2008 Woodie Awards
The Felice Brothers
Brothers of blood and song
ROSEMARIE DEMENT
Culture Writer
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: Culture
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It has been said that one can travel the world without leaving the five-star level of comfort and see nothing except more luxury (and possibly a historical curiosity or two in a glass case), that one could walk alongside a building of great significance, a beggar, a fruit vendor and never really see any of it - not truly.
The Felice Brothers, coming to The Big Easy Feb. 19, defiantly bring a rough-collared honesty to their songs. The heartfelt panache in the way the band delivers vocal melodies doesn't feel like The Felice Brothers are trying to sell anything, leading to a genuine feeling that's missing from so much of today's music. Storytelling lyrics, eloquent and rough enough to stand on their own as poems, are laid through an ethereal and smoky voice, often compared to Bob Dylan's yowl.
Their music infuses elements of classic country and rock, but influenced by the grime of New York City. This contradiction in noise, from swaying, drunk melodies (the chorus in "Love Me Tender") to the moments of reflective beauty in "Her Eyes Dart Round," replicates the contrasting landscapes of the band's home state - New York.
This makes a lot of sense considering these four brothers grew up together in the upstate backwoods of New York. James, Simone and Ian Felice are biological brothers. The bassist, Christmas, is a best friend adopted into the musical brotherhood. James appears most often in the band's music videos with his accordion. His melodies add an interesting layer to their sound, giving it a Gypsy feel at times.
Currently, The Felice Brothers are traversing the country, traveling and living together in an '87 special van the band calls the "short bus." Here's what James Felice had to say about recording their latest album, playing music in the streets, "making it" and on what it means to be a blood brother.
Rose Dement:
Being that three of you are brothers and taking into consideration what you've been through as a band - from meeting Christmas, to the streets, to the van you're crossing the country in now - do you feel that these things are cause and effect and random acts of life; or, do you believe everything fell into place this way for a reason, more like fate?
James Felice:
I don't know if it's fate. I would say that it's more … cause and effect are part of it … I think that we just worked really hard at it, never let an opportunity go and devoted our lives to this project. I wouldn't say it's fate. I think it was more perseverance.
RD: During the recording of the song "Hey Hey Revolver," I hear lightning literally struck your recording studio?
JF: We recorded that album in like this abandoned camp in this old building - this old theatre - and it had this leaky roof and for some reason it rained every single day we were there and that roof was always leaking. One night we were cutting "Hey Hey Revolver," and it was the first take, and right when it starts all the power went out for a second and came back on. And we heard this thunder rolling and it was the longest single roll of thunder I have heard in my entire life, and no one missed a beat and we caught it and it turns out it was a great take. If we had a better take we would have used it, but that was the best one and it just happened to have lightning and thunder on it.
RD: How did Christmas come into the picture?
JF: He was my friend growing up for many years and then when we started the band, Chris wasn't really part of it, but then we sort of realized he was basically the coolest guy we knew. So we told him to learn how to play the bass and he did. So that's how it works.
RD: I've read you guys are pretty avid readers? What are you reading now?
JF: I actually just cracked open "War and Peace" by Tolstoy. Ian and Christmas are on this Camus kick. Ian and Chris read, like, every book, every essay he's ever written. We do read a lot, actually.
RD: I think part of the reason you get comparisons to so many greats of past generations is that there is an authenticity to your sound missing in a lot of modern music. How do you think the time you spent on the streets added to that, and do you think you could write the way you do without that particular set of experiences?
JF: Well, we've always written songs even before we were a band and playing together, but I think playing on the streets was one of the more amazing things. It's just seeing people, you know, because depending where you're playing there's all these different kinds of people, all these beautiful, different people, and I think it's helped influence us a lot in a lot of different ways - definitely in songwriting, but also a lot in performing. It's a big part of who we are and what we've done, street performing.
RD: I would think it would contribute a lot to your attitude and your stage presence being in certain situations people are looking at you like -
JF: - Like what the hell are you doing?
RD: Exactly. And learning to keep your chin up and rock through that, still knowing who you are.
JF: That's what it's all about. I mean, playing in New York City, no one gives a shit about you unless you're good, and that was our intention - to become good enough so that people would give a shit about us and put a dollar in our box. And, you know, know who we were just so we could make enough money to eat and play the next day. I remember we spent all our money on our first short bus, and what did we do? We drove into this graveyard in the Catskills and we just hung out and cooked dinner. Ian was living in a tent for a while and I used to go up there and hang out with him. It's always a good time with or without money. It doesn't matter.
RD: Living on the road has got to have its moments, though. It can't all be easy.
JF: Last time we were on tour in Phoenix and it was like 108 degrees and our air conditioner broke and we blew a tire and we were stuck. That was pretty bad … but we all just got drunk and passed out because it was the only thing to do. But we've never had like anything really bad happen to us. We have a job that is really so awesome we can't complain about anything.
RD: Going for broke, the way you guys did, do you think you've earned your reputation as dice-throwin' gamblin' men?
JF: I guess so … We don't really gamble so much anymore, but I suppose that we are that archetype or whatever. I don't really see myself as this mystical drifter. I'm just a regular guy. And I know my brothers are all regular guys, too, but we did go for broke … We just gave up everything we had and went for it. And we had saloon adventures on the way and played music, but we're just regular men - there's nothing extraordinary about us. I don't know if we've even made it yet. We still have a hell of a lot more to go, but right now we're getting to play music and we don't have to have real jobs, so in that way we have made it.
RD: What advice would you have for someone at a similar crossroads, toying with the idea of quitting their nine-to-five to chase their dream fully?
JF: Well the first thing you've gotta determine: how hard are you willing to work? How much [are] you willing to give up? I think, I remember, when we came to the point I was sleeping in my car, but I had a job; I was working at this place called Taco Shack and so I didn't really have so much that I was giving up.
So it wasn't really a hard decision for me, but it's definitely a kind of crazy lifestyle, but it's fun. But, if you're good at what you do and you love to do it, then you should … because you only have a very limited amount of time to live on this planet and there's no point in doing something you don't wanna do.
Felice spoke to Dement by phone from Los Angeles.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Steve from Omaha
posted 3/17/08 @ 6:06 PM MST
The Felice Brothers are absolutely incredible. If you get the chance see them live and buy everything they release. The most honest sound next to a baby crying. (Continued…)
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