Hardcore-punk band Fucked Up spent 2011 touring Australia with the Foo Fighters and releasing their third studio record, David Comes to Life, which topped Spin magazine’s list of albums of the year.
Then, the band announced a hiatus for 2012.
But drummer Jonah Falco said it’s just an excuse to take a winter break.
“This year was particularly busy. We’ve had a lot of great things happen to us this year, but rest and relaxation wasn’t exactly one of them,” Falco said, adding that a need for relaxation wasn’t the only reason the band decided to take the next few months off.
“Our guitar player [Josh Zucker] and his girlfriend just became parents.”
Falco said he’s comfortable being at home, for now.
“Part of the thing about touring is it doesn’t give you a lot of mental space to think about yourself as much because you are always moving and always engaging,” he said. “It’s a single workplace that’s recreated every night.”
Falco’s rest will be short-lived. On Feb. 7 they will release the Year of the Tiger as a part of their annual Zodiac series, which is inspired by the Chinese calendar
“These records all follow a kind of musical theme, that is the A side is quite long and the B side is maybe a bit more experimental,” he said.
The 12-inch is being described as a rock masterpiece by critics.
“Year of the Tiger is a lot slower and it’s a bit bigger than we’re sort of used to going. It’s got this really like foggy brooding feel at the beginning,” he said. “Imagine a swamp, the way you can’t quite see the ground and you can’t quite see the water and you’re never sure of how deep something is.
“The B side is kind of a gem, it’s a musical palindrome, which sounds again a bit precious.”
Despite the band’s hiatus they’re returning to the stage for a show in Kingston this weekend. Falco said the band doesn’t have the best memories of Kingston after their last stop in town as a part of a four-week tour of Southern Ontario — a tour that only started because the band was barred from U.S. for not having work visas.
“My memories of Kingston aren’t exactly crystal clear and fond,” he said. “But I feel like we’re ready to rectify that. We’re all going to have our rest and we’re going to be fresh-faced about playing music again. You’re going to get the best of it or who knows you may get the most shambolic, spinal tap night of your life.”
Fucked Up play Time to Laugh Comedy Club on Sunday at 6 p.m with Carvings and Owl Farm.
Tags
Fucked Up, hiatus, Interview, Jonah Falco
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