THE FRENCH KICKS
The SiS Interview by David Wallace

The French Kicks have just released their third LP entitled “Two Thousand” (Startime International/Vagrant).  The new record once again updates and overhauls all previous templates, while maintaining the Kicks’ preference for booming beats, droney synths, innovative guitar work and big, sweeping, melodic drama.

Stranded in Stereo spoke with lead singer (and self professed drummer) Nick Stumpf while the band began their recent US tour in support of “Two Thousand”.  Nick thinks they were in North Dakota…

SIS: What does the album title “Two Thousand” reference?

Nick Stumpf: All of our album titles are a little bit tongue in cheek (Young Lawyers, One Time Bells, Trial of the Century – ED). There was that whole “year 2,000” deal at the end of the 20th century.

SIS:  Sort of like the Conan O’Brien joke?

NS:  Yeah.  It’s about getting all geared up and prepared for this big thing, this huge new era and it never really comes.   And then finding yourself in the aftermath and realizing that nothing really changed and nothing really happened.  The year 2,000 used to be this futuristic number.  But now the future has arrived and it’s been totally deflated.  We all have to deal with the fact that it’s the same as it always was.

SIS: No Apocalypse?

NS:  Right.

SIS:  I’ve always been very interested in what the creative process is like for you guys.  The final presentation of the songs, both live and on record seem like they’ve progressed a great deal from the initial composition.  Can you go into that a little bit?

NS: Yeah.  That transition takes an extremely long time.  It often starts with some sort of improvised idea.  Or a series of improvised ideas.  Maybe it’s a beat or some vocal thing.  Then we record it and quickly take the first ideas that pop into our heads on several different instruments.  Josh and I write most of the stuff and that’s really how we do it.  Then we get the other guys involved and we start doing a lot of editing; trying to figure out the structure.  So by the time we get into the studio everything has been recorded many times over.  It’s very well thought out. 

SIS:  Do you and Josh write face to face or is it pretty separate?

NS:  Sometimes we do.  Most of the time though one of us has a track idea; bass, drums and keyboards.  It’s really just a vibe.  Sort of like a hip hop track.  Maybe it’ll involve some chord structure.  And then the other guy will hear it and start making suggestions.  “What about this hear?  Or that chord there?”  We both then take it home and work on it.  Other times it’s already pretty finished, with melody and lyrics.   Usually there’s a fair amount of thought put into any given song by one of us alone at least at one stage.

SIS: It’s always fascinated me how stripped away everything is on your records.  You have this enormous sound, but it’s so stripped.  I imagine at some point a song started with a chord progression or a riff, but then the finished product seems to be devoid of typical harmonic elements.

NS:  Yeah, we don’t have a lot of big chords or chord progressions.  The idea being to only use what is absolutely necessary.  There aren’t actually too many of our songs that start with chord progressions.  They usually begin as beats, or drum sounds and vocal lines.  But even a lot of that gets stripped away. 

SIS:  Since you stopped playing drums live (Nick used to be the drummer as well as the singer until Aaron Thurston joined the band in 2003 – though Nick still plays most of the drum parts on the record) you’ve grown tremendously as a vocalist.  Do you feel like that decision to stand up front has forced you to hone in on vocals and being a vocalist?

NS:  Yeah, you definitely start to think about it differently and to focus more on just that aspect of it. 

SIS:  Do you still consider yourself a drummer?

NS:  Yes.  I think if I had to choose one thing that would be it.

SIS:  You guys have released three full-length records and two EP’s now.  So much has changed in the indie rock landscape over that time – especially in New York.  And while so many bands have come and gone – some of who have had more success than you – you’ve managed to stick around.  What do you attribute that to?

NS:  Well, I think the point of this for us has always been to just make songs.  That’s always been the fun and the point of it.  We never set out to be rock stars.  I think when people do that they go about things differently.  If making songs isn’t the focus, it can lead to going away faster for a lot of different reasons.  

SIS: But certainly you wouldn’t begrudge larger commercial success if it didn’t interfere with your art, right?

NS:  Uh, no way.  That’s exactly right.

SIS: Your sound seems to evolve quite drastically from record to record.  Do you consciously decide to mature your sound?  Or is it really just a function of playing together lots and touring lots? 

NS:  It’s both.  We definitely are always trying to improve.  But once we’ve done things, we’re not interested in doing them again.  We like to experiment a lot and try things we haven’t done before.  It just evolves that way. 

SIS:  There seems to be three basic elements to your sound - a combination of dissonance, melody and rhythm.  Would you agree with that? 

NS: Yeah, I think so.  Dissonance is one of those terms that is totally relative.  Dissonance to some people is harmony to others.  I think that’s one of the things that makes music interesting to listen to.

SIS:  There are acoustic guitars on this record, which is definitely a new texture for you guys.  How’d that happen?

NS:  It’s really just something we’d never done before.  Definitely something we’d spoken about doing for a long time, but never found the right place for.  But it can be a really cool element in songs.  When you place it in the mix without it being the dominant instrument it really becomes more of a rhythmic instrument.  Kind of like a percussion instrument.  The notes are all there and being played, but you’re really hearing the strumming of the strings more than the notes themselves. 

SIS:  It definitely seems like you’re using the attack of the guitar more than you’re using it as a melodic device. 

NS:  Yeah, it’s always just fun to try stuff we haven’t done before. 

SIS:  How did you get hooked up with (producer) Doug Boehm?

NS:  Our manager also manages Guided By Voices.  Rob Scnapf is a producer who works with them a lot.  He was going to produce “Trial of the Century” but at the last minute Doug, who is Rob’s partner and engineer stepped up and offered to do it.  We liked him and said “ok”. 

SIS: Has he become the de facto French Kicks producer?  Or do you foresee yourselves working with other people at some point? 

NS:  I think we’d like to work with other people.  We haven’t really talked about that at all.  Doug is fantastic and we love working with him.  But it’s always interesting to work with different people and see what comes of it. 

SIS:  Has working in California on these last two records influenced the music at all?

NS:  No.  It’s all pretty much done by the time we get out there.  It affects the vibe and the ability to execute things in a good way.  Especially on the first record because we didn’t have to drive anywhere. 

SIS:  While I wouldn’t label any of your records as concept albums, they all seem to exist in their own headspace or emotional space.  Is there a theme to this record?

NS:  I guess it’s just like anything else.  We go through phases.  Sometimes you’re feeling one way and other times you feel other ways.  I think the records reflect that more than anything else.