Wednesday 10 December 2014

Interview with Space Fisters


A song is all it takes to make you become a fan of a great band. Take today's guests for example, it was the song – Yellow Hills – from their superb debut album – Vol 1. - that had me instantly got me hooked on Space Fisters, whose blend of Space Rock, Stoner Metal, Psychedelic Rock with hints of Ambient and Jam-Based riffs spoke volumes to me.

I contacted the band if I could review their debut album – Vol 1. And they provided me with a copy right away. I bought a copy of this excellent album on Vinyl just after one listen. A very rare thing for me to do. Sure I buy vinyl all the time but not until I have listened to the album for a few days or so. Not so here as Vol 1. will appeal to fans of Sleep, Kyuss, Hawkwind. Earthless and fellow countrymen – Mars Red Sky.

I said this about Vol. 1 - ”Just enjoy the ride as this is work of insane and twisted genius. It may not fit into the conventional Desert/Stoner Rock mould but it does make for one thrilling and disturbing encounter.

Space Fisters have created an excellent debut album that I hope finds them many fans within the Stoner Rock/Metal scene. It showcases another great band to check out from the awesome French Stoner Metal scene.”

Space Fisters have kindly agreed to talk to us at Sludgelord HQ. So lets get down to business.

Q1 – Hi guys. How are things with you all today.

We are good ! We are happy, we’ve got some gigs and we’ve got also good critics about our first album so it’s cool for us !


Q2 – Can you give a brief history to our readers of how the band came about and where it is today.

We mate during our study and we spend a lot of time to smoke weed and listen good music. But one day, we’ve decided to make something great instead of do nothing and we start the band.

Q3 – Why did you choose the name Space Fisters. Any specific meaning to the band.

First, this name make us laugth, it was not really serious. We were looking for a another name but we love that name, it’s the idea of the band, just take a big fist coming from space ! And there is a lot of band who got stupid name like us so, we don’t care it’s great in that way.

Q4 – How would you describe your own sound. As I feel it's best coming from the band themselves.

It’s something like fat, heavy, something loud, something low, progressive, warm but elegant !

Q5 – We have to talk about your new album – Vol 1. - So are you excited, nervous or thrilled what people are going to make of it.

Oh yes, we are fucking excited! We are playing together from three years and now, we have our sound. So, we are happy about realease our first physical album. We are not thrilled by what people can think about our album, we just hope that they enjoy it and if not, no problem, it’s cool !


Q6 – Was it a hard or easy album to write and record for. As you have a lot of different sounds going on with the album.

The first three songs are tracks we are playing since one year. We make some changes but there were not composed speacialy for the record. The last songs was writing because we need another song, so we’ve decided to work from a old song we’ve got. We make a live record and it was good at the third try so it was not so hard for us.

Q7 – What influenced you when writing and recording the album.

We are influenced by Mars Red Sky, Radio Moscow, Sungrazer, Grandloom, Dead Meadow. We want to make a shuffle of all this great band in the writing. But for the record, we try to make sound like Sleep and Mars Red Sky.

Q8 – Why did you call the album – Vol. 1.

It’s homage to Sleep and Black Sabbath. And it’s also our first album, so Vol.1, it’s simple and cool !

Vol.1 cover art

Q9 – Who designed the awesome album cover and how much input did you have into the overall design of the album cover.

It’s a friend of us – Alex Gletty – who propose to us this design, and we love it ! You can check his work on his Facebook page “Bloody Handy”.

Q10 – What does the album cover actually represent to you as a band.

First, we wanted a designed who represent rocky stuff, because we are leaving in the French mountains. And Alex made this flight den, and that the best way to represent what kind of sound we are making.

Q11 – The album is being released on Vinyl. Congrats on that one. Are you releasing that on vinyl yourself or through an independent record label.

We are helped by one association “Are You Stoned ? INC” who give us some money to release it but it’s also self financed in a big part. But we are looking for a great label to help us in our heavy project.


Q12 – How challenging is releasing your debut album on Vinyl. It's an ever-expanding market but it's very expensive to do.

Yes. We’ve decided to make vinyl because we love this stuff. Every bands we are meeting on gigs have vinyl today, so it’s the proof that people like it. But it’s expensive, so we hope that people want to buy one.

Q13 – Which bands and artists influenced you all as musicians. Any particular album that stands out that made you decide to become a musician.

Clément (bass) decided to become musician by Led Zeppelin 1 and Master of Reality from Black Sabbath influenced him. Léo (drums) start to play thanks to Rage Against The Machine with Evil Empire album, he his influenced by the drummers of Earthless, Radio Moscow, Hendrix and Mars Red Sky. Robin (guitar), it’s Sungrazer and Pink Floyd with Whish You Were Here album who influenced him.


Q14 – Do you perform gigs/concerts on a regular basis. Do you have to travel further afield to perform regularly. Though I know you have a gig with Mars Red Sky coming up in Jan 2015. Another fantastic French band starting to make a name for themselves. You looking forward to that gig.

Most of the gigs we are making are near where we live, we are looking to travel the most we can on great stage like Make It Sabbathy (Bordeaux), Stoned Gathering (Paris) and other. Now, we’ve got our sound, the band is ready to play every where, we hope to find a booker to help us in that way. For the gig with Mars Red Sky, we were invited. But we play with them in February too. This guys are really cool and if we can make other gigs together, it’s amazing.

Q14 – The French Stoner Rock/Metal scene is really starting to make a name for itself over the last few years with bands such as Mars Red Sky, Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel, Blaak Heat Shujaa, Huata, Wheelfall, Abrahma and Doctor Doom to name but a few. How is the Stoner Rock/Metal scene conceived in France. Is it a very active scene. Or is it still very much based in the underground scene.

It’s an active scene, there are a few venue dedicated to this kind of music in france but this is still an underground scene.


Q15 – What is your musical setup when playing live or recording new material. Do you have an advanced setup or basic setup.

We are endorse with Sentenza who made homemade pedals for us and also for Parker Griggs on Radio Moscow and more recently, it’s Benrey Road Cabinet who made homemade cabinet for guitar who endorse us. But we use basic material for the moment. We try to have the same setup in live and recording in order to always have the same sound.

Q16 – What is the song-writing dynamic in the band. Is it down to one individual or a group collective.

It’s collective. Indeed, we arrive with riffs and we create the atmosphere from them. We jam and we keep good thing, even if we thought that we a track is finished.

Q17 – Apart from the new album release, what other plans do you have over the next 12 months or so. Anything exciting you would like to share with us.

We are planning a tour to share the album with people and we are planning to make a video clip for a track.


Q18 – Do you find it hard being in a band in today's current climate. If you could change anything about the Stoner/Doom/Sludge Metal scene. What would it be and why.

It’s a scene who grows, there is a lot of good banda. But if a very good band have to make a name, it’s happened, like Mars Red Sky ! We don’t think that any changes to operate, if you make something good, people share and every happen automatically.

Q19 – With 2014 drawing to a close, what have been your favourite records this year.

Mars Red Sky – Stranded In Arcadia, Radio Moscow – Magical Durt, The Cosmics/ The Guardian Alien Split Records.

Q20– Before you go do you have anything to say to your fans.

Stay tuned guys, this is only the beginning.

Well guys thanks for this. All the best with your debut album as it's an excellent record. Can't wait to own the vinyl.

Thanks to Space Fisters for doing the interview. Vol 1. is a brilliant album which you can buy here on DD and Vinyl.

Words by Steve Howe and Space Fisters

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