other gigs together, it’s amazing.
Q14
– The French Stoner Rock/Metal scene is really starting to make a
name for itself over the last few years with bands such as Mars Red
Sky, Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel, Blaak Heat Shujaa, Huata,
Wheelfall, Abrahma and Doctor Doom to name but a few. How is the
Stoner Rock/Metal scene conceived in France. Is it a very active
scene. Or is it still very much based in the underground scene.
It’s
an active scene, there are a few venue dedicated to this kind of
music in france but this is still an underground scene.
Q15
– What is your musical setup when playing live or recording new
material. Do you have an advanced setup or basic setup.
We
are endorse with Sentenza who made homemade pedals for us and also
for Parker Griggs on Radio Moscow and more recently, it’s Benrey
Road Cabinet who made homemade cabinet for guitar who endorse us. But
we use basic material for the moment. We try to have the same setup
in live and recording in order to always have the same sound.
Q16
– What is the song-writing dynamic in the band. Is it down to one
individual or a group collective.
It’s
collective. Indeed, we arrive with riffs and we create the atmosphere
from them. We jam and we keep good thing, even if we thought that we
a track is finished.
Q17
– Apart from the new album release, what other plans do you have
over the next 12 months or so. Anything exciting you would like to
share with us.
We
are planning a tour to share the album with people and we are
planning to make a video clip for a track.
Q18
– Do you find it hard being in a band in today's current climate.
If you could change anything about the Stoner/Doom/Sludge Metal
scene. What would it be and why.
It’s
a scene who grows, there is a lot of good banda. But if a very good
band have to make a name, it’s happened, like Mars Red Sky ! We
don’t think that any changes to operate, if you make something
good, people share and every happen automatically.
Q19
– With 2014 drawing to a close, what have been your favourite
records this year.
Mars
Red Sky – Stranded In Arcadia, Radio Moscow – Magical Durt, The
Cosmics/ The Guardian Alien Split Records.
Q20–
Before you go do you have anything to say to your fans.
Stay
tuned guys, this is only the beginning.
