Fuckin Whatever is an experimental project that consists of Anthony Green (Circa Survive), Adam Lazarra, John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday) and Benjamin Homola (Grouplove). Without the use of any traditional instruments, the group has crafted a beautiful EP that surpassed even my optimistic expectations.
This release truly bends the lines of genre with influences ranging from folk music to world music. As someone who listens to things all day for a living, this EP really made me stop in my tracks.
The way that FW conveys emotion is unlike almost anything else I’ve ever heard.
The legendary John Nolan took some time to answer some of my questions that popped up during my listens of the Fuckin’ Whatever EP:
NT: You guys mentioned the band’s conception coming from jamming in parking lots after shows. Did anyone float the idea to make the band giant, like Polyphonic Spree?
John Nolan: “That’s kind of what it was when we were jamming on tour. Other than Anthony, Ben and I, it was a revolving group of people. It could be anywhere from five to fifteen of us depending on the night. We definitely considered trying to make the recordings like that but the logistics of involving so many people was daunting. We’re still open to doing something like that in the future though.”
NT: Were there any other musicians that almost ended up part of the line up?
JN: “Our friend Nathan Cogan Post who plays on tour with Taking Back Sunday added vocals to I’m Waiting On You, but that was more of a guest spot. We’ve talked about having other guest vocalists, but we knew pretty quickly what the official line up was.”
NT: How different was the process of creating songs out of jam sessions than what you’re all used to? I don’t hear anything that sounds like traditional instruments.
JN: “It’s a very different process than what any of us have done before. Some songs started with Ben making a beat and then we each added our parts to build a song. Others started with verses and choruses sung acapella by Anthony and then we built everything around that. We also didn’t use any instruments. Every sound is made either by Ben hitting household items or our voices. We did use effects and Pro Tools to manipulate some of those sounds, but everything originates from one of those two sources.”
NT: Were there any specific influences on the forefront of your mind when creating these songs?
JN: “I don’t know about the other guys, but for me I was just thinking about those sessions back on tour and how I could bring that feeling and sound into a more structured song. I was pretty actively trying not to think about any other music and just let things flow.”
NT: Was it refreshing at the time to find other musicians that just wanted to create for the love of creating?
JN: “It was. It’s surprising how easily you can get bogged down with the professional responsibilities of writing and recording music and forget that you’re doing it because creating is fun and rewarding. All of us have gone through that at one time or another and luckily we were all simultaneously ready to focus on cutting loose and having fun with the creative process.”
NT: Was it liberating to find freedom in this project during a pandemic that otherwise had everyone feeling pretty isolated?
JN: “It was extremely liberating and cathartic for all of us. I think we were all feeling overwhelmed and depressed by the pandemic and finding a collective creative outlet was such a positive thing.”
NT: Do you think coming back to the project years later ended up being a good thing?
JN: “Definitely. It would’ve been good if we had continued the project right after we toured together but it wouldn’t have been the same. I think at any other time our focus and priorities would’ve been all over the place and we wouldn’t have given this project the attention it deserved. With everything coming together at this time, specifically during a pandemic, we all had so much time and energy to invest in it. And now that we’ve established what this project is in such a strong way, it’ll be easier to come back to it down the road and pick up where we left off.”
NT: Are there any plans for FW to tour?
JN: “No plans right now, but you never know.”
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