Fat Freddys Drop

Mon 22nd Dec, 2008 in Features

Much has been made of the connection that Kiwi band Fat Freddys Drop have with food. Yeah, we all need it, but it’s nice to hear that people still put such importance on cooking, and eating, together. Ah, the metaphors rain down like water in this writer’s mind.

Here’s one: I say to keyboard-player and chef extraordinaire Iain Gordon (aka Dobie Blaze ): “The album’s almost been like a slow food exercise.”

“It is,” he agrees, kindly fielding the banal. “We’ve probably talked about it a bit before, but the process is like that. The ingredients get a long time to all mash down together into, I don’t know, a ragu?” He drags out the – œoooo’, laughing with me.

Fat Freddys Drop felt no need to rush into album number two (soon-to-be-released Big BW ), allowing flavours to marinate and develop (god, I’m pushing it here). Explains Dobie, “Obviously, it would be good to work a bit faster, but at the same time we really enjoy the situation where we can really get the album how we want it.”

As well, I suggest, to have such a large group of people creatively involved in a song that has been morphing for months or years, getting everyone in one room at the same time saying, “Yep, that’s it man,” – that’s quite an achievement.

True, says Dobie, but, “We’re getting good at that, I reckon. After all these years, we’ve got a bit of a process worked out.” Choosing his words carefully and diplomatically, Dobie adds, “A lot of music comes out in the world, you know, and I reckon it’s a good idea to only put out the stuff that you really want to put out.” A very lovely way of saying they won’t put out crap like so many other performers do.

I am interested in what the BW in Big BW stands for. He laughs conspiratorially. “It’s hard, you know, – œcause you can’t give it away before the album comes out. I can tell you though…” We have a secret whisper and all is revealed. Suffice to say, Dobie declares, “It’s some kind of neuro-chemical reaction that will occur if you listen to the album from start to finish.” Sounds promising, doesn’t it?

He was able to say that he and the rest of The Freddys were “really looking forward to” their European tour (for which they have now departed). I admit I am impressed to see that just the first few comments on their MySpace are wishes from Vienna, Cologne, Berlin, Paris, America. All begging the NZ collective to “come back!”

Dobie admits it can be a spin out. “We have managed to travel in our time. It must be something to do with the way people share music nowadays, you know, there’s a lot of different networks being built up all around the world between different people. And one of the things they seem to share is music.” I would hazard a guess that his band’s sense of fun also factors into the attraction.

Having just watched the clip for song, The Camel, I propose that the only reason they titled that tune as such is – œcause they found the clip’s featured camel and went, “How hilarious is this camel, man? Let’s make a movie about it!” He cracks up laughing. “Well, I can dispel that rumour actually. Ironically, it was called The Camel before we made the connection. That coin-operated camel was right under our nose every day at a café just around the corner.”

It is not a frivolous song, mind you. Alice Russell was a guest in the studio when the vocals went down for that one. It was a collaboration that the band had been hoping for. “We met Alice on the same festival bill in the UK one time: we connected through a show and stayed in touch. She’d been out to Australia a number of times, and we managed to entice her over for a couple of days at the end of one of her Aussie tours. We just love her work, you know?”

Ahead of Fat Freddys Drop appearing at Sydney’s Days Like This! festival in the new year, we marvel at the line up: Morcheeba, Sharon Jones, Public Enemy. “Public Enemy?!” I yell at him. “Can you believe it?” No, he cannot. We hoot like children and Dobie attempts to sound serious as he considers perhaps another collaboration. “Someone was saying, we’ve got to try and get Flavor Flav to do a cameo with us.” Oh really, I play along. Yes, he sniffs. “They’re working behind the scenes trying to make that happen.” We allow a brief silence, before inviting more laughter.

Days Like This! will be the end of a whirlwind – œmini-tour’ that sees Dobie, his bandmates and respective families traverse Australia twice in the space of about three days. They’re looking forward to the holiday spirit of it all. “It must be nearly time for us to adopt you and write you off as our own, isn’t it?” I jest.

“Yeah, well, we’re open to offers,” he intones, before laughing, “Nah, nah, nah.” That is nothing to joke about when you’re from the Land of the Long White Cloud. “Although,” he adds, with a cackle, “We have just gone through a pretty bad winter, so we’re probably quite vulnerable to being poached.” Put your offers in writing, people.

Fat Freddys Drop will spend the New Year period at Pyramid Rock Festival on Phillip Island and the Days Like This! festival in Sydney.