Most of us were still reeling from this Danish sextet’s sophomore release, 421 Wythe Avenue, when Alcoholic Faith Mission announced their speedy follow-up. What should’ve by all means sounded like a rushed recording instead stands proud as the band’s finest moment - Let This Be the Last Night We Care. SCQ recently caught up with ringleader Thorben Seierø Jensen, who divulges some back-story for that stunning record as well as big plans for the coming year. (Photo by Maud Frisenfeldt)
SCQ: Every list-lover's favourite question: what are your top albums of 2010? Feel free to include any older yet worthy records you discovered this year.
TSJ: I'll give you 5...
1. the national - high violet, even though they've become such a popular band they still hold water - imagine coming up with a lyrical line such "... i'm walking with spiders, it's quiet company..." wow...
2. BSS - forgiveness rock record
3. foals - total life forever
4. beach house - teen dream
5 .dirty projektors - bitte orca (Last year's effort was hands down one of the most interesting releases of that year - still can't get enough - and live: mind-boggling!)
SCQ: What were you listening to a lot of while recording your excellent Let This Be the Last Night We Care?
TSJ: Thanks :-)
It's quite difficult to delve deep into artists, especially new ones, while recording our own material.
When we're arranging, producing, writing, etc, we kinda try not to block our creative flow with loads of different inputs.
(Also after a 14+ hour day in the studio, for my part at least, it's not really the music mode one's in coming back to the house; you just wanna rest your ears and watch dumb movies or read a book - within an hour you'd be fast asleep anyhow :-))
However, were we to put on some music we'd probably turn to old favorites such as red house painters, talk talk, and casiotone for the painfully alone.
SCQ: Be cocky for once in your life: what was the finest thing you did all year? That moment where you actually thought "shit, I nailed that..."?
TSJ: Her name was Tina and she was a 21 year old model from Sweden...
Ha ha?? Funny?? Probably not but worth the shot...
Think we all had the feeling you're looking for after recording a very stripped down version of "SEASON ME RIGHT" with some of our fellow "collectors" from the Copenhagen Collective on the docks of Copenhagen.
that went really well... - and yes... - WE NAILED THAT...
SCQ: Effect and Cause: Songs such as 'Education' and 'Honeydrip' quickly became celebratory listening this past Spring, as I'd walk home knowing I'd survived another day at my boring office job. Okay, your turn: confess a true tale that inspired one of the songs from Let This Be the Last Night We Care.
TSJ: Sobriety Up and Left...
the way we usually create songs is by recording some random shit. Could be a guitar lick, some synths, a beat - whatever.
And we had been working on creating that whole landscape of sound that is this song, but hadn't really come up with a melody and lyrics for it.
Then luckily, after a night of boozing and smoking my lungs out, I woke up spitting blood, and voíla: a tremendous song was born.
:-)
Just a wee bit cynical, but fortunately there was nothing wrong but that event had me taking inventory... and a song was inspired and born from it...and I'm now a happy non-smoker.
SCQ: If all the reasonable and implausible ideas in your head came to fruition in 2011, what would they be?
TSJ: We really would love to see our attendance at iceland airwaves and CMJ would bear fruit and able us to turn things up a notch or two.
Also the release of a fourth album in '11 would be amazing - if we get it done in time... Working real hard on it now, but we don't wanna release anything we're not 100% comfortable with.
(Editorial Note: Thorben also included some late-breaking information written after our initial interview. All of the good news is included below...)
TSJ: It actually bore fruit: we have been added to the bill at sxsw and canadian music week...
and hopefully we'll do some touring along with those two shows.
Right now we're planning the midwest (illinois, wisconsin, michigan, minnesota) and south going west (texas, arizona, new mexico, nevada, california)
However, whether or not these tour plans will see fruition, time will tell. CMW and austin are a sure thing and should obviously be our main focus - however we spend a lot of money crossing the pond, and it would be a shame if we couldn't do a bit of touring while here.
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