Featured Artist Interview: Fool’s Gold

By Travis Woods

Photo credit: Marianne Williams

“A name like Fool’s Gold with a band such as this has got be something of a joke, or at least a sly nod towards a clever irony…seeing as how they integrate and absorb various elements of world music and Afro-pop without actually being a band from Africa (or at least being a member of the Talking Heads), which seems to be the only way one can release such music and be taken seriously in a post-Vampire Weekend popscape, at least in the eyes of snarky hipsters.

The irony, though, kicks in within the first fluttery and polyrhythmic seconds of Fool’s Gold’s opening moment–the cool vocal ripples and jittery guitars of “Surprise Hotel”–in which Foreign Born’s Lewis Pesacov, vocalist/co-frontman Luke Top and company blend everything from Afrobeat to strains of Israel’s Mizrahi musical movement to forge a sound that is not only reminiscent of its influences, but is an authentic and bracing blast of true world music as well, erasing racial, continental and musical boundaries with a staggering ease and skill.”

That’s how we described L.A. collective Fool’s Gold’s self-titled debut upon it’s release in September, and it’s an album that stands as one of the best of 2009–a bracing, brass-tinged blast of everything from soul (ranging from Ethiopian to Philly), Afropop, krautrock, world pop and rock ‘n roll, all filtered through the warm cultural prism of Los Angeles.  Moreover, Fool’s Gold is a band whose membership is as eclectic and disparate as its sound; led by the Israeli-born, L.A.-raised vocalist Luke Top and Foreign Born’s Lewis Pesacov, the band claims anywhere from eight to seventeen members, including musicians from The Fall, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and We Are Scientists, to name a few.  The band is as unique as it is exhilerating, a rousing and sun-flared celebration of music that blurs the lines between continents, genres, influences and races just as easily as it–as all good bands should–drives you to your feet to dance.

Web in Front recently spoke with the band’s vocalist (and excellent solo musician), Luke Top, about the Fool’s Gold’s new album, the impetus behind his singing most the record in Hebrew, and the powerful sway that Los Angeles holds over the band members and their music.

The Interview

Web in Front:  While much has been made—justifiably—about the blurred cultural and ethnic musical influences that inform Fool’s Gold, both the band and the album, what has struck me the most about the record is how strongly it stands as a Los Angeles album, reflecting the kaleidoscope of cultures and people all sharing the same sun-baked city.

Luke Top: Fool’s Gold was birthed from the womb of Los Angeles.  She drove us to our first day of school, was there for our Bar Mitzvah, and cried sentimental tears when we were shipped off to spread freedom around the world.  Without her, I don’t think this band would even exist.

Aside from bringing together a unique blend of personalities, the city itself allowed us to develop as a band in a way that perhaps no other city could.  Aesthetically, you can definitely find images of Los Angeles in our music: The Beach Boys, the breeze blowing through a palm tree, the Lakers, Dr. Dre, desert sun, isolation, aguas frescas, and beautiful people eating gelato.

WiF:  Yourself and everyone in the band comes from a myriad of both cultural and musical backgrounds, and with a band that boasts a lineup of anywhere from eight to seventeen members on a given night, it’s no surprise that Fool’s Gold crisscrosses so many genre lines.  But those lines themselves can be pretty far apart—in a single song, I’ve heard you guys play and experiment with elements of everything from Ethiopian soul to krautrock to rock ‘n roll.  Is it a conscious decision to group together such disparate elements, or is it simply a natural outgrowth of the band playing together?

LT: We want to create an environment where all our influences, no matter how disparate, have a home.  That may be the only conscious factor at play.  We allow any simmering, orphaned, internalized ideas to rise to the surface and not be judged.

WiF:  How does a typical Fool’s Gold song come together… or, with such a large, collaborative collective, is there a typical songwriting process?

LT: Every song has had it’s own life story.  Some started out as long, open-forum jams that were then scaled down into more structured pop songs.  Sometimes Lewis and I will make rough demos at home and exchange ideas that way before trying it with the band.  For one song in particular I remember pulling off the side of the road and singing a melody into my phone. Luckily for us, the ideas tend to find ways to reveal themselves.

WiF:  There’s sense of joy that seems to pervade the album—especially songs like “Nadine” and “Night Dancing”—is that a goal of yours or the band?  Celebration music?

LT: There is definitely an element of euphoria and celebration to our music.  But it is not blind joy or ignorant happiness.  It is a joy enriched by many other feelings, which makes it that much more intense and potent to us (and hopefully others).   A celebration can be that much more rewarding when it appears at the outskirts of personal hardship, where challenges are overcome.

WiF:  Further, as someone who moved to L.A. as a child, is another possible goal of the music, including the singing in Hebrew, a means to connect to your roots?

LT: Singing in Hebrew has been this really mysterious and enlightening phenomenon for me.  I’m still sort of trying to figure out exactly why I’m so drawn to it.  There may be something subconscious going on.  I’m not sure if there is a part of me that yearns to connect to my roots, but what better way to figure that out then to play rock n’ roll music all the time.

WiF:  Separate from what Fool’s Gold has been doing, there is a movement in current American indie rock to appropriate certain surface or superficial elements of world pop.  Do you worry about being lumped into that category, when Fool’s Gold sounds far more like inheritors to world pop rather than imitators?

LT: I’m not worried.  I don’t think it necessarily matters what types of trends are happening around us.   All music is valid; it all has its place in the spectrum.  People connect with music in many different ways, and I can only try to be as truthful to myself as possible when making it.  Also: imitation is suicide.

Listen to “Surprise Hotel”

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(Download)

WiF:  I thought that Pitchfork had an interesting line about Fool’s Gold—“they don’t play American music with an Afropop influence. Rather, it’s Afropop with a slight American influence.”  Is that how you view the band?

LT: No, we are simply an all-American band.  Our music reflects more than just afro-pop.  And the “slight American influence” thing is very vague.  That can mean anything!  I really want people to connect to our music though, so whatever explanation puts it into perspective for them is ok.  Everyone has a different frame of reference.  As long as it eventually is able to affect your emotions and spirit and get you dancing, then I am happy.

WiF:  For me, Fool’s Gold is one of those bands that, after you listen to them, you immediately want to scour record stores and the internet for their influences.  Care to throw out a personal top ten?

LT: Wow, Thank you!!!

Milton Nascimento: Clube Da Esquina

Kanda Bongo Man: Amour Fou

Morrissey: Viva Hate

Mahmoud Ahmed: Almaz (Ethiopiques Volume 6)

Group Inerane: Guitars from Agadez

The Beach Boys: Surf’s Up

Gal Costa: Cinema Olympia

Adam and the Ants: Prince Charming

Tinariwen: The Radio Tisdas Sessions

La Dusseldorf: Viva

November 2, 2009 | Filed Under Exclusive Features, Featured Artist Interviews, Music News, New Local Music in 2009 

Comments

One Response to “Featured Artist Interview: Fool’s Gold”

  1. Chris on January 4th, 2010 9:28 am

    Nice interview. Looking forward to Fool’s Gold touring over here. Their UK dates are up here http://bit.ly/81N0sT




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