How did the band get together?
We were already playing in other rock and indie bands before Holy F***. I always had this creative need within (when playing with other bands) to make something different and also to have a band that we can have fun in. So the idea really was to create a band that allows us to experiment with music and sound collages, and to make crazy improvisation with kooky equipment.
Have you ever felt that your experimental streak has been exhausted?
Well, that only means that I am not working hard enough. My creativity comes in sparks and I need inspiration to create. That doesn’t mean heading into isolation; it’s about thinking more, trying out new things, meddling with equipment—basically being an alchemist of sound. You’ve also got to remind yourself sometimes that it’s fun and you can’t be afraid of failing or coming out with something really stupid.
You guys travel a lot, does that affect your creative process?
It definitely affects it. When we are on a long tour, we usually end up playing the same set night after night—and sometimes we feel like we’ve got ourselves in a rut. But within that, there are little pockets of creativity that we must find and that helps the creative process when we head into the studio.
Do you write your music on the road or are you guys more studio-orientated?
On a grander scale, it is not like we write an album on the road because we can’t set up all our equipment wherever we go. I can’t just simply spread out all my keyboards and gadgetry like I do in my basement. We don’t have that luxury. So we do most of our work in the studio.
How has the band evolved between your eponymous debut in 2005 and 2010’s highly acclaimed Latin?
It was a slow evolution. For the first album, we had no idea what we were doing—honestly. We just made sound and played around with whatever equipment we had and released it as such. We toured a lot on the release of our second album and that grew us up in a way. Latin was a lot more focused. The band had a sense of continuity since Brian Borcherdt and Matt Schulz have been with us for over two years, and we recorded the album in the same studio we did for the last two albums. It gave us a chance to pick up from where we left off instead of starting again from scratch.
Have you ever been to Singapore?
Never! That’s why I am really excited to come. I never even heard of the place before (laughs).
What can your fans over in Singapore expect?
It will be a loud chaotic show!
Prepare yourself for a riotous gig with Holy F*** at Laneway Festival on Jan 29. Fort Canning Park, 51 Canning Rise, 6332-1302. $109 from Sistic.
