K&A with Foxgang

The third K&A Session is with the fantastically quirky "Scottish Alt-pop" Foxgang. I caught up with Joe and Ryan from the band and posed them a few questions. Here's what they had to say...

Kowalskiy: How did the band come about?
Ryan: Joe and I with some other guys met in Krakow, quickly put together our sets and were playing up to 3 hour gigs to a large following. We played on TV and festivals and received a record label offer before we decided we wanted the UK to be the place we get a record deal. Krakow was a great place to develop our own brand of pop without too much influence from 'the trendy' as it would seem in the UK
Joe: That's right. It was a crazy place, with no rules and no monitors on stage.

Kowalskiy: What's the story behind the name Foxgang?
Ryan: Given the varying topics of our songs and musical climate of our more quirky pieces, we chose the name when looking for a group involved some way in politics or news yet people of an obscure role. We found there is a 'Foxgang' group within the European governance that we still today have no idea of their job just the silly group pics. And second a Fox gang within Fox news. We felt this name represented peoples general confusion as to the changing political landscapes and the endless panic of the media All taken in humour. And we had an animal as an added bonus to disguise we are agents of indie-pop.
Joe: It looks a bit German if you stare at it for long enough, providing the promoter has spelt it as one word.

Kowalskiy: How would you describe your sound?
Ryan: Happening, unafraid, quirky, emotional, whole grained.
Joe: Honest and Uplifting.

Kowalskiy: Who or what are your musical influences?
Ryan: I have more influences outside of music and I like to steal good things from many great bands/songs new and old and mash them together in a controlled visualised manner to allow licence for some of the things I say.
Joe: Mississippi John Hurt.

Kowalskiy: What bands (other than yourselves) would you like to see do well in 2010?
Ryan: White Heath, Washington Irving, Casino Brag.
Joe: The same. Sparrow and the Workshop too, though I don't think they need my prayers 'cause they seem to be doing alright! I would like to see The Strokes record another blinding album.

Kowalskiy: What are your desert island discs?
Ryan: Anything I took I would eventually be sick of but 'LKJ in Dub' or some reggae for the context, Xmas songs for Xmas, Rolf Harris Sings, no Johnny Cash or The Boss, Hot Chip 'Warning,' Stevie Wonder -'Talking Book,' and any Snow Patrol for me to cast out to sea never to be seen or listened to again other than by Sting.
Joe: I guess Sting finds Snow Patrol in a Message in a Bottle. Is that the reference there? Or just that they are both Douchebags? 'Born to Run,' 'Johnny Cash at San Quentin,' 'Blood on the Tracks,' 'Fear of Music,' 'White Album,' 'DC Recordings' of Mississippi John Hurt.

Kowalskiy: What can we expect from the band in the future?
Ryan: This spring we launch our promo single and video to our debut album (also in Spring) and a UK tour. Festivals, finger pointing and self criticism but mainly just delivering a passionate and colourful live sound to our faithful fans. More releases on Tentracks.co.uk.
Joe: Amen! We really aim to become legendary is some sense of the word. I would have said 'colorful live sound' but Ryan and I have our differences.

Kowalskiy: Last of all, what would your dream gig be?
Ryan: Us, now, with the aforementioned up coming bands, in a 500 capacity venue of real, real atmosphere; dark and dirty but with good time-served sound equipment with a proper promoter and a crowd well up for bouncing it out. Failing that a field of 50,000 glasto goers with Talking Heads and La Roux and Rolf Harris. Oh, they would sell everyone Snake-bite and black but plenty dope to take the edge off and other. And all free!!
Joe: Open for The Boss backed by Kraftwork and Feat. Lady Gaga in Awaria, which is the Cracovian Cavern Club. No monitors. Optional 5 Zloty donation.

If that's whetted your appetite, here's two tracks for you to try out: The Talking Heads influenced "Leith Walk" and the cracking "A Lot More Goes On (In A Year)". Both are available on Tentracks.co.uk for the bargain price of 30p each!

Leith Walk

A Lot More Goes On (In A Year)

There's one or two gigs coming up if you fancy catching their 'colourful live sound' in all its glory

Upcoming Gigs
6 Mar (tomorrow) - FLOWERS IN THE DUSTBIN RECORDS presents at 13th Note, Glasgow
27 Mar - Verden Whistle Test 1 (DVD taping) at Verden Studios, Edinburgh
20 Apr - Fashion & Music at Capitol, Glasgow