With the January release of their second album, Brand New Blood, the Feral Children should be on the radar of music fans looking for a new, high-energy experimental rock band. The five-piece Seattle group recently talked with Innocent Words about their music, starting with the matter-of-fact way in which they chose their band name.
“Feral Children was decided after [bassist/vocalist] Jim [Cotton] watched a BBC documentary on feral children, I believe entitled ‘Feral Children,’” said Bill Cole, the band’s drummer.
Yet, as most of the musicians grew up in the rural town of Maple Valley, Washington, the name is at least partly autobiographical. Their small-town origins, as well as some of their primal harmonies, have even drawn comparisons to Modest Mouse, although their music definitely has its own feel.
As vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jeff Keenan described the music for those who have never heard them before, it’s “the feeling you get when you're alone in the woods and you can feel animals watching you.”
Besides Cotton, Cole, and Keenan, the group is rounded out by guitarist Josh Gamble and keyboardist Sergey Posrednikov. Brand New Blood, like 2008’s Second to the Last Frontier, is being released by Sarathan Records.
“Brand New Blood is what we came up with after listening to Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peak soundtrack on repeat while in a tour van,” said Cole. “It's not nearly as distorted as the last record and shows a little bit different side of our environment's influence. The Pacific Northwest is a great place to write a record.”
By that, he means that the Feral Children aren’t your typical indie Seattle band; as they explain, they only live there because they have to. Their sounds are dark, intense, sometimes manic, and their lyrics are not the kind you hear every day. Keenan, who writes many of the lyrics, explained what inspires his thoughts and fuels his angst.
“I am hyperactive,” he said. “I spend a lot of time on lyrics, music, etc. Every word in a song is important. There is no need to put out a song that is inadequate lyrically, due to the oversaturation of the song market.
“As far as angst, it's hard to say, but I do feel hatred towards the encouragement of ignorance in American popular music. I grew up listening to punk rock and rap, which are two of the simplest forms of music. That, in some way or another, has influenced my songwriting. I try my best to leave these simple influences behind, but it is very difficult. Also, my early life was shitty. Thanks for asking [wink].”
Like their first album, Brand New Blood was produced by Scott Colburn, who has previously produced albums by bands including Animal Collective and Arcade Fire. As such, the album has a raw, otherworldly feel that matches the spirit of the songs.
“Scott Colburn helps the people that he is recording get the best energy out of a take,” Cole said. “With us, he really helps us finish our thought on where our music should go. It's hard to explain, so... Scott Colburn is an amazing man, in an awesome band [Wizard Prison], and generally one of the kinds of people that make you want to do better at life.”
Since most of the band members have grown up together since grade school, they explain that they’re more like brothers than colleagues. They first started playing together 10 years ago or so in a band called Blood Alley Accident, which was kind of a precursor to Feral Children.
“Getting to know what another musician is capable of (or incapable of) takes a long time, and in that way, we are very blessed to have spent so much time working together,” said Keenan. “One of the downfalls is that it is very easy to waste time and get high with each other. Also we have gotten good at arguing with each other.”
Although the Feral Children spent a lot of time on the road promoting their first album, they took a break from touring to work on the new album. But once the new album hits the streets, they plan to be touring for the better part of 2010. It’s guaranteed to be a show that will get you in touch with that side of yourself you have to hide in “civilized” society.
You can pick up a copy of Brand New Blood here.