Interview: Foreign Film
It’s a love letter to music, for letting us travel the world, express ourselves and give us a life we could have only dreamed of.
Foreign Film are a new band formed from the DNA of Sacramento hardcore legends Will Haven, and their line up is made up of guitarist/vocalist Jeff Irwin, drummer Mitch Wheeler, guitarist Sean Bivins (guitar), and bassist Adrien Contreras (all of whom play in Will Haven), alongside pianist/keyboardist Robin Florkin, guitarist Ryan Kerr and backing vocalist Tami Taracena. The band’s sublime debut album A Love Letter has just come out and Gavin Brown caught up with Jeff Irwin to talk about the album, how Foreign Film started and the rich cinematic nature of their music.
E&D: The debut Foreign Film album A Love Letter has just come out. Have you been happy with how it has been received so far?
Jeff: I am very happy with the response. I wasn’t sure what to expect,but a lot of people did listen and seem to really enjoy it. That makes us excited to get some more music out.
E&D: What is the album a love letter to?
Jeff: It’s a love letter to music, for letting us travel the world, express ourselves and give us a life we could have only dreamed of. So the music is our love.
E&D: What have been the biggest influences on A Love Letter?
Jeff: We have a lot of influences musically, so it’s just all of those coming together. If you put Will Haven, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Neurosis, and Frank Sinatra all in a blender you would get Foreign Film.
E&D: The album has a very big cinematic feel to it, was this what you wanted to do with record and its sound?
Jeff: Yeah, when creating this band we wanted a big sound – very emotional and cinematic – so I think we were able to capture that on our first release. Who knows where we go from here? But I love the vibe we have created and were going for.
E&D: Is the album track ‘Santa Carla’ inspired by The Lost Boys?
Jeff: Yes, I actually wrote that song in Santa Cruz. I live there, and Lost Boys was filmed in Santa Cruz, so it just made sense to name it Santa Carla.
E&D: Was the music video for that song a cool experience for you?
Jeff: For Santa Carla we worked with our friend Dave Blackley. He has done a lot of stuff for Will Haven, so we wanted him to be a part of this. I am so happy how that turned out. He made an amazing video, and I think it was perfect for what we were going for. He makes some amazing art; very happy we couldwork with him.
E&D: What cinematic scores are particularly influential to you?
Jeff: My favourite soundtrack has always been Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I love how it complements the movie so well with all the ambience and soundscapes. John Willams is the goat for creating that atmosphere in all the movies he’s done, and he is one of my influences for sure.
E&D: Would you love for Foreign Film to score a movie?
Jeff: Yes, absolutely. We are actually working with someone who is making a vampire movie. He is putting a few of our songs in the movie so we are stoked on that. We love that our music fits so well into scenes like that, and I hope we can do more.
E&D: What are your favourite ever Foreign Language films?
Jeff: I haven’t watched a lot of foreign movies. I am not a big movie guy which is funny, but when I write music I see movie scenes in my head. Some people see colours, and I see movies in my head, so that’s how I come up with my soundscapes more than watching something for inspiration.
E&D: What are some of your favourite ever movies?
Jeff: Star Wars (original), Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Colors, Menace II Society… those are the ones that I can never get tired of.
E&D: What was the first movie you can remember watching?
Jeff: I think it might have been Silver Streak with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. I just remember watching that movie over and over as kid. I still watch it all the way through if it comes on.
E&D: What is the first movie that had the biggest impact on you?
Jeff: Star Wars for sure, I remember waiting in line as a kid to see it and then couldn’t believe what I was watching. I’m still in awe of those movies, the costumes, the story, production… so good for the time and still amazing.
E&D: What is your favourite ever cinema?
Jeff: If we are talking building, there is a place in Sacramento, CA where I grew up called the Crest Theatre. They have movies there, but once in a while they have concerts. I have seen some amazing shows there and we (Will Haven) got to play there with Deftones. It’s a beautiful building and just to see a movie there is amazing but to play there is an honor
E&D: How did Foreign Film start as a band and have you had plans to do something like this for a while?
Jeff: Yes, we had another project that was similar to Foreign Film but we did not put anything out. We just wrote a few songs, we then stopped to do Will Haven again. So we decided to start that project up again and we decided to call if Foreign Film. This time we are taking it more seriously and hope to do a lot with it.
E&D: With the band having the same name as the track from Will Haven’s Ei Diablo album, was it an easy choice for the band to be named this?
Jeff: Yeah, I wanted to tie in Will Haven somehow. I was looking at Will Haven song titles and saw Foreign Film and thought that would the perfect name. It fits our sound but also has that tie to Will Haven.
E&D: How did your recent record release show go and did you play A Love Letter in full at the show?
Jeff: It was a lot of fun. We played an awesome venue in town and got to play with our friends in Simon Says. It was nice because it brought a crowd that had not seen us yet, the response was awesome, and we were very happy with it. We did not play the record in full; we played most of the songs from it but played a new one as well. We are constantly writing music and want to play it live, even if no one has heard it yet.
E&D: Have you got plans for more live dates for this year and going into next year?
Jeff: Yes, we have another show in Sacramento at the end of the Summer and we are looking to start playing some shows in the Los Angeles area at the end of the year. We hope to do a lot more shows next year.
E&D: Will a visual element play a big part in your live show?
Jeff: Yes, we have done a few different things so far. We do have a vibe we set at the show that complements the music, we definitely want to leave with an impression and give people an experience.
E&D: What are some of the best live shows you have ever seen from a visual perspective?
Jeff: I saw Pink Floyd when I was a kid and there will never be a show like that again. That band left me speechless – the music with the lasers and videos. Nothing will ever come close to that. That is what I always wanted to do ever since I saw them; create something that will leave people talking forever.
E&D: If Foreign Film could live score a movie, what would you choose?
Jeff: I would want a drama; something with a love story that has heartbreak and emotion. I like writing stuff that has the most powerful emotions: love, grief, sadness, fear. I would love to play into that.
E&D: What have Will Haven got coming up that you can tell us about?
Jeff: We don’t have anything planned as of right now. We are just putting Will Haven on hold for a while until we are ready to create something. We are having fun with Foreign Film right now and have a lot of music we want to get out, so we will be doing this for a while. Will Haven might do a show if something comes up, but for now we are just focusing on this new project.
E&D: Has there ever been any consideration of Foreign Film and Will Haven coming together to make music?
Jeff: I’m sure we will have Grady on something in the future. We are still close friends and support each other and if the situation is right I would have him on something. I feel Foreign Film has some Will Haven elements in it, so we will never get away from that It would be fun to do a Foreign Film / Will Haven tour someday.
E&D: What have been some of your favourite memories with Will Haven?
Jeff: So many memories; just touring with my best friends, meeting a lot of my idols, touring with Deftones, Slipknot, Soufly, Neurosis… so many great bands and friends we have made. We have done more that I could have ever imagined. It feels like a different life but I still have the memories that I was there. Pretty proud of what we were and able to do, hopefully there are more to come.
