Indie dream pop band FUR shares with us their early influences, songwriting process and what to expect at their gig on Nov 6!
Formed just over three years ago, the British quartet is made up of William Murray, Harry Saunders, William Tavener and Flynn Whelan. Dishing out vibrant nostalgia-tinged bops, the band took flight after they headlined The Haunt in Brighton.
Their video ‘If You Know That I’m Lonely’ jumped from 10,000 views a week to 100,000 views a week.
The video has over 9.5 million views now.
Before their trip to Asia and Singapore next week, AsiaLive365 got a chance to chat with the band about their sound, music influences, outfit choice, and of course what to expect from the band on November 6.
In the meantime, find out more about the charming 60s-vibe band in our interview below.
ASL65: Hi FUR. Vanessa here from AsiaLive365. Welcome to Singapore. We hope you enjoy your stay here.
Is this your first time in Singapore? What do you think your first impression of the food and the weather is going to be when you get here?
FUR: It will be our first time in Singapore, we’re looking forward to it! I assume it’ll be a lot hotter than England and the food will be a lot nicer as well.
ASL365: So tell us, why the name FUR – is there a story behind your band’s name?
FUR: There isn’t really much of a story behind it, coming up with a band name is probably the hardest part of being in a band and it’s just a word that looks and sounds good.
ASL365: The FUR sound does seem to evoke a 60s/70s blend to it. As a member, how would you describe FUR’s musical textures and sonority?
FUR: I’d describe our sound as vintage with a modern twist. It’s hard to find words to describe FUR or music in general. It’s warm and jangly, it just sounds like Fur.
ASL365: Loving the FUR outfits and retro British look too. Was this a choice that happen by chance, or was it planned?
FUR: Thank you! It’s pretty much just the way we dress, it’s pretty natural to us. In Brighton where we live it’s very relaxed and people tend to wear whatever they want and no one laughs at you so it’s nice.
ASL365: What were your music influences when you were younger and how does it reflect in your music?
FUR: I grew up with a lot of 50s/60s music from my grandparents like Elvis, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and Duane Eddy. I also loved a lot of folk like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel and Neil Young. They’re all amazing songwriters and they let the songs do the talking rather than showing off with loads of solo’s and unnecessarily overcomplicated parts. I think that reflects in our music a lot as we try to let our songs breathe.
ASL365: If you could invite one of these music influences to dinner, who would it be and why?
FUR: That’s a hard question, I think Bob Dylan would probably have the most interesting table discussions and he’d have a lot of stories to tell.
ASL365: I am loving your tracks. It has that very British summer music festival vibe to it and I am actually also somewhat reminded of The Kooks.
Latest singles, ‘Trouble Always Finds Me’, ‘Nothing (Until Something Else Comes Along)’, and even ‘Angel Eyes”- they all sound and feel absolutely great! Tell us, what was the inspiration behind these songs, and how is the writing process like? Do you guys like write while on tour, or in the studio, or…perhaps just hanging out together on a rainy day?
FUR: Thank you, The Kooks were really big in the UK when we were at school so it might have sneaked in through our subconscious but we don’t listen to them. We’re actually playing a festival with them in Thailand!
The songwriting process is usually Murray or Josh writing something on their own and then bringing it to the rest of the band. Recently we’ve been writing together and it’s been nice because we both get really excited about chords and melodies and just bounce off each other. We tend to write at home, tour is always so tiring and the studio is always such a rush.
ASL365: What can music fans expect to feel at a FUR gig?
FUR: They can expect loads of energy and hopefully to leave with a smile on their faces!
