ful Music Insider: Our Interview with This Providence

Another ful Music Insider coup! We snagged an interview with indie band, This Providence. Originally formed in the suburbs of Seattle in 2003 by Australian-born vocalist Daniel Young and guitarist Gavin Phillips, the band's current lineup also features bassist David Blaise and drummer Andy Horst.

While their 2006 self-titled Fueled By Ramen debut introduced the world to the band's inventive brand of indie rock, with their latest album they've proved how versatile they've become from spending the past two years on the road and refining their craft--and they can't wait to finally show the rest of the world the fruits of their hard-earned labor.

Here, lead singer Dan Young talks music, songwriting, and why the band loves playing in Seattle.

ful: What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Dan Young: I'm currently writing music for our next album. Who knows when it will get recorded and released, but writing the songs is probably the most exciting thing about music to me. When I write, I often wonder where my ideas are coming from. It's almost as if the songs are writing themselves.

ful: What was the last song you wrote? Can you tell us about it?
DY: The last song I wrote is something I've wanted to touch on for while. It's a song about not really knowing who you are, but knowing who you have. Hoping it ends up on our next record.

ful: 'Who Are You Now' was released last year. What was the most exciting part of that process? The most difficult? What response have you been getting?
Recording the album was a blast. We spent 4 weeks in LA with producer, Matt Squire. We recorded in a classy little studio, with a impressive medieval theme, "The Lair". It literally had a wall of vintage guitar amps (which we took full advantage of), tons of vintage guitars, other instruments and a bunch of VERY nice recording gear. The album came out MUCH better than it had gone in. Lots of fun!

The most difficult part of releasing an album is getting people to hear it. We spent at least 8 months on the road, playing to audiences of all sizes. That's a lot of hard work, and sometimes it can be a little discouraging playing to new ears all the time.

The response has been great though. This album, more than any other, has seen us grow as writers, performers and friends. Our following is always getting larger, it's really exciting!

ful: You guys have a bunch of shows coming up in February. Do you have a favorite city to play in? A favorite venue?
DY: I love playing our hometown, Seattle. The crowds are most enthusiastic at home, I'd say. As far as venues go, there are a lot of good ones. I think House of Blues are my favorites. The people there are nice and the stages are great - lots of room to move around.

ful: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list? What’s your favorite song to play?
DY: We try to play material from "Who Are You Now?" mostly, and then throw in a couple of older ones for the long-time fans. We haven't had much opportunity to do covers, as our set length is always fairly limited. Though one tour we covered Tom Petty's 'American Girl.' That song rules!

Yeah, we'd be a mess if we didn't have a set-list. Usually, by the end of the tour we don't look at our set-lists as it's ingrained in our minds after playing the same damn set night after night.

My favorite songs are the ones people can sing along to. "Letdown," "My Beautiful Resuce," "Somebody to Talk to," and the ones that are LOUD: "Waste Myself," "Playing The Villain."


ful: What bands do you love right now? Who would you love to play with?
DY: Right now, I've been catching up on the rock 'n roll I missed out on as a kid. My favorite album (this week) is 'All Things Must Pass' by George Harrison. I want to play with The Killers!

ful: What advice do you have for people who are trying to break into the music industry?
DY: Um, I think the industry is so jam packed full of artists and not with money. The music industry isn't doing that great, so you really have to love music. If you want to pursue music, pursue it passionately! That, and make friends. The music industry, not unlike a lot of things in life, is often about who you know.

ful: We noticed you guys are active on Twitter and do some blogging. Has the Internet/social networking helped your band gain exposure and fans? Do you like Twittering? Are you following anyone you consider a guilty pleasure?
DY: The internet is key in promoting your music these days. I've really only been in music since the beginning of Napster. I don't know any other way. That being said, it can be a lot of fun. I take pride in making my blog something interesting and even reflective sometimes. I do follow some strange ones on Twitter; Taylor Swift is one. She's just fun.

ful: We at ful bags are super excited to be working together. Have you had a chance to use our luggage/bags? What do you think?
DY: I haven't had a chance to transfer my clothes from my old suitcase into my new ful one yet (it's a long and very uninteresting story). But I have given it a good looking over, and I love what I see so far. It's obvious to me that it's great quality. I kind of ran around with excitement when I got it... I mean, I was "testing the wheels." (Rolls like a champ!)

For more information on This Providence check out their website. And here's a link to some of their tunes.

Thanks Dan - and hope to see you in concert soon!