It’s OK to be a little confused by Free Blood

By Britt Julious
Published: November 4th, 2008 | 2:05pm

For John Pugh and Madeline Davy of Free Blood, there’s nothing wrong with incorporating everything but the kitchen sink into their music. Each song features a cornucopia of genres and rhythms, including ’70s Afro-funk rhythms, glitch- and industrial-style electronic synths, and indie rock. When listening to the music of Free Blood, such as the six original pieces and their accompanying remixes on the group’s latest release, The Singles (Rong / Dfa), one can’t help but scratch one’s head at the complex yet rich chaos that can only be recognized as the Free Blood aesthetic.

Unlike contemporary counterparts — who invariably integrate their myriad of influences through off-color and boring imitations — Free Blood maneuver through the music they are enthused by to deftly work against the norm. “We took great pains to move away from recognizable genres and see where we fit in. We just wanted the songs to exist in their own universe,” Pugh said via phone from Brooklyn, New York, where the band is based.

And whereas most musicians find difficulty in transitioning their sound from the studio to the stage, for The Singles, Free Blood structured their songs in the studio by first examining what they were known for in their live performances: original minimal shows, with the bulk of their sets aided by a drum machine and vocals. “We knew that we wanted to reinvent the songs that we were playing live,” Pugh said of their approach to the new album.

“Being in the studio gave us the opportunity to explore.” Davy said, adding, “John and I have talked about making music to dance to as opposed to dance music. I think that what brings it together is that anything goes.”

The duo scrutinized each song by figuring out the most essential elements and working from there. “We had to touch and feel what we think moves the song along,” Pugh said. “The flow of the song is clogged when you add a lot of stuff.” To be sure, regardless of the one-two punch one takes while listening to songs such as the vividly layered “Never Hear Surf Music Again” or the addictive tribal chant of “Parangatang,” no one song sounds unbearably heavy in instrumentation.

This effect is probably due to the organic absorption of their influences. Pugh noted that he listens to a lot of ‘40s and ‘50s R&B. “I'm always referring back to that era,” he said, adding, “It's small, and compact, with a pop feel, but it’s a little bit alien.” He also noted that the instruments used during those decades weren’t “ironed out,” and that artists were given the freedom to experiment with their modus operandi, a concept that he implements in his own music. “When it comes down to it, I prefer to use acoustic instruments or electric guitar in a way that adds a chaotic element to it.”

Experimentation between the two expands far beyond the construction of each song. The group recently added Joshua Ryan and Eric Emm, the sibling production team better known as Brothers. Brothers originally worked with local New York rocknroll acts (Chairlift, Oxford Collapse, and Holy Fuck, to name a few) before jumping into the world of Free Blood. “It was exciting to be in a studio and have that sort of agreement to explore and embrace the adventure for what these songs are going to become,” Pugh said of the collaboration.

However, when it came time to reconstruct their live act, there was some doubt in Pugh’s and Davy’s minds as to who would complement the newer, fresher version of Free Blood. “We wanted to add that element of aliveness to the stage show and bridge the gap between what happened in the live setting and what we did in the studio,” Pugh said. The band auditioned drummers, yet it seemed like none of them had the right fit. After a casual lunch with the brothers, the new band was formed (Eric Emm, the other half of Brothers, recently dropped out due to work conflicts).

Overall, collaboration seems to be the underlying impetus behind the new album. The Singles includes six remixes of the band’s original songs by fellow musicians, and the production befits the method behind Free Blood. “It’s really interesting to hear people interpret our songs. It changes the way we hear them,” Davy said.

Pugh agreed, adding, “It’s easy once you’ve been playing songs for a while [to hear them only one way]. To hear a remix break all those rules, it’s kind of liberating for the artist too.”

Each remix worked in breaking down the songs for the band into bite-size nuggets that can be consumed in a variety of different methods. Mostly, though, the producers, ranging from Greg Lee to Brothers, highlight what makes Free Blood so damn interesting. “There’s a lot going on with Free Blood songs,” said Pugh, “but when you break them down, they're just pop songs.”
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