Faker Interview, This Heart Attack, Tour, Stefan Gregory, Nathan Hudson

A freaky fear of twilight, that transitional time from light to dark, was the starting point for Faker's new album, Twilight. BB chats to Faker guitarist, Stefan Gregory, about the new album, their tour and life on the road

Faker are touring the country at the moment?
Yes, we started the tour on the 15 November and headed around the country. We didn't make it to the Northern Territory, unfortunately.

Your tour coincides with the release of your new album and we want to know all about it?
It's called Be the Twilight and it's our second album. We recorded in LA with a producer called Paul Fox, who's a fantastic veteran of the producing world. He's produced a lot of bands that have had a lot of success including the Sugarcubes, They Might Be Giants and Ten Thousand Maniacs. We spent two and a half months in LA and mixed the album with Mark Needham, who mixed The Killers album and we're very excited about it.

It's called Be the Twilight and there's a bit of a story behind the name of the album. Is it true that the lead singer of Faker is scared of the twilight?
Yes, the whole band insisted that we name the album after the twilight just to annoy him really.

Why is he scared of the twilight? Did something happen to him when he was a small child or something?
A lot of strange things happened to Nathan as a small child and if you meet him you will realise this. I'm quite fond of that time of day, actually. I find it a really beautiful time of day. I think it's a time between light and dark so it's a time of transformation and a time of change. I think if you want to take the name of the album that way then one of its themes is the acceptance of change and embracing new things. Twilight represents that.

The album has been described as eclectic chaotic dance-ability paired with modern complexity. How would you sum up the sound of the album?
It's an exciting rock album with some great pop songs on it. In terms of the last album, I think it's a bit more refined and a bit more mature. The message is clearer and the music is more exciting, I hope.

There must be some expectation and some anticipation from your fans. How do you feel in the lead up to the release?
I hope the fans will like it.

This Heart Attack has already been released, how have you gauged the reaction to the first single off your new album?
Well, it's been picked up by JJJ and most of the Nova stations and it's had a really good response so far but it's just been released so hopefully it will get more of a response. We're having a hard time deciding what the next single will be. There are quite a lot of great songs to choose from which is a nice position to be in.

What's life like on the road for Faker?
We've traveled the country in all sorts of modes of transport over the years. There's been everything from 12-seater vans with trailers, cramped in sweaty vinyl back seats with ACDC pumping, to flying economy class on Qantas all over the country. I don't know how we're going to do it this time, it all depends on how much money we have in the bank. It's really fun when you're out on the road and you're driving about, it's a great experience to get out there and actually see places.

Do you all get cabin fever at any time with the other band mates?
Not on the road so much. You do when you're in LA for two and a half months and you're staying in a small flat and you're seeing them every single day and every single night.

Some quick questionsâ€¦

City or country?
City for now but country for retirement.

Surf or snow?
Surf