Riffs, Rants and Rumors: Is fun. Having Fun Yet?

posted in: Exclusive Interviews • Features • Pop • Rock

First things first”while the official spelling of the band’s name is fun., with a lowercase “f” and a period at the end, the New York trio can not be held entirely accountable for the highly stylized nature of their moniker. According to multi-instrumentalist Andrew Dost, it was a decision born of pragmatism, not petulance. “We thought of the name ‘Ice Cream,’ but we all hated it,” he says of the name’s origin. “However, we liked what it made us think of, which was ‘fun.’ The period was added after another band called ‘fun’ asked us to distinguish ourselves from them in some way.”

But their name isn’t the only thing that might lead to misconceptions about fun.”there’s also their label, Fueled By Ramen, which is best known for bringing the world an avalanche of emo, with a roster encompassing Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Yellowcard, et al. But aside from a predilection for wearing their hearts on their sleeves, fun. possesses few of the musical traits one commonly associates with the emosphere. In fact, the group seems to stand apart from most of the pack when it comes to the current crop of high-profile indie-pop acts in general.

Between singer Nate Ruess‘s soaring voice, the band’s tendency towards a grand, theatrical feel, and, on their latest album, Some Nights, an arrangement approach that marries orchestral-pop ambitions with R&B and hip-hop production techniques, fun. is a singular sonic beast. Their latest batch of tunes evokes the larger-than-life art-pop of Queen, ELO and maybe George Michael as filtered through twentyfirst century alt-rock and hip-hop sensibilities more than it suggests any of fun.’s neighbors on either their label or the charts. Facing down the Queen comparison, a frequent one for fun., Dost says, “I think Nate has a really expressive voice and it’s hard to not compare the two singers [Ruess and Freddie Mercury]. And in terms of songwriting we really look up to them, though we don’t reference them directly when we write. It’s very flattering to be compared.”

The shift towards a more urban flavor on the band’s second album was a very conscious one. The band hand-picked Jeff Bhasker to produce the album, based on a CV that includes work with Jay-Z, Kanye West and Beyoncé. “There’s just so much good music being made right now across the board,” says Dost of fun.’s desire to expand beyond the confines of rock. “It’s an exciting time to be making music, and borders have disappeared in a great way.” Describing the evolutionary step represented by Some Nights, Dost explains, “The most notable difference in the sound is the addition of programmed beats instead of live drums. We knew right away that that’s how we wanted to approach the percussion, and it informed a lot of the writing and the other production. I think we also were more comfortable with each other when writing and recording, so instead of trying to impress each other and overdrive every song, we could relax a little and just let each song be a little more cohesive. I like both albums a lot and am proud of them for very different reasons.”

Of course, in analyzing the differences between Some Nights and fun.’s 2009 debut album, Aim & Ignite, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that none of the earlier record’s singles made a ripple, while the anthemic “We Are Young” has gone all the way to No. 1 on the pop charts, with the album itself nabbing a lofty No. 3 perch. Of course, it couldn’t have hurt that the song gained massive exposure by its placement in a 2011 Super Bowl commercial and an episode of Glee. In this context, Janelle Monae‘s guest appearance on the song almost seems like icing on the cake. “I was a big fan beforehand,” Dost says of the decision to enlist Monae’s talents on the tune. “[Monae’s debut album] The ArchAndroid is a stunning work of art, and it’s a huge honor to have Janelle on our song. It happened through Jeff, our producer, who showed her the song and asked if she’d sing. It’s still a little surreal for me, as I’m still a ridiculously big fan, even more so after touring with her.”

Dost, who pledges allegiance to both Weezer and Debussy and plays everything from guitars, bass and keyboards to trumpet, flugelhorn and glockenspiel, acknowledges the cinematic quality of the songs on Some Nights, but not in the way one might expect. “Almost every song was made with a movie on mute in the background, actually,” he reveals. “So every song is sort of its own soundtrack. ‘We Are Young’ would be Cheers or Barfly. The ‘Some Nights Intro’ would be Eyes Wide Shut. I think The Warriors was on for ‘Some Nights’ the song.”

And while it’s undoubtedly a good feeling to be at the top of the world right now with the runaway success of Some Nights, Dost says connecting with the audience remains Job No. 1. “I want people to feel some sense of relief or joy or calm when they listen to our music,” he confesses. “I get a very specific kind of chill and tingle in my arms when I hear certain songs, and I hope our music does that too.