This series of blogs is called IN PASSING, and in it I'll be interviewing bands/artists I love and trying to shed further light (in the small ways I can) on their music and give anyone who may come across this a reason to listen to them. I want to focus on smaller music that deserves more attention than it gets. All blogs in this series will include an unabridged (yet slightly edited) interview with the artists and a small write-up from me. As always, send music, shows, suggestions for artist interviews, and anything ever that you want to talk about or see covered to [ fosterhildingmusic@gmail.com ] or DM me on Instagram.
In February of 2024, Cheyenne and I got to interview Flagstaff (previously Phoenix)'s own math-infused post-hardcore killers, Feed for our radio show, The Local Shampoo. If you'd like to listen to our next interview, tune in to 107.1FM or here at 3PM every Friday. We've both known Feed for quite a while and intensely watching their every calculated move. This one's going to be quite long and edited a little more intensely than previous ones.
We've made a playlist of the songs we played for this show. If you'd like to listen to it as you read you can do so here.
Quinn (Guitar and Vocals) = Q. Alex (Drums) = A. Rylan (Bass) could unfortunately not make it.
Since Cheyenne and I both asked questions and made a few comments here and there--my lines will be left-justified and hers will be right-justified.
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| photos courtesy of Feed. |
What was the production process like for And The Pony?
Q: Honestly, it was a pretty long, drawn-out process. We recorded all the tracks live this summer with a buddy down in Phoenix. That was quite a fun experience. We practiced really hard to get those songs. We've been playing them for how long now? Five years?
A: Yeah, Peacetime (Peacetime Armies [Revisited])'s the oldest one. We wrote that in like 8th grade.
Q: Yeah, so they were pretty old songs and we had to clean them up for the recording process. We did that and then we moved up here for school and finally found AAA Studios here in Flagstaff and they helped us mix it. It totally transformed the way it sounded. It was really raw before and after they put their hands on it, it was really cool. It sounds great now.
Who recorded it?
Q: So in Phoenix, Dylan Ewing, he's in a band called Deathdotgov. He's our buddy from School of Rock. We recorded it in the actual School of Rock studio and he added all of his equipment and everything.
I've heard a lot about Deathdotgov but I've never listened to them.
Q: They're the best local band in my opinion.
What type of stuff do they do?
Q: They're super like screamo, post-hardcore--really mathy and choppy but just so tight. Their drummer--I don't know if you know the band Dollskin--their drummer is Megan from Dollskin. She's in there. They're killer.
What is this album about to you guys, if you had to put something to it?
A: I don't know. Probably just challenging each other musically. I guess to push each other to be as good as possible--just coming to each other with the most fucked up brutal parts. That's kind of what it was about.
Q: Yeah. Just challenging each other and the years that those songs have been on. They've taken quite the transformation.
What were your guys' own personal music journeys before Feed?
Q: Well, I grew up going to School of Rock down in Phoenix, so we were playing covers and stuff. So, since I was like eight or nine years old I was just playing out in bars and checking out the music scene and trying to get into it as much as possible. Then I recruited Alex. Our brothers were friends and then we started going to School of Rock together and then Rylan came in as well. We started our first project Sunday altogether. Peacetime was kind of in the works when Sunday was a thing, but then we did the Proof is in the Pudding Contest. Those are pretty much the beginnings of Feed.
How did you guys meet Rylan?
Q: I met Rylan at school.
What is that song about (Sheath)?
Q: Absolutely nothing. It sounds like a sheath--like "shwinggg."
A: Shwinggg.
Q: So that's what the name is for.
Quinn, what are some artists that inspire you, vocally?
Q: After Sunday broke up, I was just thrown in the role of a vocalist. I never really thought of doing that and it wasn't my thing, but I just tried to harness it. I mean, obviously, like we say this all the time, but Black Midi's Geordie Greep was a huge inspiration on some of those weird parts. Especially live, I try to replicate some of that stuff. Maynard (Tool), and all those other proggy bands definitely. I don't know. I haven't thought about vocal influences a lot but that's a good question. Just doing it.
A: I feel like I hear Thom Yorke.
Q: Oh yeah, maybe subconsciously. Weird eye.
What was it like working on the album lyrically? What was that process?
Q: That's a whole other thing. That's the very last thing along with the song names. It's always about instrumentals and then I just try to sing a melody and we make some random stuff up for the vocals. Really the only song on the entire album that's about something is #8612. That's about the Stanford Prison Experiment because we learned about that in like middle school.
A: I think we focused basically all of our energy on the instrumentals for these songs. In the future, I think it would be cool to have songs that have more of a meaning, but I also kind of like the fact that the lyrics mean nothing.
Q: Avant-garde, man.
Very David Byrne. Thom Yorke also does that on Kid A. He put a bunch of things in a hat and pulled them out. It's crazy and it works.
I almost like that better from a songwriting perspective than creating a concept and trying to like fit a song into that. I think when you can do it really well, it works really well, but sometimes you hear concept albums with just four songs. Yeah, boring snooze fest. I feel like usually going into songwriting, I can't do anything but start with instrumentals because if I do, I get tunnel vision to try to make something before it is something.
A: I've known very few people that say like, "oh, I just hear a melody in my head and then that's the song." I think there are musicians like that, but I think for most people you need the instrumentation first.
What are your plans moving forward?
Q: This summer we want to do something in California for sure--a mini tour or something. Just go up the west coast. The car situation is a big deal because we're so young and we can't rent a van or anything. Yeah, we'll figure that out. We want to do another single maybe and start recording here. We're very lucky with The Hive and AAA Studios being very close to us and very easy access for recording and stuff like that.
A: They're great. Yeah. Phenomenal place. I think it's just playing shows and writing as much new material as possible--kind of carrying the same thing from the last record of pushing each other musically. I think we're trying to pull from a little bit more different influences for this moving forward. I think it would be more broad than this record--which kind of only a handful of bands influenced. So, I wanna pull from more.
What influences do you see you guys leaning towards in the future?
A: A lot more jazz. Yeah.
Q: Yeah, a more traditional timbre and stuff like that. Not so in your face, more stepped back, take it back and really dive into the elements without rushing something or making it sloppy or just trying to do a weird time signature.
A: Yeah, I think I love this first record because of the randomness, but definitely moving forward we want the songwriting to be more intentional.
What are some of your individual influences?
A: I've never really met anybody else that has the exact same music taste as me--there's so much music that we all enjoy on the same level. For me, personal influences would probably be more heavy music. I don't know if you guys are as into like heavy music as I am, but I think of like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Botch, Coalesce--those are bands I've been listening to a lot recently.
Q: The Mars Volta, right?
A: Yeah, and Volta, yeah, that's another one. Rylan's really into Volta. Quinn has yet to see the genius in Volta.
Q: I like At the Drive-In in better.
I do like At the Drive-In a lot, too.
Q: Yeah, and me honestly, the band Tera Melos--Nick Reinhardt is a huge inspiration. He's a crazy pedal guy. Johnny Marr is a big influence for me--just not playing power chords and doing crazy stuff like that. And, I can speak for Rylan on this. He's told me about it. He's very funk and jazz-influenced though. Flea was a big thing when he was a kid and he's into like Jaco Pastorius and jazz guys like that.
A: Some Les Claypool.
Q: Yeah, exactly. Primus is a big influence on all of us. That's a vocal influence for sure.
What are you all studying here?
Q: I'm studying mechanical engineering. It was environmental engineering and then I changed it to mechanical. It's a broader engineering topic, more job opportunities. Little bit harder, though.
A: I'm studying audio engineering.
How is that here at NAU?
A: Well, I'm going to CCC for my first two years, so I'm just doing prereqs right now. I honestly can't wait until I'm doing audio engineering.
Q: Isn't it brand new? I thought that was a brand new subject for NAU at least. I have an engineering class and there are like two audio engineers and the instructor was like, "we have that here?"
A: I could not decide what degree I wanted to do and then I saw that they offered that. The degree is called multidisciplinary engineering and I saw you could study audio engineering within that, so I was like, "that's perfect."
What are the plans after college? Are you guys going to continue doing music?
Q: That's always been the number one. That's always been the first goal--just going to school for the backup. I think we've been playing music together for eternity.
A: I don't know. I don't think any other job or anything else that I could do with my life would feel as fulfilling as playing music. I think audio engineering is a great way to be able to do that--but you can also do that with mechanical engineering degrees and make amps.
Q: Rylan can make pedals. He's an electrical engineer.
If you could make the soundtrack to any movie or for any director, what or who would it be?
Q: I'd do a Scorsese.
A: I'm not really a film guy. I'd choose Michael Bay.
Q: I really like Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead. He does crazy scores.
His scores are awesome. Have you seen There Will Be Blood?
Q: Yes, that's what I'm referencing!
It's awesome. It's one of my favorite movies, favorite scores.
Q: I know, the scores insane. I can't believe it's him.
A: I know this one's kind of controversial, but I think the soundtrack for Licorice Pizza is also phenomenal. I'm pretty sure Johnny Greenwood did that, too.
Do you guys have any favorite movies or favorite directors outside of that?
A: I really like the movie Wall-E.
It's a great soundtrack too.
That's a great pick, honestly. That movie is phenomenal. There's nothing wrong with that.
Q: I mean, my favorite sax line of all time is the Taxi Driver theme.
I'm Robert De Niro. I'm a taxi driver.
Q: I don't know no Iris.
A: When we used to practice at Quinn's house down in Phoenix, Quinn's family has a piano. We'd be in the kitchen eating and Rylan would just get up and play that on the piano.
What are your favorite Feed songs?
Q: We have this new song in the works and that's a pretty good one.
What's it like?
Q: I can sing the whole thing right now... It's probably one of the hardest songs we've just written. We tried playing it live twice and it failed miserably. We finally got it at the last couple shows.
A: The last show it was tight.
Q: Off the album, my favorite song is probably... I really like Sheath.
A: It's probably Sheath, 4x4, or Peacetime, at least to play.
If you could only take three albums to a deserted island, which would you choose?
Q: And the Pony by Feed for sure... I feel like Alex would say--I'm gonna answer for you.
A: Okay, fine.
A: That's not even my favorite King Crimson album.
Q: Geez, okay. I guess I didn't know you as well as I knew. Frances the Mute?
A: I honestly think I'd choose the Deloused in the Comatorium over Frances. Yeah, then Led Zeppelin I. I don't even know what the other two... Those are probably my two favorite albums of all time. I don't even know what the third would be.
Led Zeppelin I? Really?
A: That was the album that made me want to play the drums. Bonham's a phenomenon. One of the greatest drummers ever. You cannot deny. I think that album is great.
Q: I would take the melodies album (Untitled) by Tera Melos. There's just a bunch of stuff in there that's super diverse. It's not recorded amazingly, but all those live versions of them playing that is insane. That's a huge influence for us live, I think, is Terra Melos. In the early days at least, they would just go insane-o. There are videos of the dudes jumping on the roofs and balancing on the ceiling beams and stuff.
A: I think I know my third. I gotta say In-Utero.
That album is fantastic, production-wise.
A: It sounds unlike any other album. It sounds different than any album Steve Albini even produced and it's some of the best song writing ever. I don't know. It's just great.
Q: To Pimp a Butterfly is a...
A: That was definitely floating around my head. I could probably do a top 5 and that would be...
Q: Have you guys ever heard of that album by the way? It's kind of underground...
To what? You can't pimp a butterfly. That's really gross actually.
A:I feel like nobody really talks about the album cover of that album. They talk about how phenomenal the music is but I think the cover is awesome.
Q: I mean, we struggled with that so much on this album. That's why it has absolutely nothing to do with any of the music. We went out into the forest--Alex found that horse in that baby chair. He took a picture and I was like dude that's so sick, you gotta go back out there and find it. We went back out there and got a disposable camera and took a picture of it and framed it then took another picture of it.
A: Before it got too cold, I would just drive out to the middle of the forest and practice there because I kept getting noise complaints when I practiced where I live. I found this spot and there was this cursed, tiny chair and I walked around and I was like, "I bet I could find something to put on top of the chair." I just found that pony and it was all chewed up. I think a dog had really gone into it and I thought it was perfect. We framed it and then had one of our old friend's coworkers that we met take a picture of it with a nice camera at his house.
Q: None of us are really into photography nor have a good camera, so we needed to do something good.
A: We tried to hire an artist.
Q: Paid her 100 bucks to make this cool thing. She's collage artist but didn't end up working.
A: I feel like if we went through the process of explaining what we wanted, we could've gotten it but it was going to cost a lot more money than we could afford.
Q: Broke college students.
That's what's nice about the Flagstaff environment here. There are so many artists covering so many bases that you can always find someone that'll do something for free or for exchange services.
A: There are a ton of creative people like in Flagstaff and Phoenix. Arizona is a great place.
I feel like this is probably one of the best times for music in Arizona.
Q: Revival, for sure.
Flagstaff's like Portlandia come to life.
Nyle and I came out with the iwantapetrat festival video and I was writing up the little blog and I was just realizing wow, this was such an era and we're already past that. Monette is done. Cenöbite is journal now. tokillafly is temporarily on hiatus because Bryce is in New York. Same for Police State with Anders. It's weird how transitory everything is. I got sad writing it because it's just a sweet part of everything. It's insane because we've already moved on from that and into a new scene which is different. It's awesome.
Q: It's so cool how there's a post-hardcore revival in Arizona and how people are harkening back to the crazy early 2000s days.
A: It was pretty much dominated by super-heavy metal, indie pop and singer/songwriter.
Q: Especially in Phoenix.
A: Not to diss on artists that made music like that. It's just cool to see it. Personally, I wanted to do something different. It's really cool to see bands around here starting to push boundaries in music that was already pushing boundaries.
Q: To take that into perspective too, it's also cool to play with an indie band from Phoenix and have their fans be into your music.
It's really cool to see how bands grow from each other. I see tokillafly taking inspirations from other bands that are just sprouting up as they play with them. It's really cool to see it's this self-contained organism that keeps growing in all the different ways. Anytime someone goes this way, people are like "oh, that's really cool. We should do something more like that," and they grow that way--just expand and expand and expand.
A: I think that's a great sign because I see more and more people getting attracted to the scene. It's definitely one of the best place I've seen in the past few years. I feel like COVID's finally kind of over.
What are some artists that you guys are listening to lately? Any obsessions that you guys have?
A: Yeah. shame, Coalesce, and Jockstrap. My recent obsessions. The Lick--that's been the shame song of choice.
What's the one Snow Day song?
Q: Have you seen their Tiny Desk at home? They play that song and have a horn section. It's insane. That's my favorite video ever.
A: We were listening to them on the drive up from First Friday last weekend. I don't think they get as much recognition as Squid or Black Country, New Road. They're so good. Check out shame.
Q: I've been back into my R&B phase. I'm really into D'Angelo. I love D'Angelo. It might be my top 5 or top 10--Voodoo by D'Angelo.
This year I haven't listened to it a lot but it really showed in my rap that Neo Soul and like early 2000s/late 90s R&B is one of my biggest genres right now.
Q: Erykah Badu. I'm going to try to go to England this summer. There's a jazz fest in Brixton right by Windmill where all those guys grew up. It's got Erykah Badu and Madlib. He's doing a DJ set. BADBADNOTGOOD. My favorite.
A: I'm trying to be excited for Quinn and not extremely jealous.
How was the first Friday show last weekend?
Q: The turnout was great, the show was great, but the setup was a different story. You used to just show up and set up first come first serve and you get the spot. Now Roosevelt Row is cracking down on this for whatever reason. They're leasing out the spot--so that shadowplay sculpture spot is leased out now. We tried to step up there. Those food trucks right there now lease a DJ for that spot, so I got there at like one o'clock and set up in this one spot, got kicked out there. Apparently you can't set up past like third street. Then I set up by the food trucks and got kicked out by the food trucks. Now I'm like freaking out because they're cracking down on everyone on Roosevelt. Apparently anywhere on Roosevelt, if you're on the street, you just get kicked out.
I went behind Roosevelt to fourth and Garfield. We went to do research for the February one in January and we saw a little indie band playing there. We're like, "okay, well that's an okay spot." The building's for rent so they can't care. I got permission from the restaurants and stuff so we set up there. It ended up working pretty well. The cops showed up after the first band and apparently people were getting run over on the street because it was just packed with cars and was super dangerous. But, the cops showed up and I was like, "dude we're going to get kicked out." But he was actually a really nice guy. He was just saying you have to get permission from the building next time and I'm like, "it's an ASU building and there's no one inside. It's for rent right now." But he was super chill and they didn't show up again for the rest of the night--it was one of the biggest crowds I think I've seen at First Friday.
A: At least in my perspective it was the best First Friday show I've ever played in terms of engagement and for all the bands, too. We played with Miserable Ghost and Deathdotgov who we all met at School of Rock. They're also phenomenal. Phenomenal. Just going back to how the scene is, I think it's just a sign that it's growing in general.
Q: Yeah, and there were like people boycotting the whole Sawza thing because they were pretty known for the First Friday crowd so people were like, "don't go like don't see Sawza" or "go see these cool bands." It was kind of cool like that.
I saw you guys are playing with Freud for their last show.
Q: So depressing.
A: They were not only one of my favorite bands to be around playing shows with--they were always phenomenal people. They were so chill. I always just loved watching their set. They were phenomenal musicians.
Q: Especially the stuff they've written recently. It's like super mathy. Insane. The nicest dudes ever. We met them at First Friday. It's the First Friday crowd. They're super nice dudes.
A: Quinn started working at School of Rock and got pretty close to their drummer when we graduated but still saw them around. Yeah. Great band.
Q: It's an honor to play their last show. I feel like that whole Dreamboat, Freud crowd--those dudes in those bands like Midstory--they're super tight. They're starting that new project, Mellow Toad. I don't know if you guys know. Some Freud people and I think some Dreamboat guys are in it.
A: We just played with Midstory. Yeah.
Q: They also on the come-up. They're super indie and shoegaze almost.
A: I'm honored to play their last show. Every show I've been to and been a part of has just been better and better. It's just great to see.
What are some bands you are really excited about?
Q: I got to say Deathdotgov. I did talk about them before, but like insane. They're all kind of older than us obviously and older than you guys, too. But, they've been in crazy projects before and I don't think they get enough credit for how insane they are. They always have something funny like a comedy skit in their set that they play. They play Weezer or something like that or they open up with the national anthem. It's so sick. But, they're always on point and tight. They don't play to a click. They're just insanely talented musicians. The most talented people I know in a band. It's so crazy.
A: They probably blow my mind the most and I'm a little biased because Dylan was my teacher for six or seven years but I don't know. There are a lot of influences that Dylan had showed me that ended up influencing the beat that I also hear in their music. I feel like it's a lot more of a personal connection to that band, too.
Q: Miserable Ghost. It's like a little duo. The drummer of that band filled in for Feed for a couple shows. He's insanely good. The other person, his name is Elliott, he's like a 15/16-year-old kid. He's insanely talented at guitar. I mean, he basically runs a guitar and bass like a stack together from his guitar. He builds up that low end. They're just young kids absolutely crushing it. I see a lot of the more mathy influence. They started more punk but I think they're going more towards that post-hardcore, noise-rock genre.
A: They have a ton of potential. They improve every single show we play with them and it's so cool to see because we were in house band at School of Rock with Elliott and Will so it's cool to see them get better.
Q: And Midstory. We were just talking about that.
A: Police State, obviously.
Q: Everyone knows about Police State by now. I mean, we saw them the last time they were in Flagstaff and just the production... it's not like going to see a band. It's like a like watch a play.
A: The music is obviously so good.
I'm not a fan actually. Really controversial take. They're all untalented and miserable.
Untalented jerks.
Q: Yeah. Kind of ruining the scene. Watering down the scene.
Watering down the scene is crazy. That is an evil thing to say.
A: I just think if you're based in Flagstaff it kind of sucks.
Q: If you're based.
How did you guys get into the Keegan Halverson and the Woke Mob crowd?
Q: Dylan does a birthday show every year and this year it was a Black Midi and Black Country, New Road cover show. He just hired a bunch of his friends and we played a bunch of Black Midi and Black Country, New Road stuff at The Rebel Lounge or whatever. Keegan Halverson and the Woke Mob--I think they must have been in Phoenix and they went to the show. They talked to Dylan and told him they were from Flagstaff and Dylan introduced them to us. We just clicked right away and obviously there'd be the Black Midi connection.
We started talking and got their Instagram and just became pretty close. They were one of my favorite Flagstaff bands, it's just cool stuff. I love their originals. Obviously they do the most based covers, but their originals are really cool and Spencer's super jazzy. So is Keegan, they're both in jazz. So talented.
A: So talented. I work at the Cornish Pasty up here and every Wednesday there's a jazz night, so if you want to see some jazz, come to Cornish. But, every so often Spencer's playing upright bass for them. They're just phenomenal. I'll just step out of work and just watch them play.
Q: Our NAU jazz crowd is insane.
A: I honestly am highly considering joining that.
Q: It'd elevate your playing to a million.
A: Yeah, it's scary. But I feel like I've kind of learned a lot of rock.
Q: And then you can practice in the music building so you don't have to tell your neighbors.
A: Shout out to NAU jazz and Keegan Halverson.
The Black Midi, Black Country, New Road crowd, that whole scene over there, is fascinating to me. It just came out of nowhere and exploded. I think it's had an awesome effect on the post-rock scene.
Q: Post-hardcore revival! That's what I'm talking about.
A: I think it's the modern example of like, "you're allowed to do this in your music." I feel like anything else I listen to that does those kinds of crazy... It's hard to explain, but like that "post" sound--it's all from like the 90s and early 2000s.
I think it's super inspiring when people find the ability to be creative. Everyone is creative in their own ways, but at the same time I feel like, especially recently with how much older genres have been getting back in the mainstream, it's super easy to just take stuff that really worked back then and still works well now and do it. But, stuff like Black Midi or Sprain--it's just super cool to see the ball is still rolling and we're not just picking up where people left off when the scene was bigger before.
No, I think that's very easy to fall into. There are so many trends and we see that a lot with fashion and a lot in the emo scene where they're just like, "oh, we're just going to go back to the early 2000s doing what we know is cool." But, the bands that push forward and do something different that hasn't been done before are the ones that get remembered.
A: Shout out Sprain.
Q: Shout out Sprain.
Shout out Sprain.
A: Rest in peace, Sprain.
I'm so sad. The saddest news ever. I want my Sprain back.
A: I felt the same way when Isaac left Black Country, New Road.
Q: Well, they're still killing it.
A: They're still really good. I love Live at Bush Hall, but still.
I have to admit something insane--I still haven't listened to the airplane album (Ants From Up There).
Q: Honestly, it took me long, long, long time after it came out to get into it. It's an almost 180 from For the First Time. It's way more post-rock and way more crunchy and then they did their Black Midi thing where it's more classical or whatever. I listened to it and I hated it when I first heard it but now I love it.
A: Yeah, it honestly wasn't until that show we were talking about earlier, the Black Country, New Road, Black Midi show where we all had to learn those songs--it was the same thing with like, I think we were just talking about Metallica and how learning those songs gave me a new appreciation for their music. It was the same for Black Country, New Road. But I like For the First Time a lot better than Ants From Up There.
That's validating to me.
A: Yeah, I didn't know if people agreed. That's totally validating.
Q: Yeah, totally validating. There are select songs I really like, especially if you're looking at them from a post-hardcore or post-rock standpoint.
Jesus Christ that was a long one. If you haven't seen Feed yet, take the chance to do so immediately. They're fantastic musicians and even better people. Thanks for reading.
-Foster
See Feed with Mellow Toad, Midstory, and Happy Medium on April 6th at The Hive.
Also see them with Crossing I's and Dotting T's, Ring Finger No Pinky, Vacant Skies on April 18th at The Hive.
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