Jet Black Records Presents: FR EE ! Tunhofficeial Official Guide to Treefort 2019

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JAMES PLANE WRECK The ultimate in-depth interview so shocking that it couldn't be published. Until NOW! Roc king Fort on $ Plus Day 0 a Only Smucks We Interview pay! Here's how h Tips we get away Frenc scott free. The A Conversation with The french Tips

Fresh off the release of their debut album, “It’s the Tips”, the French Tips are readying themselves for this year’s Treefort Festival. If you haven’t heard the record yet, get your ass in gear and buy a copy already. It’s one of the strongest releases by a Boise band in years. As busy as they are, the group very graciously invited me out to their rehearsal space a couple weeks ago to give me the skinny on their origins, their album, and whatever the hell else came up in conversation. For the record, The French Tips are Ivy Merrell (guitar, bass, and vocals), Angela Heileson (drums and vocals), and Rachel Couch (bass, guitar and vocals). I began by asking them how they came together. “Well,” explains Ivy, “we were all playing in other bands. And I think we played a show together--you guys were in Desert Graves, and I was in Get Wet +. And I think we played a show together and we just…[a bit of laughter from her bandmates] enjoyed each other’s company? And how long ago was this? “Two or three years ago. There was a local show called Inaugurate Resistance, where there were a bunch of bands that were playing covers, 2 and I was helping organize it. And I really wanted Desert Graves to play, and somehow when we were talking about it, we decided that, instead, the three of us would play some songs together. And we just really enjoyed that, and decided to keep playing and writing and--” So, wait, you started off rehearsing strictly covers for this show? I ask, amused. What exactly did you play--just out of curiosity? “A Bush Tetras song called ‘Too Many Creeps’, and a Le Tigre song called ‘Hot Topic’.” “I really liked those covers,” Rachel adds. “And we did ‘em for a couple other shows, then Ivy cut it. [laughter from Ivy and Angela] She’s like, ‘No more...doin’ that.’” (I made a point of finding these original tunes online, and I’m glad I did. Frankly, these two songs are a perfect little dive into the aesthetic of The French Tips. The Tetras song has a certain hyperactive attack, and of course Tigre has a pop sensibility with a real ‘fuck-you’ edge. I can see why everything began with this.) Angela jumps in, here. “I think we knew that we were, like, ‘We should probably just write original stuff.’ We just seemed to get along really well, and, I dunno, it just made sense. All of us kinda have different backgrounds, and styles of music, and what we grew up with. That kinda comes through in our music, especially because we all sing. [Indicating the other members] They’ll sing very differently.” Ivy grins and admits, “Also, we liked the name enough that we couldn’t just let it go: The French Tips?” “It’s funny because, usually a name is negotiated for awhile before it’s decided upon,” Rachel says. Or you play under two or three names until one sticks, right? “Yes!” Rachel agrees, clearly enthused. “I remember Ivy came up to both of us and was just, ‘You know, we should start a project called The French Tips.’ And it was just one of those names where both of us were like, ‘Okay.’”

3 Ivy continues, “That show we learned two covers and that was in January ‘17, and then it really wasn’t until later that year, kinda more around the summer, that we started writing songs together.” “I think,” Rachel says, thinking back, “we went our separate ways for a few months...and then got back together, and said, ‘You know, we should really do this.’” Angela goes on. “What’s funny is, we’re all women, and--at least for me--part of the thing was like, ‘I don’t have to play with some fucking dudes!” And that’s rare in Boise. Most female musicians I know are almost always playing in a band full of “dudes”. Has that been your experience? I ask. Nods all around. “And there’s something really special about this,” Angela explains, “because the way that we get along and can communicate with each other is so different than all of these other bands we’ve been in. You know, nothing against dudes, but sometimes it’s just like...there’s just a big difference, and it been a lot--easier?--to communicate with each other. Because I think we know how to do that. It’s really nice.” Ivy picks up the origin story again. “I think we played our first real show in October of 2017, and we played Treefort in March [2018], and by then, I was like five months pregnant. And so we decided to record the songs we had at that point. The timing of me having a baby really helped dictate that we were gonna get that recorded, and spend the time focusing on that. You know, putting that record out.” I ask about the recording process, and Ivy explains, “We’d only really played like three or four shows at that point. To be honest, it made me feel a little nervous recording them that soon, but we liked the songs, and that’s what we wanted to do as a group. There was a hot minute where we talked about recording them ourselves, but then we decided that wasn’t what we wanted to spend our time and energy doing. And so, I had recorded with Zach [producer at Z.V. House, aka Rabbitbrush Audio] three or four times prior, and I knew that he was awesome, and super confident, fun to work with. He really ‘gets’-- at least all the bands I’ve worked with, he super ‘vibes’ with. And so we recorded with him, and I think that was a great decision.”

4 And so none of these songs were demoed in advance, they were just fleshed out in rehearsals and live shows? “Mm hmm,” she confirms. As to the writing process, I ask if individuals bring in fully-formed songs, or if it’s a wholly democratic process. “It’s very collaborative,” Ivy insists. Rachel seconds this. “I think it is, too. There have been a couple of occasions where one of us will bring in an idea from somewhere else, but for the most part, it’s kind of… I don’t know! I would almost describe it as ‘magical’!” Her bandmates laugh a bit at this thought. “When we get together, the parts seem to just come together.” “Also, because we all sing, even if someone else writes the bulk of the progressions, then someone else is coming in and at least writing vocals and vocal melodies,” Ivy says. And are the lyrics generally written by whichever member is singing? They nod. I press them about whether egos ever get in the way of the writing, and we joke a bit about that problem being more of a ‘guy band’ thing. Rachel laughs and says, “My favorite one is ‘he-peating’, which has happened to me quite a bit!” Can you define that for us? “It happens when you state an idea, and then somebody else has to rephrase the idea--” “--And then gets the credit!” Ivy interrupts, smiling. “--as though it was their own,” Rachel says. “And then you’re like, ‘That’s exactly what I said!’” This prompts some very un-selfconscious, and very knowing, laughter from all three. So there’s no butting heads, or territoriality, while working out the songs? Angela thinks for a moment and answers, “I think we talk through it.” “Yeah, we’re flexible,” Rachel concurs.

5 As if dissatisfied with her original thought, Angela continues, “I don’t know, uh... There’s no egos! I think right up front [we decided], ‘If you don’t like something, don’t just sit there.’” So everyone has veto power? Again, they nod unanimously. But a thought occurs to Angela. “In the very beginning, some of the first things we were writing, were a little too punk for my taste…” “Ohhh, yeah. I remember that,” Ivy says in a kind of aww-shucks way. Angela goes on: “...and I thought, ‘I just can’t handle it,’ and I was just like, ‘I, uh, don’t like any of this!’ [lots of laughter from bandmates] So then we kind of got together and asked, ‘What are some things we like? What kind of bands do you like? What kind of styles?’” What are your plans for Treefort? Don’t you have two shows? “I think one ‘official,’ and one ‘unofficial.’” Ivy tells me. “Yeah, I think we’re doing the Camp Modern, a little set there, Saturday afternoon. I don’t know the exact time, I think it’s like 3? And then Neurolux Sunday night.” And the set-list? Is it strictly the songs on the record? “It is pretty much established, just playing the album. I mean,” and here Ivy laughs a bit nervously, and explains, “we’ve written one more song since then, but...we started writing songs a year and a half ago, and in that time I had a kid, we recorded a record, we put a lot of work into putting that record out-- pressing it to vinyl, we screen-printed it ourselves…” The album cover is fantastic, so I press them on the process of printing it themselves. “Well, screen-printing is a skill that I thought...uh, we should have,” Ivy says, with a self-effacing shrug. “And I’m not artistic at all, so when I say that I felt like I should have it, I really kind of pressured these ladies into learning how to screen-print! It was rewarding, and very frustrating at times. But we learned how to do it, and we had good guidance from friends who are really good at it. In particular, my bandmate [in Get Wet +] Bryan Hallowell really helped us a lot.” Was it a total pain in the ass? 6 With no hesitation, Angela answers, “I think it was worth it.” “I feel proud of it. I feel like it’s very DIY,” says Ivy. Angela adds, a bit more forcefully, “I think it’s special. Like, ‘This is something that we...made with our own fucking hands!’” All of us laugh. When I ask how limited the press-run for the vinyl edition was, I am somewhat shocked when they almost simultaneously answer, “It was a hundred.” Only a hundred? Ivy explains, “I think when we heard the record, after we got it back from Zach, we were just feeling really inspired by what he did with our songs. And we felt like we had to do vinyl.” “...go all the way!” Angela playfully adds. “It’s kind of funny, what it turned into,” Rachel affirms. “Like, ‘We should record a demo, just so we have these recordings.’ It was definitely intended to be a pretty casual endeavor.” Like, just go in and record your live set? Ivy confirms this. “Yeah, like, ‘Let’s get somebody to just record our tracks. It doesn’t have to be professional.’ But then we got in with Zach, and he did such a stellar job that it was one thing after another…” Picking up the thread, Angela adds, “...Like, ‘We should get it professionally mastered.’” And who did the mastering? “Mell Dettmer [at Studio Soli],” Ivy says. “The way that we found Mell was, like, Blake Green, who plays music around town, he has gone to her for mastering before. So Zach and I have worked with her in the past, and she’s awesome.” “And it’s a woman!” Angela interjects, clearly thrilled. I ask about whether some of the unusual tones and textures on the album were originally the band’s ideas, or if those grew out of a collaborative process with the producer during the mixing stage. Specifically, I mention the throaty bass guitar sound on “Burn it Down,” and the wah guitar on “Dancelite,” both of which sound remarkably unique on the finished product.

7 Giving it some thought, Ivy pauses a sec, then say, “I think a lot of the tones--I mean, we were a pretty new band at that point--so I think a lot of how he captured us was very inspiring to us. I know when we played shows after that, I wanted my tones to sound the way they did on the record. “And when we went in there, there was at least one song that we hadn’t hardly played at all, and he was--he’s always--good for bouncing ideas off of. He’s kinda like a fourth member of the band...if you’re wanting that when you record with him. Just fun to collaborate with. “Now, I hate recording!” Here, her bandmates laugh yet again. “But these two women were incredible in the recording experience. The both had great ideas going into it. There’s sounds on the record we don’t do line, because we just can’t. Add a keyboard, add a tambourine or a second guitar, additional harmonies, things like that. “It was just kind of a magical experience all the way around, for us. We had more ideas, and were feeling really creative when we went in there. And being in there with Zach was really helpful, too, so…” And, as for their post-Treefort plans, Ivy tells me, “We are going on a tour right after Treefort. We are going to be playing in , Portland, and Walla Walla, in support of . And then I think our plan is to play out of town, just a few dates, in late summer or early fall. ...And writing new songs! Those are our goals! “Yeah, I think that’s definitely what we wanna do,” Rachel adds. “I mean, it’s been awhile since we’ve had any kind of free time to actually compose new songs. We have, like, one new song.” Angela giggles a bit and says, “Lots of ideas that haven’t gotten fleshed out yet.” “Yeah. So it’ll be really cool to take a few months off,” Rachel admits. I ask about outside exposure, airplay, online streams/sales, etc. “Well,” explains Angela, “after we released our album, it took me a little while to figure out the whole Spotify and iTunes thing. But that’s been done in the last two or three weeks. It’s kind of a hindrance if you don’t have a Spotify, I guess. 8 So once we got that squared away, I think Treefort’s made a few ‘Treefort Playlists’ on Spotify, and they snuck a few of our songs on there. So that’s helping us get new listeners from all over.” Petting an old cat that has climbed into my lap, I point out that this cat sheds like my cat, and then I confess that it was 2018’s Treefort Festival where I first discovered The French Tips. We go off on a tangent about randomly discovering bands every damned year, and then Ivy makes a soild point. “I always wonder, as a local band, if people will come see us, knowing that there’s all these other big bands in town. But people REALLY show up for the local bands! It’s so awesome how supportive it is, supportive of local bands.”

On that note, I strongly suggest you get to either of their shows at this year’s festival. Or both, if you can make it. The first show is all ages, from what I hear, and absolutely free--so you have no excuse to miss it. It’s Saturday the 23rd at 3pm at The Modern Hotel. The second show is at the Neurolux-- meaning it’s 21-and-over, and you’ll need a wristband--Sunday the 24th at 10:40pm. And in the meantime, find them on BandCamp, Spotify, etc., or pony up the cash to buy the LP or the CD. I absofuckinglutely guarantee you’ll dig it.

9 Shooting the Shit with eck lane Wr James P

Besides being a kickass band, the guys in James Plane Wreck are a total hoot. I had them over to my place a couple weeks ago to fill me in on their history. And maybe their plans for the future. To get the biographical details outta the way, I ask them to give us their names, instruments and how long they’ve been in the band. “Aaron. I play guitar and sing. Been in since ‘99, did we decide?” “Shaun. I play bass. It was probably more like 2000, 2001 when I started actually playing bass [in the group].” “Andrew, drums. Probably been in since Shaun.” “Shane. I joined summer of...2011? 2011, we’ll call it. And I play guitar. And try to sing backup.” After a pause, he adds, “I had to audition! Like four times, before they were finally like--” Andrew sarcastically shrugs and says, “He’s gonna keep showing up!” Asked to classify the James Plane Wreck sound, and list some influences, Aaron gives it some thought and says, “I've always had a very hard time classifying our music. I'd say it's rock/punk-rock with a tinge of alt-country. I've always wanted a review of us to hear how we are described. The first one we got was: ‘Replacements-like.’ Influences of mine are Archers of Loaf, Built to Spill, Treepeople, Bob Dylan, Hot Water Music, Knapsack, Phil Spector pop.” And how did the band start, exactly? “I always had a bunch of acoustic songs,” Aaron explains, “got a 4-track, loved the way things sounded with multiple instruments. 10 These guys were all in numerous other bands, good bands, and I was very lucky to have them play with me. ‘Cuz they’re wonderful.” “We all kinda hung out...in high school, right?” Andrew asks. Grinning, Aaron confirms this. “We had a shared love of underage smoking, is how we met.” Shaun gives us his side of the story: “While [Aaron] was doing that, me and a bunch of my friends were playing in punkrock bands, or whatever, and we saw what Aaron was doing recording acoustically, and it kinda blew our minds. And we said, ‘Hey man, if you ever wanna do a full band, let us know!’” So were the guys brought in as side-men? Session guys playing prearranged songs? “I was alot more ‘writing all the parts’ back then,” Aaron admits. “I was a lot bigger of a dick.” This elicits some knowing snickers from his bandmates. I press the guys on their earliest shows and recordings. Aaron again: “Well, the first [recording] we did was 17 songs. Like, a looooong fucking album. I think there’s like six acoustic [songs] on there. But I think we only played like three or four shows before we started recording. It was just writing material, and rehearsing.” “We used to have crazy-long rehearsals,” Andrew interjects. Aaron seconds this, “Fuck yeah, like five, six hours.” “It was very scattered at that time,” says Shaun, “because we had two different dudes playing guitar with us--that aren’t here now--” Aaron crosses himself, then looks upward, as if the guitarists are dead, and everyone loses their shit, laughing hysterically. Shane picks up the thread: “Back then, there were hiatuses, too, where there would be other bands going on.” Shaun nods. “We had a break in, what? 2003? 2004? And then picked back up in ‘05 or ‘06 for another year or two.” After a bit of a digression here, where multiple former bandmates are mentioned, I ask, “Were the players who rotated in and out pretty much filling in the second guitar, prior to Shane coming in?”

11 “Yeah,” Aaron says. Shaun adds, “But it was, sorta, like I feel like we just wrote different songs.” “Yeah, less singer-songwritery,” Aaron elaborates. But the work ethic has stayed the same? “We’ve always been pretty gung ho,” according to Shaun. Previous and current members, all? “Once we started with a new band member, that earlier band’s done,” Aaron laughs. “Move on, and….yeah.” Asked if retiring so many old songs makes for a heavier workload, Aaron shrugs and says, “I write sooooo many songs, though. It’s not like I’m worried I won’t write another song.” “And even if that happened,” Shane says (and the guys all agree), “there’s plenty of old, good material. But it’s good to kinda move on.” When I press the band about the writing process, who adds what to the song, Shane calls it: “I’d say it’s 70/30. He comes in with 70 percent and then we flesh it out.” And then Aaron elaborates, “I don’t write basslines or drum parts anymore, ‘cuz these guys are fucking awesome.” “But he comes with the basic riffs, and the vocals, and melodies--that’s all him,” Shane continues, then pauses, “and then, sometimes, if it’s a newer jam and he’s only got two parts, then that’s when Shaun and I will help him write a third or fourth part.” But, I ask, it sounds like the rest of you write the lion’s share of your own individual lines, right? “Yes.” Talking about how drummers can really shape a song, Aaron gets enthusiastic. “That’s one of the greatest fucking feelings! You come in with something that’s almost like a dirge, and Andrew plays, like, a much faster beat to it, and you’re just like, ‘Holy shit! This song just opened up!” I ask Andrew, is that intentional, or is that…? “I just don’t know what else to do,” says Andrew, completely deadpan, and the rest of the guys erupt with laughter. “I just try to compliment what he does,” he continues, referring to Aaron. To which Shane adds, “I think he speaks for all of us.”

12 Then there’s plenty of aimless talk about dick pics, Aaron’s weird colored pants, the joys of a full head of hair versus balding. “Last time I tried to grow a skullet, I ended up looking a lot like Gallagher,” Shane confesses. Laughter fills the room. “Nothin’ wrong with that!” says Andrew, which has us all roaring again. And that sends us on another tangent about smashing watermelons, and other, more vulgar things. It was hard for me to stay in a journalist role, because these guys are just so hilarious in conversation. There were stories about misadventures in drinking, including a bit about Andrew vomiting after 18 shots, at which someone says, “That’s more than two octopuses. Or octopi, isn’t it?” Shaun throws in, “Anything ending in ‘-us’ becomes ‘-i,’” and I believe it’s Aaron who adds, “Like ‘Jesi?”--a plural of Jesus, I guess. We were all cackling so much, it’s a bit tricky to determine who said what at this point in the recording of interview. I ask them about their rehearsal schedule leading up to their shows at Treefort this year. They break down which days of the week they’re getting together, and then Aaron confides, “We have two shows coming up, and we haven’t really played in five years...but what’s great is, I’m not too worried about it. ‘Cuz these guys are rad!” Do you have two separate sets, I ask, one for each show? “Yeah,” he says matter-of-factly, “one set we’ll basically do the majority of our as-of-yet unreleased album. And then the other one, we’ll kinda do just...fun songs.” “New ones, maybe?” Shane asks. “Yeah. A couple new ones.” Regarding that new release, which Jet Black Records is rushing to have pressed on cassette just in time for Treefort, I quiz them for some details. “So that’s, uh…” Aaron pauses to do the math, “a five-song EP, recorded with Nathan Barnes at Osmosis Studios in Meridian. And it’s a rockin’ EP. Then the b-side is gonna be a couple of acoustic songs and some other material no one will ever hear otherwise.” Which translates to about ten songs and 36+ minutes of music. Price? “8 bucks apiece, and there’s only gonna be a hundred of them. ...Limited edition. Super limited.” Cassette only? “Nah, we’ll put a download code in as well, or something.”13 So if you’re cruising around Boise during Treefort, I recommend you drop in on one of the band’s shows. Opening night (March 20th), they play an all- ages gig at The Shredder at 11pm. And then on the final night of the Festival (March 24th) there’s a 21-and-over show at Pre-Funk Beer Bar at 5pm. And don’t forget to drop by their merch table and pick up their new cassette, which just dropped via Jet Black Records! It might be available at local record shops later, and you could always find a digital copy on the Jet Black website, but if you know what’s good for ya, you’ll snatch up one of these tapes before they’re gone.

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~ Richard M. Nixon