Q:You use elements of storytelling throughout your music. What storytelling elements can audiences find in “Smoke Show?”
JOE: From a story telling perspective, Aaron, Corey, and I wanted to talk about the feeling of seeing someone and being immediately captivated by them. Not just because of how they look or how they dress but because of the energy they bring to a room. We’ve all met that person that feels like the could just light a room on fire by walking into it.
Q: Tell us how Joe Fox and the Frantics came about.
JOE: Joe Fox & The Frantics came about when I was living in Seattle in 2016. I’d just moved there after a breakup to play drums in a band with some friends of mine. After a few weeks my role in that band wasn’t working out and we decided to part ways. Rather than move back home to Denver I decided to buy a Gibson ES-335 and start writing songs. I got in touch with Aaron and Corey and started working on the debut songs in LA the next spring.
Q: I love the distinctive guitar fuzz throughout “Smoke Show.” Can you tell our readers more about the guitar tone on this track?
JOE: Aaron really worked hard from a performance and production standpoint to really nail the sound when he wrote it. He used a modded Fender Telecaster, a Tube Screamer run though the Carl Martin Crush Zone and several other pedals into an older Vox combo amp (for the gear heads out there). We often use two or three distortions at different levels simultaneously to craft a unique tone.
Q: You’ve put out several release the past few years. How has your music evolved?
JOE:The biggest way our music has evolved has been from a recording/production standpoint. Our early songs were recorded at The Blasting Room and have more of a garage type sound. As we’ve explored new sounds our music has started to incorporate elements of hip hop drum loops and falsetto disco type backups. It’s really become a lesson in being true to my influences and becoming more authentically myself.
Q: “Smoke Show” is a song I want to hear live. With the pandemic reaching an end, do you have any live shows in the works?
JOE: Smoke Show is definitely a song that needs to be heard live. With any luck we’ll be back on the road in the US this summer and hopefully making a trip to the UK as soon as possible.
Interviewed by Sarah Scott
