this audio or video is no longer availableAlthough they mine rock's past for hypnotic atmospheres, San Francisco's Film School still manages to compose dazzling sonic epics that sound like the future. Their psyched-out vibe hopscotches across My Bloody Valentine and early Dandy Warhols, but it also feels as muscular as anything guitar champs Swervedriver have composed. Which is probably why Swervedriver signed Film School on as an opening act for the west coast leg of its hotly anticipated reunion tour, which kicked off in late May.
Listening Post caught Film School's flawless appetizer during the Swervedriver stop-off in Los Angeles on Saturday. (Click here for a full review of the Swervedriver/Film School team-up.) But we also spoke with headmaster Greg Bertens earlier this year about the tour, the return of My Bloody Valentine and why Film School's band name makes no sense at all.
Wired.com Listening Post: So how did you end up opening for Swervedriver?
Film School: It's a twisted story. Eric and Heather, the owners of M-Theory records in San Diego, put out Adam Franklin's solo record on their label Hi-Speed Soul, and also happen to be fans of Film School. They recommended that we contact Adam about the upcoming reunion tour. Sam Fogarino from Interpol and Magnetic Morning, Adam and Sam's band, is also a Film School fan and may have put a bug in Adam's ear about getting us on as support. We contacted him, and after several weeks of prayer, finger-crossing and stroking rabbit's feet, we heard back and were invited to play the west coast dates.
LP: So how was it?
GB: Stoked? Very.
LP: It's good to see them back.
GB: What happened to Swervedriver the first time around was unfortunate. I can only imagine how frustrated they were during that process. Do I think Swervedriver deserved the level of the fame and fortune of say, Oasis? Sure, but I feel that way about a lot of my favorite bands. Swervedriver's guitars should have scared the average bloke into the Champange Supernova in the Sky. I think that was the point.
LP: Did they influence your work?
GB: Their layered, orchestrated guitars, which they do so well definitely, have had an influence on the way we think about our music.
LP: Any favorites?
Dave Dupuis, Film School guitarist: When the vocals come in on "Never Lose That Feeling," my brain melts. The intro chords on "Sandblasted," the lead throughout "Son of a Mustang Ford" and "Girl on a Motorbike." Forget it, man; it's too cool.
GB: Especially Mezcal Head. Anything off that album is a favorite.
LP: Adam's solo effort Bolts of Melody kicked ass. It's good to see him finally getting recognition for his songwriting.
LP: Yeah, Adam is a great songwriter. Have you heard his work in Toshack Highway or Magnetic Morning? Also great. If Swervedriver made a new disc, I would be the first in line to buy it.
LP: Did other bands from Swervedriver's earlier period, like Cocteau Twins, Spacemen 3, My Bloody Valentine, have an influence on Film School?
this audio or video is no longer availableGB: Yeah, I'd say they're influences. I've learned a lot about working with noise, and finding melody in that noise, from bands of that time. Once you properly distort, delay, reverb a guitar, you begin to only hear tones and sonics, and the guitar itself goes away. When it's done right, you go away as well. But it can also be a total mess. It's like working with water: Sometimes you can channel it in a direction, but sometimes it goes anywhere it wants. I think the best artists of that time knew how to handle the water.
LP: I think it's an underrated era, but hopefully these reunions will change that.
GB: I don't know if that period or genre will ever get it's due, but I think that's what I like about it. All the layers and washed out guitars are probably a little challenging to the average music listener. It's not for everyone, but the people who get it really get it, as they say. The bands you mentioned are all great in their own ways, and are the bands that you hear most about when people talk about that time. But there are lesser known bands that I've really enjoyed, like Seefeel, Flying Saucer Attack, The Swirlies, Chapterhouse, many others.
LP: What about the term shoegaze? Both Adam Franklin and Jason Pierce told me they think it's lame.
GB: I have a hard time figuring out what shoegaze means exactly, since so many different sounding bands have been put into that category. Even the seminal shoegaze band, My Bloody Valentine, had many variations to their sound over their career. Ecstasy and Wine is different than Isn't Anything which is different than Loveless, but they're all great records. However, shoegaze is a label, and people seem to need to categorize things to understand them. So I guess it's as good a term as any. The press has completely broken our spirit and we've been forced to submit!
LP: Film School's mash of reverb, distortion and deep bass is atmospheric. But you feel it isn't cinematic?
GB: I've noticed our band name sometimes throws people off. I can see why people link cinematic music with us, but there's really no film, or film school, influence. The name came about as a joke on the ideas of what a kid in the suburbs might do for a creative career: Go to art school, go to film school, start a band, and so on. Turns out, however, that it's kind of confusing, and very difficult to Google as opposed to someone like Bad Brains.
LP: OK, no film. How about commercials then?
GB: I've experimented with writing pop jingles and songs for IPod commercials, but it's just not me. Truthfully, I'm not very good at it. I tend toward the washy emotional stuff.
LP: My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm O'Ciosoig appeared on your last effort Hideout. Are you stoked on that reunion as well?
GB: Anything that My Bloody Valentine wants to do while on this planet – playing live, writing records or putting on puppet shows – is completely cool with me. Their legacy speaks for itself. Actually, now that I think about it, I'd like to see them do puppet shows more than anything. Colm is big into puppets.
Photo: Marla Aufmuth
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