Hi, everyone! I've been exchanging interview questions with Matt Rogers, the frontman of the band Fleece. Though the band originally established at Montreal's Concordia University, Rogers' group has since moved over to Toronto. I first discovered these guys on my Discover Weekly a couple years ago, and have been a fan of their music since then. These guys actually got their first taste of fame in a bizarre way, which we'll talk about during the interview. We talk fame, as well as Matt's high school band and his secret "anxiety medicine."
bazzreviews: Which albums or artists inspired you to want to start a music career in the first place?
Matt Rogers: There are a few I can think of off the top of my head. First, probably Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear. I think I’m not alone when I say a lot of the Beatles’ discography, and bands like Avenue Q.
br: How did you meet the other members of the band?
M.R.: We all met through school, Concordia University in Montreal. I knew Ethan beforehand from childhood, but Megan and I lived together in residence. Jameson met Ethan through the music program he’s in
br: What is the significance behind the band’s name?
M.R.: Originally it was just a name. It was one word and it sounded nice. Now I think I like it a little more because it describes our music a little bit better- a warm, fuzzy vibe.
br: Tell me a little bit about your band before Fleece, Darbus Fridge?
M.R.: Darbus Fridge was me in the closet becoming a rockstar. In all seriousness, it was just me and my friends in high school having fun, playing battles of the bands around town. Ethan really pushed us to play all of these shows, and I’m glad he did. Getting those experiences with Darbus at a pretty ripe age allowed me to feel super comfortable on stage when Fleece plays.
br: Also, can you go into a little bit more detail about Peppermint Halo?
M.R.: What a random question, I’m surprised you heard about that! Let me tell you that it feels so good. I’m not sure if you all know what Tiger Balm is, but that’s pretty much what Peppermint Halo is. It’s my anxiety medicine. Put a little bit on your body, it gets rid of headaches and makes you feel nice and cold.
br: Before you guys had a big music career, you also had a hit YouTube video parodying Alt-J- where did the idea for that video come from?
M.R.: A lot of people might think the video was planned, but it was actually thought of on-the-spot. My keyboard wasn’t working when we were trying to record, so Ethan and I started playing with my looper pedal and I was just singing. I was like, “hey, this kind of sounds like Alt-J.” I didn’t realize how weird the video was until we actually uploaded it.
br: How did you react to the success the video had?
M.R.: To be honest, it was scary at first. We went to a Tame Impala show right after it went viral, and we got recognized by a bunch of people. It was super crazy, because we were famous, but also not famous. I don’t know if being famous comes from one video on YouTube. But, I digress. It’s been great though, it’s certainly helped Fleece flourish and survive as a band.
br: I’ve heard the live show is a big part of the band’s image, would you say that you prefer playing live over working in the studio?
M.R.: Even though I kind of touched on the importance of live shows earlier on, I’m not sure how the other members would respond to this question, but I definitely prefer the studio. It’s my favorite part. I love playing shows, too, but sometimes touring can be a lot of work and there are a lot more variables in the mix. For example, you don’t know how well your turnouts will be on a night-to-night basis. Some nights, you might be playing in front of a packed crowd, others, it might be a little on the emptier side. I feel like I have control in the studio. It’s a magical place where I can go with my best friends where we have fun and do what we love. I think some of my favorite bands which we have played with are probably Born Ruffians and Tokyo Police Club. They took us on their tours across North America and they were such fun, lovely people. We got to play to huge crowds who had never heard of us, which was the best.
br: Can you describe the band’s process for making songs?
M.R.: Definitely! I’ll usually bring in some chords and a melody idea, then everyone else “Fleeces” the song to make it one complete idea. A lot that happens on the spot in the practice room, and lyrics get finished as the songs continue. A lot that “Fleecifying” happens on the spot in the practice room, and lyrics get finished as we get other aspects nailed down.
br: What’s more important to you- lyricism, or production value and instrumentation?
M.R.: Since you’re asking me this question now, it would be all three. If you had asked me this question in the past at some point, I would have said only instrumentation and production. I think the overall sound is what I prefer to start with, and then I like to get the lyrics going within the mood of the song that’s created.
br: What have been some of your favorite songs to have made over the years? Are there any fun stories behind them?
M.R.: I liked writing “On My Mind” a lot. We wrote that wanting to make a hit. It was actually written on FaceTime, funny enough. We taught our guitarists in Toronto who were with Ethan the parts on camera and it really came together. I also like the new songs we’re working on a lot. They’re more collaborative than the ones on Voyager, and that makes me happy that we’re reaching out to work with new people.
br: If you could rewrite or delete any song in your discography, what would it be and why?
M.R.: Maybe “Narcozep.” I don’t relate to the lyrics or vibe of that song anymore, but I wouldn’t delete it simply because it’s a part of our history.
br: Knowing everything you do now about music, what is one thing you’d go back to tell your past self?
M.R.: I would say that you have to make songs for other people as much as you make them for yourself. Making songs that only appeal to me is boring. Make songs that can bring people together, make people happy, etc. I think I learned that pretty quickly, though.
br: Do you guys have any projects in the works right now?
M.R.: We’re all working on a record right now, which is taking up a lot of our time! We are releasing a few other singles in between now and then- “Upside Down” actually just came out! So, get excited for all of that.
br: What music goals do you have for the future?
M.R.: I have a project called “It’s Matt” which will come out soon-ish. There’s another collab I have going called Honda Girls, too. I work in production now, too, so I record, mix and produce for musicians. Focusing on that and Fleece full time is a hustle, but I can’t imagine myself doing anything else right now.
I'd like to thank Matt for sitting down for this interview, I wish him and the band the best of luck going forward. Be sure to go check out their new single!
Before I wrap this up, I'd also like to make an announcement about thew new bazzreviews Discord. I mentioned it in the most recent bazzcast, and I want to get some people together to discuss music and other future content for bazzreviews. I feel like I've tried to make myself available to "fans," so to speak, but I'm excited to see where this will go. If this is something you're interested in you can access the link to it through my Instagram bio (@bazzreviews). If you don't have social media accounts, here's the link: https://discord.gg/jGFdaGR
In the meantime, hope you guys are all doing well and staying safe. See you around for the next post!
To hear Fleece's new single, head on over to https://open.spotify.com/artist/3M8JKaNdIRChzvxVK1XxKm
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