.png)
What else is there to say that hasn't been said already about Feeling Figures? Montreal's fully-formed, over-educated rockers approach everything with their wild-eyed sincerity, driving, feedback-drenched guitars, and slightly cryptic, stream-of-consciousness lyrical spume that willfully undercuts garage pop conventions. While their latest album, Everything Around You, was recorded before last year's debut, it is their strongest collection of songs that dive deeper into their free-wheeling, truly experimental approach, recalling the Dadaist meditations of The Dream Syndicate, Simply Saucer, and Game Theory. We recently chatted with the group's Zakary Slax and Kay Moon all about their songwriting partnership, how the new album took years in the making, and how it expands upon last year's first full-length Migration Magic.
First tell me what you've been up to lately? What have you been listening to, reading, watching, or spending a lot of time doing?
Zakary Slax: Most of my time has been spent working like a demon digging through boxes and playing with The Figs, Thine Simps, and Chris Burn's Going Concerns. As for listening, Jessica Pratt, Dorothy Carter, Mary Lou Williams, Time Wharp, Digable Planets, The Chills, and Relatively Clean Rivers have all been on rotation over the last while. Also The Groundhogs album Thank Christ For The Bomb and the song "Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread" from Dylan's basement tapes.
Kay Moon: Life has been very busy and blazing by (Zak and I just moved, have demanding jobs, etc), so it's been hard to substantially sink my teeth into anything! I am trying to listen more to the sounds around me, especially birds in the morning on our newfound balcony. Musically, I tend to listen to songs and artists on repeat. Recently a lot of Etran de L'Aïr after seeing them at Gonerfest, the album Fragments of Light by Sensations' Fix, Pauline Anna Strom, Anne Briggs, Black Belt Eagle Scout's song "My Heart Dreams," Thin Lizzy’s "Old Flame" (as shown to me by my dear friend/sister Lizzy) The Cure's "Closedown," Mary Lou Williams (as shown to me by Zak). Listening to music is often a seasonal experience for me, so now transitioning to more autumnal sounds. Have been reading Virginia Woolf's incredible Orlando for what feels like forever…because it's been hard to fit in ritual reading time. Zak and I watch approximately one movie per week. We recently watched Mystery Train to prepare mentally and culturally for Memphis. We've been watching The Sopranos for the first time, which I wasn't ready for a year ago, but am beginning to love for its more nuanced psychological approach (though we're only on episode six!).
I love the videos of you all performing at the Van Horne underpass from last November. How exactly did that happen?
ZS: There are a lot of cool off-grid shows that happen there, some of the best Montreal happenings, initiated by various folks from the community. We had a release show for Migration Magic planned, which ended up becoming a double release show with kindred spirits Civilians/Surveillance, but the venue folded at the last minute. IFO, a rad punk collective had a fest going on at the time and they stepped up for us and got a generator party going in the afternoon of "Search for the Sun Saturday." We had some weird issues with the generator; by the time we got it together it was darker and colder than anticipated, but everyone stuck it out and it was really fun.
What were some of the highlights of the Pacific Northwest tour from last fall? What are some of the memories that tour brings back?
KM: Touring the PNW was glorious, albeit a bit nerve-racking since K [Records] had put out our record and I hoped they wouldn't regret it after hearing us live [laughs]. To be able to travel so far away from home and be welcomed with open arms/hearts/minds into Hayes' and Jolies' home, meeting Calvin and other wonderful people, getting a feel for the landscapes (like the mountains surrounding Portland), seeing all of the young people letting their freak flags fly in Olympia, playing with inspiring bands. It was all quite a dream. Then, upon arriving home late at night, Zak was bit by a brown recluse spider (to be continued. DISCLAIMER: He survived!).
ZS: It was a short little stint and it was all great so hard to choose highlights, but our show at Le Voyeur in Olympia was hard to beat as far as audience enthusiasm goes. It was a treat hanging out with the K crew, roaming around the town, ending up on TV. I got bit by a brown recluse spider and landed in hospital at the end, eating Jell-O for dinner; not a highlight but it is a memory that tour brings back.
Your new album Everything Around You, was recorded before last year's debut LP Migration Magic. What do you recall recording these eleven songs back in 2022?
ZS: It was recorded over a number of winter weekends as opposed to just the one with Migration Magic—we took our time with this one. We were all less busy in that (second? third?) Covid wave. The Omicron era. We hadn't really played much together since pre-pandemic at that point, beyond a few jams here and there. We had amassed plenty of songs and ideas though, so it was great to hang out and hone in on definitive versions together. Cold outside, hot in the basement. Several pizza deliveries and sandwich runs.
What kind of gear did you use throughout the eleven songs here? Tell us about effects, pedals, etc.
ZS: Master T engineered all the songs on his 1/2" tape machine in addition to drum duties. He had acquired it recently, along with a bunch of other second hand finds, including a nice old Ludwig kit. Nothing too fancy going on for these sessions—guitars, drums and bass were all recorded live off the floor, one guitar through a fender tube amp the other through a harsher ZT lunchbox. We overdubbed the vocals, some subtle keys, shaker, tambourine, and a few effected guitar parts on some of the jammier tunes. Pedals involved were delay, reverb, overdrive, fuzz, vibrato, and phaser. A couple FX were added in post, while mixing with Ben Lalonde.
How do you usually approach songwriting? What kind of role does improvisation have when it comes to creating together? Also what themes would you say these songs navigate towards mostly?
KM: I have a really hard time putting this into words. First, in a cliché way, songwriting for me is often an intuitive, spontaneous, disorderly process that unfolds differently each time. Very much sound-based, as opposed to lyric-based. Zak and I often write our songs independently at home, though we occasionally write together. I mostly write on acoustic guitar or in the rare case piano. It begins with some guitar or vocal melodies that come out of nowhere/somewhere, often lie dormant in a recording file for a while, and are then built upon when the time is right/inspiration strikes/we have a show to play or album to release. I often come up with a few ideas and patch them together, sometimes tossing the scraps to be reused in future. I become fairly hyper-focused when writing a song, playing it and listening to it repeatedly, sort of living in the feeling of it. It is the rare case that it happens in one sitting. It's funny, because some reviews speak about our music as if there is a lot of premeditated thought and conscious influence on the product. I think influence happens on a very subconscious level for me, as I work more off of feelings and immediate aesthetics (though discernment is necessary when patching it all together). I'm a classically trained pianist, for better or worse, but don't think about notes at all when it comes to improvising/songwriting, relying a lot more on ear. My lyric writing is quite stream-of-consciousness and I often have no idea what a song is about thematically until I write a few lines, or in some cases after the song is finished. Themes often end up relating to personal philosophies, psychology, insights, concepts of well-being, nostalgia, what I'm seeing around me on a societal level, what I hope to see, what I believe in, personal/societal potential, abstract concepts or sensations that paint some sort of picture. In terms of the band, I sometimes bring a full song and other times bring an idea. The "rhythm bros" help to flesh it out fully, creating their own parts, sometimes adding sections or flourishes together. A few ideas, like "We Not the You," came from the band improvising (we often take some time to improvise each practice, either in a ridiculous or serious way).
ZS: Like Kay, I don't have a specific process—sometimes a song comes to me more or less fully formed, other times I build it slowly based on an idea for a lyric, riff, progression, etc. Improvisation is involved on both paths, either as the spontaneous happening that plants the seed for a new song or as a way to get around a writing block on something under construction. Most of my songs on this album are social commentary; personal reflections of the political, oscillating between frustration/despair and hope/light.
Diving into some of the tracks here, what can you say about the opener "Co-Operator"?
ZS: It's inspired by a research project I did investigating the rise and fall of the 20th century co-operative movement in Nova Scotia; grassroots collective action which reshaped the social and economic landscape of the province but largely fizzled out through the generations, seemingly eroded by successive waves of economic restructuring and creative destruction under capitalism. But there are threads scattered around; the legacy is there. I interviewed several people, and used a free app to transcribe recordings of the interviews. Occasionally the app muddled some of the transcriptions in funny and interesting ways, possibly unable to keep up with the Nova Scotian dialect. A few lines of lyrics are directly taken from that garbled content, like "trade the head for the egg."
How did "Doors Wide Open" come about?
KM: One of those rare "one-sit song" occasions. During the pandemic, Zak and I watched the British reality TV show Escape to the Country and there was a melodic string line in it that I was drawn to. I started to sing it and accompany it with chords, then used the chords and created a new melody. This is the fastest song I think I've ever written, in about 15 minutes, words and all. The theme of feminism and social justice came straight away, kind of like a children's riddle, and were inspired in part by a conversation I'd had with a friend.
What was it like putting together "Imagine Nations"?
ZS: I wrote it the summer before it was recorded, meditating on a few different themes around colonialism and power. I think the first time it was played loud was a random jam some weekend afternoon with just me and Joe on drums, trying to keep some Figs momentum when there really wasn't any. I was happy with how it came out when we put it to tape, came together smoothly. Added some FX to the intro for good measure, trying to make it sound like The Wipers doing "Planet Caravan."
What's the story of the album's lead single "Swimming"?
KM: Honestly, this was written so long ago that I can hardly remember writing it (I think it must be about six or seven years old). I can say that it's primarily about swimming in a sea of perceptions—both personal and other peoples. It can be hard for many of us to identify reality from fantasy, as our views have been so colored (and in some cases tainted) by our personal and cultural experiences. It's also about sometimes preferring your own inner world to reality, even though this can be destructive as it can isolate you and strip you of your personal agency and ability to give to the world. For me, at least in the past, it has been more comfortable to dream rather than do at times since dreaming doesn't involve the same risk. This is something I'm working on. It's hard to describe in words, so I hope you can catch my drift!
The closing cut "Social Anatomy" has all the connect-the-dots simplicity and demands of ramshackle rock 'n' roll. What was it like putting this one together?
ZS: It's the only track of mine on the album that was written way back; we've been playing it live since before the existence of Figs proper. It's definitely inspired by The Velvets via Simply Saucer, just really delving headfirst into a style that I love and stretching it out in a fun and epic way. The lyrics are cryptic but I think the point comes across if you go along with the anatomical analogy for total revolution against a deeply embodied capitalist, patriarchal, imperial order. I spliced and reversed some guitar when mixing and we considered dubbing some other madness over top but ultimately it worked best when not too cluttered with accoutrements. There were two takes, I remember it being tough to choose between them. I think we chose the one we did because it was a bit tighter believe it or not. It's a good rendition and the recording turned out well to be sure, but sometimes when we play it live it's much wilder.
Are there any songs from the record that means the most to you (and why) or that you're most proud of?
ZS: It might be the title cut for me. It's based on a chord progression and melody Kay had for years. We even played around with it but never performed it in a pre-Figs iteration of the band, a power trio with T on drums, and it always sounded great, but not quite complete. We dusted it off, writing an intro, guitar leads, and freshened up the arrangement. It felt like unearthing a lost gem; shining it up and sharing with the world.
How would you say the new album compares to Migration Magic?
ZS: It's much more intentionally an album for one. There's more space for experimentation here, woven throughout many of the tracks. My songs are all on the longer side; I was a bit more into the idea of letting the compositions breathe at the time.
KM: I think this album is more expansive in terms of thematic ideas and song content, yet more cohesive and contained in a world of its own. Migration Magic was a randomly selected batch of songs, recorded over a few nights, which we had no intention of releasing as a full album. Everything took more time and was a bit more deliberate in terms of its structure. The themes are more political in nature. I think the whole album sounds a little more internal and reflective. The recording process was a longer, richer experience as we met in Thomas' basement regularly for over a month (fond memories of drinking wine from a golden goblet). We were meeting at a fairly intense time, directly after a difficult winter of restrictions in Montreal due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 (including a nightly curfew that lasted until March 2022—helicopters were flying over the city!). So, I think being together and playing together was cathartic, and maybe you can hear some of that sense of release and, dare I say, angst?
What were the inspirations behind the cover art?
ZS: You'd have to ask our good friend and multi-talented artist Joel Young for more details, it's a piece he made specifically for us. A view from an artist loft in an industrial Montreal landscape, it jives with the "everything around you" concept. I believe the four plants on the back cover represent us as the four Feeling Figures. Not sure who is which plant, that's up for the audience to debate.
What are some future plans for The Figs?
ZS: We have a nice Northeast US mini-tour in November—we'll be hitting Philly, Brooklyn, Boston, and New Haven, some in tandem with The Lavender Flu! We also have a homecoming show the following weekend with Pillea from Toronto and local favorites Psychic Armour. Pillea is the band of our friend Micah Brown who played bass with us in a pre-Figs lineup of the band. Hopefully we'll get the chance to play out beyond that, and we'd like to record a third LP soon.
Thank you for your time. Any advice or last words you'd like to share with our readers?
KM: Keep doing what you're doing, Joe, and let's all keep supporting each other in ways that we can—we need all of the life breathed into the underground that we can get!
Everything Around You is out now on K Records and Perennial Death Records.