Ferris & Sylvester In Conversation with FAULT Magazine
Ferris & Sylvester, the dynamic musical duo known for their genre-bending sound, are back with their upcoming sophomore album, “Otherness.” In this exclusive interview, they delve into the creative process behind the album, the inspiration behind its deeply personal themes, and what fans can expect next. Dive in to discover how “Otherness” differs from their debut, “Superhuman,” and how the band embraced vulnerability and experimentation to create their most authentic work yet.
How does ‘Otherness.’ differ from your debut, ‘Superhuman,’ and what can listeners expect in terms of musical evolution?
‘Superhuman’ was our first album. It feels like a tapestry of years and years of writing, recording, playing to empty rooms and packed concert halls. It was about our life, figuring out who we were together. There was so much we wanted to say through our music and so many different sides of us that we wanted to show. We’re really proud of that album, and where it took us. If ‘Superhuman’ was us figuring out who we were, ‘Otherness’ feels like who we really are. Like ‘Superhuman’, we cross over a range of genres, from folk to blues to indie to soul. But with ‘Otherness’, we feel we created a world for these songs, where we could be bolder with our choices and our story telling.
Was there a change in your creative process for this album?
We wrote and recorded the ‘Otherness’ album in our studio to a 1960’s tape machine, and committed to a saturated, bold sound where we mixed old with new. Michael Rendall, our long time collaborator who co-produced the album fell in love with the project, and we all became very invested in making the songs as good as they could possibly be. The songs on ‘Otherness’ are about feeling like an outsider, whether that’s in relationships, with the outer world or within yourself. We really wanted to tell this story through the album, with each side of the vinyl representing a beginning, middle and an end. And we did that by quite literally not leaving the studio for weeks at a time, and hanging artwork and words all over the walls so we were completely immersed in the world we were making. Those days in the studio were so fun. Long days and long nights. We laughed a lot and enjoyed every part of it.
‘Rain,’ marks a stylistic detour – is it ever daunting to stray from what fans expect from your music?
It can be daunting trying something different. But it’s also really exciting. Fundamentally, we are songwriters and we want to make our songs the best they can be. Our song ‘Headache’ for instance was leaning towards a more intimate folky sound, whereas ‘Rain’ needed to feel powerful, and so was calling out for guitar riffs and a choir. Our thinking is, tell the story as best you can through the music, and make people feel something. If we’ve done that, then we can be proud.
The ‘Otherness’ album was recorded using a 1960s tape machine, how did this choice of recording technology influence the overall atmosphere and vibe of the album?
Today, if you have a laptop and a simple recording set up, you can make quite literally any sound you want. There are no limits which is very exciting. But it’s also incredibly confusing, daunting and can stop you from landing on a sound. We’ve had some experience with this. So for this recording, we decided to put some rules and limits in place that would lead us to a defined sound across the album. We used the same drum kit, the same piano and Rhodes, the same acoustic guitar. We ran every stem through an old Nagra tape machine, which was originally used for journalistic reporting, and that gave everything the same warm, saturated feel. We hung up the album artwork, made for us by the brilliant Leaf and Petal Design, and made sure everything we did fitted within that world. These limitations made it possible for us to find a sound within the different genres and moods, and it meant that we didn’t get lost along the way. Sure, we were adventurous and tried a bunch of different ideas, but we always had this framework to explore within.
This album is inspired by a deeply personal experience, do you ever find it emotionally draining to pour so many true emotions into your music?
(Issy) In our case, it’s the opposite. It’s emotionally draining to keep it inside. Writing about it is a release, a way of understanding what is happening. The hard part is then putting something so personal out into the world. But the best music is born from people being brave and vulnerable with their experiences. I’m so grateful for all the music that helps me through the dark days. I hope our music can do the same for people.
What’s been the most challenging musical hurdle you’ve had to overcome?
(Archie) I think the hardest part for any artist is to figure out exactly what you want to say and how you want to sound. I don’t think that journey ever ends really, we’re constantly reinventing the wheel and finding out who we are. We certainly weren’t the finished article when we released our first EP in 2018, though we’re still very proud of it. I think the hardest thing to overcome was accepting that not everyone will understand what you’re doing or trying to do. But that’s ok. It’s important to never try and please everyone because that’s impossible. We’ve learn’t that the best way forward is to follow our guts, work really hard with the writing and make the music that makes us the most proud and fulfilled. All we can do from there is hope that it connects with people.
With the release of ‘Otherness’, what’s next for Ferris & Sylvester?
We’re currently on our album tour and are having the best time, playing these songs to such warm, welcoming rooms and meeting really wonderful people. We want to keep playing these shows right into festival season. Then, it’s back into the studio for album 3…
What is your FAULT?
We have many. Plenty to choose from! Right now on this tour, two things come to mind:
(Issy) Being in the moment on stage. Not letting nerves take me away.
(Archie) Trying not to forget the lyrics to a song I have written!