Noah wraps up his creators of ANP trilogy with this co-creator and BARR doer who just wrapped up a tour with Animal Collective.
I'm not too sure what to write out for this intro, so I'm just going to say that Brendan Fowler has a lot going for him. He's the last, but not least, ANP interview I have for you. He makes his own music and tours all over the US playing for anyone interested. He was one of the forces behind the Alleged Gallery, and over all, he's just a super positive guy. Read on.
So Brendan, could you introduce yourself and give us a few stats?
Hello! My name is Brendan Fowler. What kind of stats do you want?
How about telling us your middle name, your age, how long you can hold your breath, and the number of tattoos you have?
James, 28 (that is new, though... my birthday is this week and I'm still getting used to the idea of 28. But I guess we're all always getting used to something, right?), I can hold my breath not that long, and I have... lost count of how many tattoos I have. I'm not sure how to count because some are spread out in parts and some are on top of each other, and some were done in the same sitting, like, three little ones in an afternoon... I don't know, like, 20 sort of?
You just put out the 3rd issue of ANPQuarterly. What's the response you're getting so far from people over this new huge artsy fartsy mag you, Ed Templeton, and Aaron Rose have been putting out?
The response has been great. We work really really hard on it and RVCA is putting a lot into it in terms of the means to make it happen... so I think people really appreciate getting a large (11"x17") full color magazine with quality contents for FREE. People have said really nice things.
How'd you guys all get together to start this thing, and how'd you get RVCA to sponsor it all?
Well, I think that P.M.Tenore from RVCA wanted to do it and he asked Ed about kind of putting it together and in an ideal world who he would want to do it with. He suggested myself and Aaron. Aaron did Alleged Gallery and gave Ed maybe his first show so they have known each other and worked together for years. I worked with Aaron at Alleged for its last 4 years and Ed and I have been friends for a while... it's pretty triangulated and the rad thing is that we have all worked together before, so there wasn't so much of a "rhythm finding," we already had our rhythms together. But I want to add Casey Holland into the mix: he is our art director/layout wizard and he takes the texts and images and things that we gather and makes the thing. He does other print work at RVCA as well, but ANPQuarterly is a pretty huge part of his time and he works his ass off! He used to do a magazine called Happy, which is a free O.C. localized surf/skate/snow/beach magazine, so he knew about magazines and design and layout and printing and everything. It has been really really a joy to get to work with him and learn about how amazing he is. Casey has heavy Captain-Make-It-Happen energy and he fully rules sooo much.
There seems to be a lot of great people backing up ANP magazine. Ultimately, where do you wanna take this thing?
You know, I would like it to get to the point that it is a reliable thing that stays exciting. It is a big free thing that just appears, and I would like to keep it that way, except that I would like people to know when and where it will appear and anyone who wants it can have it and there won't be any weird eBaying or stressing involved in acquiring it... That exists to some extent now and it is really unfortunate. We're not trying to make it exclusive or rare, it's just in it's nature that it is kind of... it's hard to send out 20,000 copies of somethin like this and make sure that everyone that wants one will know where to get it. But we think about this a lot and are working really hard to get it to the point that it goes where it needs to...
How do you guys make the magazine each quarter? Have you guys worked out a plan on how to make the thing (not so much a strict plan, but still, do you have any sort of blueprint) or do you guys just sorta gather up interviews and reviews and photos and do-dads all over, and then just sorta throw it together?
We have a pretty set plan. There is a lot of discussion about what we would like to talk about, what would really work. We have been trying to think a few in advance (just like most magazines) so there isn't so much rush and clamor when its time to do it... But the operative word is "try" I guess... It gets crazy cause we all do other things that involve a lot of travelling, so just trying to be all together at deadline is kind of hard, but it has been working so far.
How was your recent move to Orange County? Ed said you knew what you were getting into, but are you having your doubts yet?
Well, we "knew" but do you ever reaaaally know? We thought we knew... it is crazy in the way that I don't really know how to describe it in this context... but I will say this: we live exactly between the Huntington Beach skatepark (which is fully attatched to HB HighSchool) and the ocean. Bananananananas! Watching hectic alternative school kids interact (that's pretty much my new record, right there), skating and the ocean... I'll just leave it at that.
So, besides doing ANP, you also have been doing the BARR thing. Can you tell those who don't know, what BARR is actually?
BARR is a performance thing, and a recording thing. Up until very very recently it has been just me, talking and singing over music that I pre-record. Most of the music is very minimal so that you can hear the words clearly. I put out records on 5RC / KillRockStars and DoggPony and play at clubs and all ages venues and galleries and museums and livingrooms and, you know, wherever punk kids play. -Oh, but I'm starting to have other people play with me, which is really really exciting. I had Kevin Shea, who is my all time favourite drummer, play two shows with me in NY in the fall... I'm working on a new record now, and hopefully when I tour for it next year BARR will be a little bit more of a full on live thing. And, you know, it used to be that I "played as" BARR, but now I say that "BARR means that BRendan will be there talking" You can go to the BARR website www.barrbarr.com or myspace page www.myspace.com/barrbarr to see or hear more.
How long have you been BARR?
The first BARR show (although it was just BAR then... the second R was added about six months later) was halloween of 2001: Tracy+The Plastics, Erase Eratta, Orthrelm, BARR...
You're touring with Animal Collective now. How'd that come about, and what's the tour been like so far?
Noah! I'm so sorry it took so long to get this back to you! The tour is done now and it ruled, but it was hectic! My dude, Ethan, and I drove the AC merch/gear truck and had to be at every venue at like 2:00 every day when they got there for soundcheck... so it was kind of hectic... and thus very little magazine work could be done and very little emailing (and even less email interviewing! I'm sorry, dude!) But it was rad. They are some of my oldest friends- three of us were in our first band together in high school- and we have talked about touring together for a while. Honestly, though, I have to say that that is kind of an offensive question that people tend to ask, or maybe just short sighted, because it kind of sounds like "how did YOU wind up touring with THEM?" Maybe its just because we like each other and think it would be rad? I appreciate that it was a huge tour and that I was there, but more so I am happy that people are getting what AC do and that they are being as loved as they are. They are making really really important art that is totally generous and giving and from a beautiful place, and I am amped that people appreciate that.
I just saw you here in Seattle. You did a great job by the way, and no harm meant by that last question. My bad. But yeah, I didn't know you also played as a "free jazz drummer." Did you know First Nation was gonna call you onto stage to play like that?
Yes. I would play that song with them every night for the second half of the tour. It started out as a joke when they found out that I went to college for free jazz drumming (which is admittedly kind of a jacked thing to go to school for); Nina, I think, was all "we shuld have you play on a song" as if I would say "no." Finaly the next night I just said "I would love to play with you guys if you seriously want me." It was really fun and I looked forward to it every show. It's great that BARR is so easy, in terms of travel and equipment and logistics, but I really miss playing with people.
When I met you a few months ago you were playing with my friends Little Party and the Bad Business, and with Princess. It was at the SS Marie Antoinette, a small DIY spot. Right away you struck me as a super posi-core guy. You were all about hugs and getting kids into the show, and just playing your music. It was rad. I'd hate to put you into a stereotypical sorta position, but along with the posicore-ness, are you straight edge and vegan and poly and all that other stuff yadda yadda?
I am not sure what "poly" means, but I am not straight edge and I am pretty much vegan. I feel like you have to pick your battles and sometimes starving when you're in a weird place and don't have access to your comfort foods is not worth it. Life is complicated.
I was talking about polyamory, aka non-monogamy. Maybe this is too personal of a question, now that I think of it...
Uhm, no, not "poly," but I like the idea of a new subcultural term... not that polyamory is a new idea, but the idea of saying "poly" is new to me. But maybe it's a Seattle thing? Like, I think that you Seattle kids were the first to have MySpace gangs "Realgirl 79" and stuff...
That actually may be true. I usually blame those things on a friend of mine named Marius... Anyway, you do ANP, you're BARR, what other hobbies are you into?
I still skateboard and I love talking to people and checking out what they do... which, I guess that BARR (touring) and ANP are two things that are geared towards dealing with/talking to people.
What books/comix/music/movies/people/foods/whatever are you into right now?
Oh my... you can check my ArtForum Top 10 list this month... (that is actually not a joke)... I think you can see it online actually, but I want to say that they edit you so heavily that a lot of the words aren't mine anymore... although the list is mine. Otherwise, there is a new band from LA called No Age that is going to rule. It's the two guys from this old band called Wives. Christopher Wool has an amazing show at Gagosian Gallery in LA right now. I think he rules so much! And that new E-40 song that they play on the radio is amazing! It is sooo confrontational for a radio song, too! And I just, waay late in the game, discovered the late comedian Mitch Hedberg. He has a cd/dvd that comedy central put out that is unreal. His timing... he was fully fully on his own amazing trip. Rullersville.
Wow. That was a really great top 10 list on ArtForum. I'm really interested in checking out all of the ones I've never heard about until now. Thanks. Anyway, what can we expect from Brendan Fowler in the future as BARR and as ANP dood?
Right now we are finishing ANPQuarterly#4, and it will be out in mid April. This summer I'm recording a new BARR record which will come out in Feb07, and in the fall I'm touring a lot of the US with Xiu Xiu, catching most of the parts that I missed with Animal Collective. In May I'm touring the UK for the first time, and in July I'm doing and art show/performance series at David Kordansky Gallery in LA. (Wynne Greenwood/K8 Hardy, Emily Roysdon, Chris Johanson and Luke Fischbeck/Lucky Dragons are in the art show as well).
It's great that your staying so busy. Shoutouts?
You for doing this... Noah, thanks so much! And to all the ruling people who I have met or not met yet who are being rad. Thanks.
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