Field Music, an English rock band from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear (England), have been called one of the few bands to outlast the indie guitar band explosion of the mid-2000s. The band’s core consists of brothers David Brewis and Peter Brewis, with Andrew Moore occasionally featured as keyboardist. Their line-up has at times featured members of both Maxïmo Park and The Futureheads. Their new album ‘Flat White Moon’ will be released on 23rd April.
FACTS:
1: Fast internet connections (and the advent of mp3s) have massively disrupted every industry and art form which relies on intellectual property law.
2: Democracy will always be hamstrung as long as wealthy people can leverage influence through political donations.
3: You could sit in the studio with us every day for a month with us trying to explain what we were doing and why at each moment, and still, by then end, neither you nor us would really understand the process. Creating things is mysterious and complicated. Explanation can’t dilute that mystery.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Trying and failing to understand things.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
A series of coincidences at the end of the 80s and beginning of the 90s: Peter seeing The Bangles on Top of the Pops, a TV advert for Led Zeppelin’s Remasters, the devaluation of Yugoslavia’s currency which meant that I brought my holiday money back home and bought a cheap acoustic guitar.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
It changes all the time but there’s usually a Beatles album in there – maybe Sgt Pepper’s. There’s probably a Dylan album in there – maybe Blonde on Blonde. I love the first Sly and the Family Stone album, A Whole New Thing. I’m still discovering details in Hounds of Love by Kate Bush and the same with Parade by Prince.
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Late-night turkish bakeries, doing a gig in an abandoned dentist’s surgery and dry, dry cold.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
I like walking over the Wearmouth Bridge and I like wandering through Mere Knolls Cemetary. When this is all over, I’ll be very glad to visit my favourite vegetarian cafe, The Good Apple.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
I’d probably spend a lot of time reading books about economics and be in a very bad mood.
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
I bought the second Bill Withers album and I finally got round to buying Plastic Ono Band. Both great.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
In my dreams Colin Blunstone comes to our studio to make a record.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
As a spectator, Prince at the O2 in London. As a performer, probably Green Man Festival in 2012.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
Technology makes things easier for the most part and we’re happy to use whatever technology is available but I don’t think the technology we have available is fundamental to what we make.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
My brother Peter and I have been doing this band together since 2004 and even when we’re not actually making music together it always feels like we’re doing it in tandem. That’s how it’s always been.
Photo © Christopher Owens
