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| Sunday, June 07, 2009
Music > Interview with Future of Forestry's Eric Owyoung Turning Jibberish Into HonestyWriter : Hannah Teoh Hannah conducts an email conversation with Eric Owyoung, lead singer of indie band Future of Forestry about the song-writing process behind their latest EP, and what it's like to work with a band that has a revolving door of different members.  Eric OwyoungEric : It is a CS Lewis Poem called "The Future of Forestry" that for the most part had a really cool ring to it. Over time, I've begun to appreciate the meaning of the poem ; it describes a time in the future when all the trees of the forest are cut down and the children no longer know what a tree is. Metaphorically, it is a lot like the kids of our time not knowing what a nice hike is like or a few moments of silence and peace away from the internet. Hannah : How did you come up with the concept of Travel? Eric : The chorus from ‘Traveler’s Song’ says ‘If you travel here you will feel it all, the brightest and the darkest. If you travel here, listen to your heart and take with you what lasts forever.’ The last few years of my life brought so many unexpected changes, some of them painful and some of them beautiful (Note: One such event was moving into a new home, setting up a home studio, then suddenly having to move out and look for a new home after a month because their landlord ran into housing issues). The album ‘Travel’ is my poetic narrative of learning how to listen to my heart and embracing what really matters. After writing Traveler’s Song, my wife and I came up with the idea of having each EP represent a mode of travel: air, sea and land. It opened up an entirely new, visually creative element with airplanes, ships and cars. Hannah : Why release a set of 3 EPs rather than a 10 to 12 track album? Eric : Typically, an artist does a full length album and then waits about 2 years before releasing any new material (it's been 2 years since the previous album "Twilight"). In this case, doing 6 song EPs enable me to release 6 songs every 4 months. It is a lot more fun for me because I am making music constantly throughout the year, and more fun for the fans because they get something new more often. Hannah : Could you describe the creative process of putting together a song? Eric : It's a very fluid process. Sometimes, there are lyrics that inspire. Sometimes, it is a guitar riff or a drum pattern. Sometimes I sing jibberish and later it turns into words. I use a lot of different instruments to write, but I lean a lot on bass lines to help me steer the harmonic progressions of the songs. Hannah : Future of Forestry is unique because it doesn't seem to have a permanent band lineup. There have been different musicians working on the album and two EPs. Why is this so? Eric : I've always been the songwriter and coordinator of the group. I like to look at myself as the "conductor" of the ensemble. I like for the focus of the band to be the music too, not the musicians (myself included). Touring is fun this way because depending on the season, I can hire different instrumentalists. The last tour we did was with a cellist from Austin. The process of music making doesn't get locked into any personalities or skills. It's wide open to whoever can offer the music requirement at that season. This kind of arrangement makes it fun and organic. In the end, I can't pull the live show or the studio process off by myself. I'm always collaborating with other musicians, so it's never just me. Hannah : Your faith and your relationship with God play an important part in your music. What do you do to nurture and strengthen your relationship with God? Eric : The best thing I do is just spend time with him and talk to him throughout my day. Realising how much He loves me has helped me to stop leaning on my own efforts or "brownie points" to earn points with God. I'm learning to just enjoy His presence, because He is always there for a wonderful chat about anything whether its funny, or strange, or serious. Hannah : What kind of responses have you been getting from people who listen to FOF's music? Eric : Probably the most common theme I hear from listeners is that they appreciate the honesty in the music. That honesty has always been very intentional. I can't stand faking it, or making music just to sell. I am always compelled that the most valuable thing we have to offer is an honest sharing of our story. The songs I write are true to what is really happening in my life, and that honesty offers something for people to relate to on a lot of levels.
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