Interview With NYC's 'The F-Units' Part 2

Lead Singer Talks About New Album And The Progress Made By The Band

Aug 5, 2009

In the second part of this interview, Scotty, lead singer of the F-Units talks about their debut album 'Reject On Impact' and their new, as of yet untitled record.

In part 1 of this interview, Scotty talked about the formation of the band, and where he thinks the band my be headed in ten years time. This can be viewed here. This is the second and final part of this interview, where the singer talks about the new album and more!

101: Your debut album, 'Reject on Impact' has received good reviews all round. Did this give you extra impetus to make a new album?

Scotty: Thanks, Dean. We love good reviews, particularly yours (which can be read here). For me, "Reject On Impact" will always be my first record. For that reason alone, it's special. I put my heart and soul into every power-chord and lyric. Once the reviews started coming, we realized there was a lot more we could accomplish musically.

So, actually, I think it was some 'bad' reviews that gave us impetus to make a new album. Any negative comment will put a chip on your shoulder. We have more to prove as a band, and our song writing keeps getting better. The new album is more a product of our own intuitions and less about our influences, and that's when the real fireworks begin. Whether it silences the critics or not, we make music for ourselves first and foremost. It's in the fabric of who we are, and I'll never stop writing songs.

101: If you were to name one song for people to check out off 'Reject on Impact' what would it be?

I knew the moment I wrote it, that it was very different from everything else we had done at that point. It's dark and slow, yet driving and honest. The lyrical content is deeply personal, but anyone in search of their own voice can relate to it.

Speaking of voice, my friend Karen Curious sings a soaring backing vocal on that track. She adds a haunting 'falling-from-grace' quality to the song, which Max now duplicates on lead guitar when we play it live. It's very cool.

Even still, out of fear of it being rejected by my band mates, I added a minute-and-a-half long pop-punk song at the end, which later became "Hypocrite". In the end, I'm glad we split them up into two different songs. I think 'Nowhere Fast" is an arena-anthem that sparked the direction we have now taken as a band.

101: I believe I'm correct in saying that your new album comes out in September. In what ways do you think it is different to 'Reject on Impact', and do you think you've improved as a band since your debut album?

Scotty: Unfortunately, not correct. September was originally our release goal, but I start tracking vocals at the end of this month (August). Those expectations were a bit lofty. The new goal is to finish all tracking by the end of September. That still leaves mixing, mastering, manufacturing, and releasing it to distribution outlets. It could take months... but it's definitely coming.

There are major differences with the new album. It's more sophisticated, and edgier in a "more hard rock, less smart-ass punk" sense. There are many more layers, more musical directions, broader instrumentation, and lots more collaboration. Max wasn't in the band when we did "Reject On impact". That is major because he's written half of the music, and his guitar-work is featured on every song.

I still write the lyrics, but even that bar has been raised considerably. I've poured over lyrical content for months, even years in some instances. I'm still tweaking a line here and there, and will do so until the words come out my mouth in the studio. That wasn't the case for "Reject On impact".

Another major difference is that we're recording at The Cutting Room in Manhattan where several Grammy-winning artists record regularly. "Reject on Impact" was recorded in an apartment that reeked of cat-piss in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. I got mugged making that record. That probably says it all.

There is little doubt we've improved as a band, but also as songwriters and individual musicians. Perhaps a few people will notice.

101: Can you reveal the name of the new album yet?

Scotty: Sorry, we don't even have a working title at this moment. I CAN tell you though that it's 12 songs and about 45 minutes in length. I don't have a favorite song yet. It's another "all-killer, no-filler" record, but there are some definite stand-outs. Many people thought there was "something for everyone" on "Reject On Impact", but the new album will make "ROI" seem like tunnel-vision.

101: Are you planning to go on tour when the new album comes out?

Scotty: Yes, touring will be essential to the success of the album. We put on a very energetic live show, but we haven't started planning a tour yet. We'd also like to do a few videos as well.

101: Finally, when the new album comes out, where can people buy it?

Scotty: Our album will be available through the same distribution channels as "Reject On impact": F-Units.com, The iTunes Music Store, CDBaby.com, Amazon.com, eMusic.com, Interpunk.com, etc. Stay tuned for information regarding the new release on f-units.com, as well as myspace.com/funits. Follow the progress of F-Units' new album on Facebook (search: F-Units) and "@FUnits" on Twitter!

101: Thank you for your time and an extremely entertaining interview Scotty!

In conclusion, the F-Units are a band with plenty of ambition and the talent to back it up. The fact they are so excited about their new record probably means that it is a fantastic piece of music. Look out Green Day - the F-Units are coming!

The copyright of the article Interview With NYC's 'The F-Units' Part 2 in Modern Rock Music is owned by Dean Parr. Permission to republish Interview With NYC's 'The F-Units' Part 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.