Your band name is Franc Moody and I read that it’s a combination of both of your surnames. I think that’s kind of funny because your music doesn’t really sound moody.
Ned: It’s Jon’s surname. It’s quite good to have something that doesn’t measure up to the name. We wouldn’t be as good if it was „Franc Joyous“.
Jon: Or „Franc Funny“.
When I listen to your music it feels like you’ve got a big band in the background which you actually have, but only on stage. But when you record your music it’s only you. How do you do that?
Jon: It’s a long process I suppose. The start of our music came about from moving studios. We moved from a totally analog recording studio where we used to play onto tape with live drummers. But then we moved to a studio where we couldn’t fit a drumkit in, so we had to start programming our drums. So that sort of immediately gave it like a more electronic edge. And then we just wanted to work together, so it meant one of us would pick up a base and hit the bass line and that’s with the guitar player, the keys and over and so far. So between us we can’t hash around enough intruments to make it all come together.
Ned: But then we do get in.
Jon: We often get some other musicians as well. Some features obviously, but also a string section – my family, my mum and my sister which is awesome. They come in and record their strings which is a real blessing on the record. And we get down our drummer to come and put some Hi-Hats on, just to make it feel a bit „liver“. Stuff like that all the time.
Ned: Its lot of like making it kinda suitable to the studio. We’re putting in so many different elements and stuff like that. And yeah it’s cool.
So I could say the DIY approach is really important to you then?
Jon: 100 percent!
Ned: Yeah definetely! One of the things we often say is that when we’re in the studio we have empty bottles of tobasco sauce and there is stuff like an old salt shaker. I mean there is all these cracky little bits around the studio. I mean Jon you played a Febreeze –
Jon: A Febreeze can. I think you were hitting a radio to make the record.
Ned: But yeah it’s definetely how we like it – „rough and ready“. „Cracky“ we call it.
I listened to your EP which is also called „EP“ from 2016. And back then you only played instrumentals. Why did you change that and how did that happen?
Jon: That’s a really good question. When we first were starting out with Franc Moody we were really blessed that we were took on a great management who are very much part of the team and have been amazing with us. And they actually said ‚Look – one of the things we want you to start of with is to kinda really – show off your musical background and your influences and do something where you gonna explore that and put out an instrumental EP where you can explore all different facets of your musicality‘. And we were a little bit against it initially, but actually looking back I’m really proud of this, I love it.
Ned: I think it is a lovely way to introduce the project. We sort of were finding our sound. It’s cool to not have that be detractive from it anyway by any vocal, just holding on to dance music, which we never actually done before. Like in this way. We’ve been in sort of old 50s/60s Blues bands, RnB bands making dance music, but it’s very different.
Jon: And we still open up with „Yuri“ from that EP. So this set is still which we love.
Ned: I hope we carry on playing that for the rest of our years.
Now that you changed to singing as well, it got quite successful. You had over two million hits each with „Dopamine“ and „Dance Moves“ on Spotify. How do you feel about that?
Ned: It’s actually amazing. I mean it’s more than I would have ever thought. It’s really cool. And it’s also because we made the music we absolutely love in the studio, but we want to connect with people, we want people to dance, we want people to enjoy it and this kinda reflects that peole are enjoying it. It’s like tonight, people have actually bought a ticket to come and see us. It’s mindblowing!
Jon: Dublin we’re selling tickets as well. We thought it would only extend one squaremile around our studio.
Ned: People have heard it through the wall of the studio.
When it comes to your album, I think the style of it is really remarkable. You’ve got the cover and also the videos „Pheromones“ and „Super Star Struck“ and it’s the same illustrator and video director. Mason London is the illustrator and Crack Stevens the video director. So how did you choose them?
Ned: I think Crack Stevens is being a name. It’s being flying around our circles. And we’ve always known he is a pretty amazing director. He was up for it and he wanted to put in Mason London that was his sort of link. We actually never met Mason.
Jon: It was funny when Crack came on board. I think one of the reasons why he came on is he sort of instantly had this – for Super Star Stuck which is the first project he worked on – he just instantly saw his aunt and then he created the character for the video.
Ned: And it was just so far from any concept that we had sort of even like begun to discuss. You know we were thinking of like … I don’t know what the ideas were this time, but million miles away from where he came in. And that’s such an original take on it. And then for the second video „Pheromones“ going back in time when she is being younger and going to Atlantis. It’s really cool to have them both on board!
So how important is the aesthetic to you when it comes to showing of your music?
Jon: When we started with the band there was no real aesthetic or cohesion. There wasn’t an idea. And I think Becky and Adam brought that to us, our management.
Ned: We were taking on as well like, we were getting a neon sign and stuff like that which we told them. We wanted to make a show live. Which is a kinda separate question but I think aesthetically it’s so cool to have direction from Becky and Adam. Like discussing it and taking it really seriously, it’s cool meeting new people and collaborating on that.
Jon: And people remember if the aesthetic is really cohesive and strong. I think it helps them to remember the band and makes it even more memorable, especially the show. And we’re still trying to work on that and get that even stronger, but it’s good. And that photo the photographer Charlie Rout took of us. He did a brilliant job on that.
I saw on Instagram that you posted a photo with Nile Rodgers a your „biggest inspiration“ and not gonna lie about it – I had to look up who he is…
Ned: Really? But that’s fine.
Jon: What was your reaction when you found out?
Now I know he is the Co-founder of CHIC and a real big thing in the scene with Disco and Funk…
Ned: David Bowie and lots of stuff.
Yeah he produced so many people. I was really impressed. So is he like kinda the goal? Do you want to work with him some time or seek for the same career?
Ned: I think with him it came about in a great way, it was linked up. A publisher came in, cause we do a lot of writing for people as well and session work and they said it would be a good fit Franc Moody and Nile Rodgers.
Jon: Nile had heard our stuff and he was really into it, so he invited us down to the Abbey Road studios to work on some music for him which is like amazing. A few days actually we’ve been there and we got a few tunes
Ned: We did like almost a week with him in different locations.
Jon: It was being fairly mindblowing stuff. Our childood dream. And still he is undoubted one of the biggest inspirations in pop music. He worked with so many people and also there is the quality of the tunes.
Ned: He is sort of the guy, if you’re not seeing him there, he might probably be behind the tune without you knowing it and he has done so many crazy things. He is awesome.
And undoubtedly cool visiting Abbey Road and going to Abbey Road, you know pedestrians crossing the street doing the Beatles thing. That is pretty sick.
So you just mentioned that you also do writing for other people – How do you stay creative as Franc Moody?
Ned: Just keep going. In the beginning of the year, there was an idea that we should just write hits. And actually when you try and think of something like „Oh let’s write a smash hit“ nothing comes really. And actually you should just always be natural.
Jon: And it came, but it wasn’t that good. And soon as we discussed that, actually, now is not the time for like for a bigger song, then stuff was flying out.
Ned: Well it’s also a bit about taking time out, occasionally if can, or playing different keys.
Jon: But it’s really fun collaborating with other people as well. We’ve been working with some awesome people, an amazing singer and producer called Lauren Faith. Remember that name, she is gonna be an absolute star. And lots of other people. It’s fun to have a look at other peoples world and to see what blends with the Franc Moody sound and what doesn’t.
So you would give that advice to other young musicians too? To always keep going and try to collaborate with other people then?
Ned: Definitely. Just trust your instincts. That’s the thing that I think is like almost the most important thing.
Jon: Definitely learned that personally.
Ned: If you have an idea that you think is good, just go for it.
Jon: And if someone is gonna take it down then argue it out, or discuss it, whatever.
Ned: And then have a really huge fight.
Jon: Exactly. Then lock them in a carpet.
Ned: Poison their drink when they’re out the room.
When it comes to sound, I feel that for the last two or three years that there was kind of a 80s revival when it came to getting inspiration from genres and also in the fashion. And now I feel like that there’s kind of a 70s revival, because I discover many new bands that use influences from Soul, Funk and Disco. Do you feel that too?
Ned: Yeah, I can definetely see. I mean looking at the people in art today, we got people like Anderson Paak. There is definetely something kinda HipHop, which was a bit later than that, but then there also is something quite funky and stuff in his music. And I suppose Funk comes from the George Clinton era, but then there is that kind of fusion stuff as well.
Jon: Steve Lacy stuff.
Ned: Roxy Music as an inspiration. With they’re slightly glamorous edge to music as well. Donna Summer, there’s lots of that slight vibe and also that Studio 54 thing. All music is cyclical. So it comes back, but with a slightly rebranded thing. Maybe we sing a bit of that.
Jon: Yeah, bands like Parcels now.
Yeah, that’s what I thought about.
Jon: That sort of sound is happening right now, it’s wicked, and people love it.
Also The Internet with Steve Lacy.
Jon: Of course. Childish Gambino, some of that is like full on Parliament-Funkadelic. Which is cool and he is doing it to like millions of people.
Ned: Steve Lacy does everything with his phone. I mean that’s amazing in itself, it sounds so good. We love Steve Lacy.
Jon: Steve!
Especially Disco back then was often criticized a „mindless“ or „pointless“. Do you think Disco can be more than just having a Feel Good Time?
Ned: Yeah definetely. I think the origins of Disco, which is supposed to be Studio 54…
Jon: I suppose that was just one opinion. I mean was ist mindless and pointless? I don’t know.
Ned: No, I think like the fun you have listening to certain types of music can soundtrack your life. Be there as a kind of backing to big moments in your life.
Jon: That is an incredibly important thing. It inspired this whole generation to have that shameless kind of fun and people just being more outgoing.
Ned: I think songs don’t necessarily need a message, some of them have a message lyrically, but sometimes if they don’t, it’s just joyous fun and that’s just as important.
Jon: I think there should be a point in every piece of music. But wether the point is the solution to change the planet or wether it’s just to make someone have a good time. It’s just as valid.
I think it’s very much about liberation?
Ned: Totally. We would definitely say it helps people to have a good time, great good tunes.
Last question, today is your very first day on your headline tour through the UK. How do you feel in 3 words?
Ned: Fuck-ing great!
Jon: I think „amazed“ actually is definiteley one of them. And „excited“ is definiteley another. And the third…
Ned: …depressed! (laughs). No, it would be „amazed“, „excited“ and „nervous“. A bit nervous as well.
Jon: „Stressed“ (laughs) No, no stress.