FIDLAR perform in The Current studio
by Mark Wheat and FIDLAR
September 14, 2015
Born in Hawaii and a longtime resident of California, FIDLAR's Zac Carper doesn't like to be too far from the ocean. There's one way he copes with it, though. "I listen to a lot of music," he says.
With FIDLAR now touring in support of their second full-length, Too, Carper has had to get accustomed to being away from the coast for extended periods, as he did when he and his FIDLAR bandmates — drummer Max Kuehn, guitarist Elvis Kuehn and bassist Brandon Schwartzel — stopped in to The Current's studio for a session hosted by Mark Wheat. FIDLAR play Monday night at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis.
The band came together when Carper and Elvis Kuehn met while working in a recording studio in Los Angeles. It seems FIDLAR's ascent has outstripped their initial vision for the group. "The idea was to just start a band," Elvis says. "There weren't expectations as far as getting where it is now, but since it happened, it's a pretty good job."
FIDLAR's single, "40oz. on Repeat," has been in rotation on The Current and is Monday's Song of the Day. Although listeners may be familiar with it, Carper is quick to sort out a misconception about the tune. "The funny thing about this song, '40oz. on Repeat,' is it's actually about locking yourself in your room and listening to that song ['40oz. to Freedom' by Sublime]," Carper explains, "not drinking a 40-ounce."
And even though Carper has spent his lifetime near the sea, he does have a connection to Minnesota; when Carper was 13 years old, he had an English teacher in Hawaii who introduced students to bands like Pavement and Sonic Youth. The teacher later moved to St. Paul. "He was awesome," Carper says. "He came to our show [in Minneapolis] last year. … For him to see me all grown up, it was pretty surreal, actually."
FIDLAR's first album was recorded in a bedroom; Too, however, was recorded over the course of 12 days in "a proper recording studio" in Nashville. Listen to the full interview as the members of FIDLAR describe what it was like to work with a producer in Nashville, how their "40oz. on Repeat" video came together, what advice they were given by the Hives, and how they feel about a YouTube video that shows fans invading the stage during a FIDLAR show.
Songs Performed
"40oz. on Repeat"
"Why Generation"
"West Coast"
All songs from FIDLAR's album, Too, out now on Mom + Pop Music.
Hosted by Mark Wheat
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Michael DeMark
Web feature by Luke Taylor
