The Panther Prints

Entertainment

Dyas iitels w

3, 1996

Talking with Superfriendly Matt Murphy

The Super Friendz have been making music together since 1993 and since the re- lease of their first full length album, Mock Up, Scale Down, last June they have garnered critical praise and moderate fame in Canada.

Since their humble be- ginnings, the Friendz have lost many a drummer, but are now in a solid line-up with Matt Murphy (guitar, voice), Drew Yamada (gui- tar, voice), Charles Austin (bass guitar, voice) and Lonnie James (drums). In the past few months, this Halifax band has released an EP, Play The Game, Not Games, and their rendition of “Blue Tat- too” was the first single from the Tribute To Hard Core Logo album. With anew album set for release early next year, these guys are set for star- dom.

Recently I had the chance to chat with Matt Murphy in a technologically impaired (wrought with phone problems, to say the least), yet very informative phone interview.

PP: Could you give me some info on your new al- bum?

Matt: It's called Fin Du Monde. That's french for'end of the world.’ It's got fourteen songs on it and we recorded it in Toronto in April and July with Eric Masunaga from the Dambuilders. The band from Boston. Anyway, we did about two weeks in April and an- other week in July. It looks like first single is going to be "Up and Running.”

PP: How did you come about being on the Tribute to Hard Core Logo Soundtrack?

Matt: BMG gave us

$4000 to record a song. We did one, but they didn't think it was recorded well enough so we did it again to satisfy them. I think the second ver- sion is better. All together the two versions cost a thousand bucks to do. We did that with Brendan McGuire who did our first album and then they liked it and they put it out as a single. They gave us the words to the song, and we provided the music. It A turned out A pretty well, consider-

ing.

PP: Did you guys have a

say in how the video was

shot?

Matt: A little bit. Not as much asmaybe we would have liked, but it turned out pretty good I think. They wanted to have us appear in Forrest Gump style into the movie. | thought that was kind of silly. I thought maybe a few scenes would be good, so we compro- mead there. We did a bit2 Ge that and then they wanted us playing on a stage or some- thing. I think Colin, our man- ager, suggested we play in avan instead -- to pretend we're touring. So we com- promised on all sorts of things. We gave them a bunch of little ideas thatw e

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(FP IS ANPP PPL ARAL E SS ew REESE LS SE 4

thought would be cool, like playing on the flat bed [at the end of the video.] It was just kind of weird going up to Toronto to do it and not hav- ing control over stuff. Not that we're total control freaks, but we have, in the past, known the people doing our videos and we know kind of what it's going to look like, whereas with Andrew Hunt we didn't really know him and we weren't sure what it was going to look like. But it turned out pretty good. He did a great job in the end.

PP:* “Does that sort of thing kind of dis- suade you from wanting to be on a major label?

Matt: Yeah. It does. Well, there were a few things, you know? Just dealing witha bigger company just for this one song was eye opening. With Murder everyone sees eye to eye. Everyone has the same objectives and making money is just a part of it, not the only thing, I think. The decisions we make are a little more artistic oriented here, as opposed to what will get

played on the radio which is what they do. I mean, they chopped the ending off the song on the radio edit completely. [That is] what makes the song different from any other. The best part ofthe song was the ending, you know? That is themostorigi- nal and itjust seems silly to cut it off, but on the other hand we weren't really go- ing to fight about it. As

long as there is some of it in tbe video. But even in the

video I would have liked to have seen it faded out or some- thing. I mean, there's three versions basically of that song --one's the radio edit, one's the video edit and the other

one's the album

edit which is the

one we re- corded ~ which just ends . naturally. I think that's the best one. It's not that big a deal. We got along

wellwith the people at BMG and stuff. It was just kind of

Various Artists

different from what we're used to.

PP: What do you think is the most important thing about the aesthetic of your music? Theactual music writ- ing, or the lyric writing? Or do you think the live show is

more important? Matt: Well, the live show has had a pretty big ef-

fect on the song writing, | think. We've been playing lots of live shows, so you sort of start thinking in that mind set of what will make the crowd excited, what gets peo- ple going. I think it's pretty hard to recreate a live sound on an album -- an exciting live sound. And sometimes live songs aren't the best studio songs. That's something I give a lot of consideration to - - how Iam going to get people excited. Whatever gets me excited, I want to be able to

Continued next page...

1 Tribute to Hard Core Logo

Hard Core Logo Music

BIG LG)

Were they real or fictional? That is the question most

asked about the band Hard Core Logo. It doesn t matter. 1 fifteen track tribute album out thanks to Bruce

neither here nor there. that there ts <

Well. that’s really What does matter ts

MacDonald's critically acclaimed film.

Starting off with a track from the Headstones (who'd have thunk it? Hugh Dillon only stars inthe movie.). the album sets the fast paced punk based style that Hard Core Logo ts

about.

At least that’s what you d expect.

Sure, there are lots

of neo-punk songs offered from the likes of The Pursuit of

Hlappiness and 54-40. but there are also pop tunes from the

Super Friendz and Cub.

and even some folkier tunes (The

l_ugen Brothers). some ambient pop (Son). and some hip hop

R&B (Dream Warriors).

IM ircmOlUn CLO e(e atm oko cas on an everyday level. contributed a catchy rendition of ~ and Cub’s “Who is pretty cool. but on the whole | wouldn't be

Break Robert Out Of Jail.” MD inl am Melt a Vrceae

able to listen to this album non-stop. “Blue Tattoo”

a ae eae oie

Of A Bitch To The Core™

is done twice.

good. Rusty. who | don't like Let's

Phe Hell Do You

The first problem ts the is done three times. and “Son Sorry. but that’s a no

20 in the what-makes-a-good-record.

I would have to say that it is about a 50/50 split in

tracks Versus not so g | .

fereye ones.

areyere|

All in all. a pretty good a