Krill answers 8 questions before opening Boston Calling on Saturday
With the release of the new album A Distant Fist Unclenching,attention from Rolling Stone, and a tour that will culminate at Boston Calling on Saturday, the Boston band Krill has already had a great 2015.
That’s not just a descriptor of geography, either: The city has been a key character for the trio of Jonah Furman (bass and vocals), Aaron Ratoff (guitar), and Ian Becker (drums). From the influence of author David Foster Wallace to write-ups by the Allston Pudding to the title of their 2014 EP, “Steve Hears Pile in Malden and Bursts into Tears,’’ local culture has been key to the band’s identity.
Eager to hear them hit the stage this weekend, we caught up with Furman via email about the highs and lows of touring, sources of inspiration, and mozzarella cheese.
How’s your tour been so far? Any funny (or horror) stories?
“It’s been good! Everything has been pretty smooth, and it’s been with friends the whole time [Speedy Ortiz & Warehouse & Two Inch Astronaut], so it’s been a good time. The tire blowout in rural Ohio on a Sunday evening was nearly a horror story, but the Krill gods shined down upon us. Kind of a hygiene horror story in general.’’
Where will you be coming from, and where are you going next?
“Boston Calling is actually the last stop, staying home for most of the rest of the summer, which will be nice and different. [Thursday we played in] New York City at Palisades with Warehouse, Big Ups, and Downies.’’
What’s your favorite thing about the Boston music scene? How has geography shaped you sonically, personally?
“Yeah I mean it’s really hard to pinpoint influence, but I distinctly remember going to a Kal Marks show, and Aaron and I decided to buy distortion pedals. Ovlov is a huge influence, so is Pile, and I think Fat History Month is the biggest one, both in terms of themes and ‘style.’ Speedy Ortiz, too, and almost everybody on Exploding in Sound [the band’s record label] has inspired an idea or another.
“I lived at the Whitehaus for about 10 months and in JP in general for two years, and that definitely got me listening to and being surrounded by more noise music…. So yeah the whole DIY community, both sonically and ethically, has had a huge influence on Krill.’’
What’s your ideal venue: Do you love a big stage and huge crowd, prefer tooling around with a few friends, or somewhere in between?
It’s kind of all about whether or not people are into it, and we’re into it, but I’d almost always say a house show is best. Something where people are there to take part in something rather than just consume something? But yeah most of my favorite show memories were houses or DIY spaces with under 100 people present. But everything has its own weird appeal.
There’s a sort of self-deprecation to your band, at least as far as I perceive (the song “Turd,’’ for example). The name of the band, too, has sort of a diminutive connotation. Where did this (the name) come from, and is the vibe you’re trying to put on?
“Eh, as Nardwuar says, ‘It’s just a dumb stupid name.’ It’s kind of a riff on a band Aaron and Ian were in in high school and vaguely nods toward an idea of smallness or minimalness that has sometimes guided us. I don’t know what vibe we’re trying to put on! I hope none of it is too put on.’’
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On that note, I’ve read that you’re big into David Foster Wallace…
“Yeah I’m hugely into DFW, or was, but I think I still am.’’
Would you want your lyrics to be explicated in the same way as a poem might be? Have you ever had the experience of fans thinking they know what a song is about, and it’s not what you actually intended?
“More than fans getting it wrong, I find meanings changing in my own mouth as I sing the words at shows. Some songs take months to reveal themselves to me, and songs have totally changed meaning after time. I don’t know what I want from listeners except that they follow their mandate of listening, and pay attention if they listen at all? I hope my meanings come across, but I also know that that’s not up to me.’’
In 2013, you offered a deluxe release of your album Lucky Leaves for $100, which came in the form of a USB stuffed in a ball of mozzarella cheese. So, would you say that’s your favorite cheese? What are your go-to snacks on tour?
Haha, I’m personally not much of a food guy. Tour is kind of a bodily hell, and I’m down with anything that doesn’t make me feel horrible. The mouth is a horrible engine that needs feeding.
Check out Boston Calling’s line-up:
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