This impressive unsigned band, The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco have agreed to put their heart and soul into music to carry on the dream and follow their path as the music equivalent to Dangermouse’s Penfold. Their album already released, Private jet Flashback and recently a new EP by the name of Cruise Control are both records that are proof that these guys are ready to be placed into the community once again, or maybe not; have a read of their interview below and you decide.
- Thank you for taking part in his interview, can you first of tell us about how the band started and who you all are?
Thank you for having us. For legal reasons, it’s difficult to say much until the injunction is lifted by Tammy Wynette’s lawyers. Scary dudes. Our manager only had three fingers on his left hand, and that’s prior the Kazakhstan incident. Enough said. More information can be found at http://the1957tail-finfiasco.com/press but you didn’t hear that from me.
- What is the thinking behind the name of the band?
It came to us in a dream. Cliched but true. Having dreamed it, and run with it, we found out about the Theory of Cultural Change developed by French philosopher Bordelieux who holds the demise of the automobile tail-fin (in 1957) up as a marker of the start of the breakdown of modern society. Or something.
- Did Harley Earl (who authorized the Frank Hershey design for the 1948 Cadillac with the first ever tailfin) say anything else in your dream?
Just that we should be aerodynamic. We knew what he meant, and we trust him with our lives. Look at his trustworthy glasses.
- Before Tail Fin – what were you guys up to before the band began?
Keeping our heads down and our mouths shut in a thousand other bands. Failing to keep our mouths shut and ending up in court. Watching and waiting, and busting our dead manager out of the circus medical bay.
- If you had to describe your music in the form of a movie or TV character who would it be and why?
Penfold from Dangermouse. Proper geeky, but we all know he’s running the gaff. Or maybe Thelma from Scooby Doo.
- One of your influences is the legendary Steely Dan, which one of their records would you introduce to a novice to their music and why?
I’d go for one from their purple patch – Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Aja – any of those, depending on the type of novice. Aja can be a bit clinical for some but might just be perfect, Katy Lied has Bad Sneakers and Doctor Wu which are hard to beat, and Royal Scam for the groovers. I feel like I want to say ‘Daddio’. There, I said it.
- With one album and one EP now out, how do you feel about the finished article for both projects?
Very happy with the songs, performances could be better. But then, I think we’ll always say that. Unless the next album is full of terrible songs. People are listening, and hearing what we wanted them to hear in the main, so that’s very gratifying.
- You have had radio play in New York, how did this come about?
The truth is we put the tracks online when we finished them, posted a link on Steely Dan’s forum ‘The BlueBook’ and the rest just happened after a couple of people on there started asking questions, none of which we could answer (those pesky lawyers again). I’ll never forget the first day that someone in NYC bought everything we’ve done from Bandcamp…it was a great moment for us. There’s a big skyscraper the top of which you can see from Central Park, NYC with a red logo saying ‘Essex House’. That’s our spiritual home.
- Leyton leisure lagoon which you mention in track ‘Josi and the Juke’, is this something that is close to your heart?
It’s close to Josi’s heart. He may still be stowed in the flume, but the chlorine can’t keep him clean.
- The video to this song is a Walt Disney cartoon; did you write the song based on this?
It’s about an east London housing officer and his trustee hatchback Nissan.
- How has social media – Twitter, Soundcloud and Facebook – helped the band with spreading your music? Without those how would it have been to promote your music?
Soundcloud was the first place we posted the tracks. In a few weeks, we had people getting in touch from Japan and America and all over Europe….we had listeners in every continent within a month of the group existing. That just wouldn’t have been possible without the internet. It makes word-of-mouth so much more convenient for people, and we’ve been lucky enough to benefit from people really listening and passing it on.
- Which three songs if you had to listen to constantly what would they be and why?
Kid Charlemagne (Steely Dan), Reasons To Be Cheerful-Part 3 (Ian Dury and the Blockheads), and Leader Of The Band (Lewis Taylor)….they never cease to excite me. That said, tomorrow I’d probably give you a different answer.
- Who would you hope to know has your music on their ipod, mp3 and or on their PC?
Chris Difford (who has!), Todd Rundgren (who almost certainly hasn’t) and Dolly Parton. Now there’s a dinner party.
- What does the future hold for you guys? A tour? If so when and where? New album? If so when and what can we expect from you?
A new album in the Spring, with some gigs in the UK following that, probably in May presuming her majesty allows it to be so. Got to pay those legal bills somehow.
Bandcamp: http://the1957tail-finfiasco.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tailfinfiasco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-1957-Tail-Fin-Fiasco/360579130708519
