 Since 2001, Brisbane four-piece FAQ’s authentic old-school funk and soul grooves have found favour with a growing number of music fans keen for something a little more ‘real’ than the latest Ashlee Simpson single or hackneyed skinny-tied indie-fops. Last year’s single All Over The World found them mining a smooth, slick soul style, but their brand new six-track EP Testify! finds them adding some welcome rhythm & blues grit, truly defining their sound in the process. But as vocalist/guitarist PETER BRANJERDPORN, bassist DAVE CARTER and drummer PAUL YOUNG reveal to BRETT COLLINGWOOD, it hasn’t always been an easy road.
The new EP is much rawer and live sounding than All Over The World; how much of a role did Paulie B’s production play in that?
Paul: Well I guess for this one we were going for a more rootsier vibe than the last one, and even though it was great working with Caleb James [on All Over The World] we found we were after a less slick sound. Paulie B has the reputation of getting a very rootsy sound with the bands he’s produced over the years, and he’s more easygoing as well in the production of it. A few times we were being stupidly overcritical of our work and he was just ‘chill out, guys, it’ll be fine’.
Which song on the EP are you most proud of?
Dave: There’s one track on there, Piece Of Dirt, which has this amazing choir and Hammond organ and has a real gospel feel, and it’s raw and loud and raucous and lots of fun. I remember hearing it back the first time we finished tracking the choir and I couldn’t stop smiling; I was like, that’s the sound!
Peter: I remember Dave saying if we don’t get reaction to this I don’t know what will. We don’t care if people hate it, as long as it’s a reaction. I think the last one was kind of a nice-guy record whereas now we’re loud and we want to have fun!
I believe you’re actually going to have the Hammond organ and choir on stage with you at the EP launch on Saturday.
Peter: Yeah, we’ve been talking a bit recently about having an expanded line-up for big gigs. It’s fun to have more people on stage and do crazy stuff and make it more of event. So we’re going to have a small choir and Dan Mansfield who plays with a band called LunarKin is going to come in and play Hammond organ.
The first half we’ll do just with us and then the second half of the set we’ll go a bit nuts and have the choir and organ on stage and see what see what we can do.
Bands, by their very nature, can be volatile – what’s FAQ’s secret for good intra-band relationships?
Peter: A lot of beer!
Paul: I think the biggest miracle about this band is to see different personality types merging into one, because we all come from extremely diverse backgrounds. It’s been a struggle, but rewarding.
Dave: It’s a matter of having solid relationships that are capable of dealing with conflict. And there’s been quite a bit! Learning how to express frustration or angst in a helpful way, learning how to say ‘I don’t like that’ without saying ‘I think you’re a dickhead’.
I remember around the release of the first EP, relations were pretty strained. I was finding it really difficult and getting really annoyed with band stuff. It was chewing up a lot of my time, money and energy that I didn’t have to give. I got married the week after we finished tracking the EP, so the lead-up to my wedding, when I should have been spending time with my fiancée, was spent with these guys in the studio getting the EP finished!
Paul: At least you had you’re priorities right! We all decided ‘yes you should be with us’!
Peter: Yeah, wives come and go!
FAQ launch the Testify EP at The Zoo on Saturday, supported by Hipakusha and Tommee & The Neighbourhood
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