Raucous, obnoxious and unwittingly trendy, FIDLAR’s punky, pedal-to-the-metal surf/skate rock is set to cause chaos. Wonderland caught up with them to find out about their vintage sound, touring with The Hives and what it means to be in FIDLAR.
So how did you guys meet?
Elvis and me are brothers, and Elvis used to intern at a studio that Zac used to work at. Zac and Brandon met through Zac’s Brother in law Ryan, who directs all our videos.
What’s the story behind the name?
Zac was hanging out with these skater kids who would always say FIDLAR [standing for “Fuck It, Dog – Life’s A Risk] before they would do some crazy shit. I actually used to say FIDLAR in high school as a saying before I even knew Zac.
Who did you grow up listening to?
Elvis and me grew up listening to late 70s early 80s LA punk. Our parents handed over their record collection, which was tight as fuck.
Is FIDLAR just a band or is it a way of life?
I guess it’s kind of a way of life, but in the sense that we just want to have fun. We take the band super seriously but we never try to make it feel like a job.
Give me an example of a post-gig party, FIDLAR style. I’m assuming you don’t go to bed with your teddies and a glass of warm milk…
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Now it usually involves driving to the next town, but we used to always have ragers at Zac and Brandon’s house. We just tell all the homies to come over after and just get wasted.
Your lyrics have a distinctive ‘fuck it’ attitude. Is your music politically charged anarchism or are you simply putting two fingers up at the mainstream?
I think the songs are more just a reflection of our attitudes in day-to-day life. Most kids party and stuff, we are just the ones talking about it. You won’t see too much political commentary in our music.
Your live shows are a pretty mental, drink-fuelled affair with stage dives, crowd surfing and beer throwing, how do you psych your self up before gigs?
Usually just by drinking the hopefully free booze.
Your sound is pretty vintage, how do you get such an old school sound?
We use old gear, there has been many hours spent on tone. New gear just sounds lame.
How’s the album coming along?
The album is done. We’ve just been touring a bunch so we are trying to get all the artwork done and all the necessary things to get an album out.
September sees you hit the road for the second time with The Hives, what’s it like touring with them?
Fucking amazing. They are the coolest/nicest/best band ever.
What can we expect from FIDLAR in 2013?
Non-stop touring and our record. Watch your back.
Words: Angus Griffin