The Thousands

HEALTH operate on a visceral plane. There is emotion apparent in their recordings but it is not made clear for you in words. It comes through in sound abstracted, voices affected and tempos flailing. They are able to connect to the audience on a basic level without having to sacrifice their complexities. In anticipation of HEALTH’s debut visit to these shores, I used a number of classic Australian songs as a basis for the questions. If this format seems familiar, good for you, you read WIRE.  

Severed Heads, ‘Dead Eyes Opened’

Dougals Lance Gibson: As a band comprised of the traditional rock format of guitar, bass, drums, vocals, HEALTH seem to also draw a lot from electronic influences. You’ve released an album of remixes and Get Color seemed to incorporate electronics more so than your debut. Is this a direction you plan on continuing?

John Famiglietti: I like this. The dood with his hand over his face is cracking me up. Oh shit, 2:10, sickkkk. Yes, we plan to incorporate electronics more. We’ll never stop being a band, but becoming more electronic is very important to us because as current music goes we want an open conversation with that world.

The Saints, ‘Know Your Product’

DLG: There is a ??FASHION division of the band, which seems to be going quite well for you. Most bands have merchandise but rarely are they so blatant about it. Was this a calculated move or something more organic?

JF: We’ve always been passionate about every aspect of the band. As a fan of music I know how powerful band merchandise and aesthetic is on your perception of the band. It would be ridiculous to not to actively shape that. I like this song and want that dood’s bass.

Venom P. Stinger, ‘Walking About’

DLG: Both LA and Sydney are cities that are associated with glamorous lifestyles, yet they both have quite grimy and industrial underbellies. While Venom P. Stinger were from Melbourne, I think this song really sums up that suburban frustration found in Sydney. How much does the city of LA influence your sound?

JF: Yeah, I feel ya. Punk does that better than anything. But with us, LA is mostly an influence because of the scene, the support structure, helping us grow and develop, not really a sound thing. But HEALTH is truly only influenced by music. We don’t make songs to "channel" lofty-sounding things in our personal lives. Interviewers are always disappointed by that. But I think 9 times out of 10 the band is really bullshitting you, saying they write songs inspired by urban decay or their music is completely influenced by strange non-musical sources. If they did, why does their music sound like hundreds of other bands? Surely this unique artistic outpouring shouldn’t sound ordinary…

Cold Chisel, ‘Khe Sanh’

DLG: Growing up in rural Australia, ‘Khe Sanh’ was a drunken teenage anthem. Despite knowing all the words, the song’s content didn’t really sink in until much later. Can you name some songs where your relationship with the track has changed over the years?

JF: Cold Chisel is a weird band name… Really digging all these Aussie bands I had never heard of. Lots of music really takes time or perspective to set in. The most profound relationship I had was with Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation. A record I got at 13 but didn’t ‘get’ until a few years later, and when I did, it destroyed me. Sadly, now though if something doesn’t set in quick for me I usually chuck it. I wish I had my pre-iTunes  attention span back…

X, ‘I Don’t Wanna Go Out’

DLG: Life on tour can become quite trialling, with buses, flights, and connections to make everyday. When you pull into a new town, do you still find yourselves eager to go and explore?

JF: Time has definitely dulled the excitement of going to see new towns, cities. But none of us have ever been to Australia and so this tour has hadsome real excitement of seeing a new place and meeting new people. Also, while we’ve gotten pretty burned out on cities, we get really excited about going to see some outdoors type things. We’re staying some extra days in Perth to spend on the beach, hopefully swim with dolphins.

God, ‘My Pal’

DLG: Another pressure of touring is the sustained company of your band mates. Do you employ any strategies to avoid conflict?

JF: As bands go, we have a very good marriage. But we have a strategy I find works, which is to talk shit about whichever member is not present at the time. You get a little focus group of your peers, and it’s a topic everybody enjoys. It lets the steam cool and crisis is averted. We rarely fight, which for bands is miraculous. Another good prevention measure, that unfortunately makes things harder to get done, is that no member has any real power over another, there’s no hierarchy. Which is good and bad, but avoids conflict.

The Victims, ‘Television Addict’

DLG: In a way, laptops have become the new television. What have you guys been watching on tour to keep you occupied?

JF: Watching this totally makes me miss rock and roll. My laptop is my constant companion on tour. I’m gonna load up on some new things for the plane. But recently we are very into The Wire, Eastbound and Down, and the Lil Wayne documentary The Carter.

Boys Next Door ‘Shivers’

DLG: So, what songs have been giving you, um, shivers lately?

JF: I really, really like this one. I love sad songs. Sadly, I haven’t heard anything recently that’s destroyed me… On the lookout though.