Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1039277
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY •14 OCTOBER 2018 THIS WEEK MUSIC Ahead of the launch of their debut album 'Love Juice', acclaimed two- piece Fuzzhoneys – with Caroline Spiteri on drums and Francesca Mercieca on vocals/ guitar – speak to TEODOR RELJIC about why two's a charm, and how the Maltese indie scene has evolved over the years Now that you're getting ready to launch your new album, could you tell us a little bit about the Fuzzhoneys sound, and what makes it such a distinctive part of the local indie music scene? Caroline Spiteri: Our sound could be summarised as garage blues-rock, but we often also lean towards a mix of 'riot gr- rrl' and soulful groove. I believe that be- ing just a guitar and drum duo is what makes us somewhat special within the local indie music scene. We amplify this by adding the fuzz which gives us a bit more of that raw and garage-rock ap- proach. Francesca Mercieca: Our root is defi- nitely the blues, and making the message mean something to the audience as well as creating a memorable performance. I'd say the liberty of the punk and al- ternative dynamic mix helps us convey certain topics better, (such as in 'Glitter', 'Circulation', 'Period') - some would call it rock 'n' roll, I guess? While the blues brews up a lot of soul, through emotion and angst. When we first started out, I really want- ed to make sure that we don't sound the same from one song to another. Indie, rock and alternative music often runs the risk of repetition, and making an effort to craft a distinct sound from song to song would also help each track to match its lyrical content. This is how our sound works out best at the moment, whether it's in the attitude of the singing, the backing singing, the groovy bass or guitar riff solo. Now, I feel that our debut album has a good consist- ency between these garage rock and soul tones – a Fuzzhoneys' signature! What are some of the highs and lows of being a two-piece? Why have you opted for this kind of band set-up, and how has it been working out for you so far? CS: Being a two-piece was not our main priority for the band and its image; we simply decided to start jamming togeth- er and it stayed that way. I do appreciate the 'duo feeling' but I must confess that being in one has made me realise how hard it can be to reach a compromise. It can also be challenging to maintain in the long run due to the increase in work- load on just two people. However, we're grateful to have the support that we do – a lot of people have helped us along on this fuzz journey! Then, the more tangi- ble advantage comes with touring – it's more affordable to book gigs as a two- piece, and it's easier when it comes to travel and accommodation, for obvious reasons. FM: I've always worked better with one brain to create any artistic work, but it helps the flow to share the process with someone; when it comes to discussion or learning and supporting ideas, it's better than working solo. Musically, having lots of people around makes it more difficult to manage, I feel, as writing music needs its own communication, feeding off one another. It works better to schedule band practice with two people too. It wasn't intentional for our instrumen- tation to be limited by the realities of a two-piece; it just turned out this way. We do want to incorporate bass, keys and percussion; they do add something to the sound – but going without them for the most part also then gives us the excuse of having special guests with us on stage; it's adds some more excitement to the experience. In fact, Samuel Attard is one of these amazing humans, and he will be joining us for the album launch on October 27! The visual is certainly a bit part of what you do – both in terms of your distinctive (but unforced) look as well as your music videos. Why is this such an integral aspect of the Fuzzhoneys experience, and how would you say it bolsters your music? FM: It's an integral part because we see the characters and their journey when we're writing. I like to hypothetically discuss who, what, how and why when I write with Caroline. Sometimes it be- comes a bit more personal and charac- ter-driven when it's closer to the soul/ blues vibe as in 'Amy', 'Malfunction' and 'Candy', but we've also got the more plot- based songs based on 'bigger' characters like 'Bonnie', 'Luna', 'Manage', 'Venus' and 'Glitter'. All of our songs have rich imagery in our imagination, but we get to feed more of the references from all mediums: film, text and documentaries. The themes help to create the structure; whether it's the shootout in Bonnie & Clyde, Full Metal Jacket's angry soldier in 'Man- age' or Boticelli's Venus for the 'Birth of Venus'. The visual serves as a back-and- forth reference point as we go from the pre-writing stage down to the actual pro- duction of a music video. 'Candy', as an aesthetic, being the first moving image to emerge from 'Love Juice', was based on elements of the al- bum in painting texture, psychedelic narrative and contemporary movement. Keeping to our character and her con- sciousness as much as possible. The cin- ematographer Jack Hayter and myself have been working on this since March and it's been such a beautiful journey. The 'mirror' image that becomes cen- tral to the video came about by accident Teodor Reljic The fuzz in the machine