First, admittedly this interview was my first introduction to your band The Furies. I’ve been listening for a couple days now to really get a feel for what your music is, and where and what you seem to be trying to achieve and convey with your self-expression. You touch on personal topics such as relationships and life philosophies. Would you consider that an accurate assessment of what drives you to make your music? Or in other words, what instigates your muse?
Lee: The Furies are the greek goddesses of justice and vengeance, and to be honest I think the mythological inferences of that translate in our music. There are definitely elements of love and relationships in there, but for the most part these songs are meant to be vignettes - snapshots in time of different situations between different characters. As an example, I wrote "Hunter" over one snowy Christmas in Maine. It began in my head as being written from the perspective of Irene Adler from Sherlock Holmes. Her narrative is about feeling that she has found her equal in Sherlock, but also still feeling like she is the predator, and on the hunt, all the while attempting to get him to "see" her. This definitely has a personal translation in it for me, but the concept definitely originates from those characters.
The Furies music is infectious straight rock/pop, I would say, but with complex song structures and vocal harmonies. Does the complexity and layering complicate your typical recording process?
Lee: I think one thing we've managed to do when recording is not become too attached to a prescribed idea of how any one song "should be." We basically try to build the structure, the tree trunk of the thing, and then expand outward. We have a philosophy of getting everyone in the band who is inclined to sing on the songs, so that tends to translate to a lot of harmonies. However, for the most part we are primarily concerned with making sure the "message" or "impact" of the song is translating correctly through the arrangement. For us, that happens to manifest in a lot of layering, but without a VERY solid foundation that layering is impossible, so we try to take our time.
You have said you have been recording during the quarantine. How have you managed this and how has it been different from your normal recording process?
Gabby: For me, it's been pretty wonderful receiving updates that include new parts. I recorded bass listening only to the drum and lead guitar tracks, so I was able to feel in the moment that the sounds made sense and that we were supporting the journey within each song. But as additional layers get folded in, not only do I get to enjoy and admire everyone else's sounds, they give my bass choices more meaning, too. I had very much been looking forward to being in the studio with everyone together... But... I will very much appreciate getting to share a rather badass album with the world, knowing we were able to bring it to life without... you know... actively contributing to an unfuckingbelievable number of preventable deaths.
Lee: I'm with Gabby on this. The big thing about recording this album is we simply were not on board with the possibility of putting any of us or anyone else at risk. But recording in quarantine of course means that most of us were separated, where normally we would at least be in the same room for the basic tracks. The idea of playing together in the studio is that it's supposed to foster positive energy and momentum. In this case, our drummer and lead guitarist recorded together to my reference tracks, and then everything afterward was added. It's honestly a peculiar way to do things, but I think Gabby points out something very singular about this process, which is that each song turns into a journey and a pretty intimate understanding of each other's energy and playing, simply due to the fact that we all get to spend more time on the songs individually within our own spaces. It's almost like writing letters back and forth with a friend, as opposed to having a conversation in person.
I found it quite interesting after reading your bio that you started the band after coming off the road as Third Eye Blind's multi-instrumentalist and background vocalist. How did you end up with that job and did it play a role in inspiring you to start the band or did you know music was what you were going to do regardless?
Lee: No matter where or with who, music is my career, that's kind of a "full stop" statement. But my time with Third Eye Blind was definitely essential to my development. Stephan Jenkins and I became friends over the course of my being a part of one of his opening bands The Upwelling, who he was also mentoring at the time. After I parted ways with the band, Stephan started asking me to sit in with Third Eye on a few different instruments, and he also started giving me feedback on my songs and the business, etc. Finally, one day, after I sat in at a show in New York, he introduced me to Rachel Maddow of all people (very amazing person, she is), and then said "We want to invite you on tour with us." And there we have it. I already had the idea for the band in mind before I was on tour with them, but it definitely fully crystalized while we were on the road.
The Furies are an all female band. How does this affect what you do, if at all? Clearly it is inspiring to other female artists and younger female musicians which is great, but what challenges, if any, has it brought the band?
Gabby: It's definitely laughable how many people are impressed with us in a condescending way. You KNOW that every word out of some of these mouths is followed by a silent (or spoken, hah) 'FOR A GROUP OF GALS, NO LESS!!!' It's fine, it's fine, I get it, we aren't all necessarily exposed to music outside of the cis-male scene... But it really makes me laugh when our womanity is very clearly viewed as either a disability or some kind of extraterrestrial force. Are you familiar with the idea of people making music with their bodies and minds and souls? Hey cool! WE are people making music with OUR bodies, minds, and souls!!!! NEAT, RIGHT?? I donno. I've loved doing theater with all-womxn casts, I've loved singing/playing with all-womxn bands/choirs but nothing beats the rush of walking into a venue with cis-male bandmates and being asked by the door person whether I'm in the band or WITH the band. Juuuust kidding.
Lee: I think Gabby hits a lot of nuances here that are worth exploring. The concept behind this band (as indicated by the name), was to be all women. In all honesty, almost as a form of protest and generally in opposition of any kind of marketing ploy. Here's an idea: there are all male bands everywhere, nearly all of the time. Yet of course, that isn't some kind of marvel that we comment on, because all men is and has always been until recent years, the industry standard. IE: the EXCLUSION of women, (especially in groups, except in rare cases) was the industry standard for many years. We are here and represent ourselves as this group in order to set a new standard, or attempt to normalize this fact: women can and should express themselves artistically and musically either alone or in groups - any way they see fit: without any kind of negative or condescending ramification due to their gender. We are who we are: great musicians who happen to be female, and we're in a group that was conceptually formed behind the mythology of the Greek goddesses we represent. Pretty simple, no? We certainly think so, and we think the business and cultural status quos need to start adjusting to that reality - and we hope to help it to do so.
Let’s get a little gear geeky, especially since you are a multi-instrumentalist. What are your preferred guitar models and guitar/amp combos for your sound? What other instruments do you play and the same question regarding favorite models?
Lee: Okay so this is something I could go on and on about. I started playing guitar on an ES-335 so it's pretty plain to say that I'm a Gibson girl. Gibson also gave me an SG this past year and in all honesty I used it on a good portion of our record. HOWEVER, there is something about a well-made Fender Telecaster that is simply irreplaceable, especially one that's vintage. That guitar simply cuts through everything and though it doesn't necessarily fit for EVERY genre, it's such a solid, one of a kind sound. I have a Tele and I use it live all the time. But to circle back around, I don't think anything could ever replace Gibson as a brand for me, humbucker pickups were the only thing I played for about 7 of my formative playing years, and that sticks with you. As far as amps are concerned, I lean heavily toward Fender Twin Reverbs, especially the older models. However, much of our record is featuring the Marshall Plexi, which is a sound you simply can't get anymore. I've actually also found a surprising amount of synergy with Orange amps as well, particularly the tiny terror.
I play bass and piano as well, and that's where this conversation starts to get interesting. I'm not sure anything in the world can replace an American made Fender P bass, BUT I played nothing but a Rickenbacker bass for years, and I have to say they are singular instruments. Every one of them is handmade, which makes for glorious singularity in every single one, no Rickenbacker bass is completely the same as the next, and I think there's true wonder in that. For a bass amp, just give me an Ampeg SVT. That's what I want mannnn. haha.
For keys, I have to say now that I am an endorsed artist with Kurzweil, and I am supremely happy with everything they do. Particularly their PC44, Forte, and SP6. All amazing for stage, and with incredible touch. Don't even get me started. I'm very happy to be with them as an artist.
When are the new recordings going to be released and will you still be working with Mint 400 Records?
Lee: We will be releasing with Mint 400 for sure, and while we don't have a release date yet, you should be hearing from us in the Spring, from what we can wager right now. There's still a lot more to do, but nothing can really mask our excitement to get this next record out into the world.
Check out the Furies on Spotify here and the links below!
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Thefuriesofficial.com
- Joe Pugsley, BMN Contributor