Chris Farren of Fake Problems is the latest artist to record an acoustic session for Space Jam Sessions.

He performed a rendition of the band’s ‘Grand Finale’ track, taken from their 2010 record ‘Real Ghosts Caught On Tape’. Farren also premiered a brand new solo-track entitled ‘Eagle Eyes’.

‘Grand Finale’

‘Eagle Eyes’

Chris Farren: Chris Farren! Singer, guitar player
.

PT: Where in the world are you and what are you doing today?


Chris Farren: We’re in Hanover, Germany, gearing up to play a show. We’re one week away from going home, so our morale is pretty high and we’re all in a relaxed mode.
 


PT: We last caught up with you guys back in March. How has the year been progressing for you guys since then?


Chris Farren: It’s been very well. We’ve toured a bunch – with Murder By Death, William Elliott Whitmore, and other great bands.



PT: You’re on tour in Europe at the moment. How have the shows been going? Any crazy tour stories to share?


Chris Farren: The shows have been really fun. We’ve done some stuff with Chuck Ragan, Broadway Calls and the Polar Bear Club – all seriously great bands. I’ve been making a video diary of the shows that you can find on our Myspace/Facebook pages. Those really sum up the “crazy moments”, like meeting Jello Biafra. Hilarious!



PT: What does the average Fake Problems live show entail for those who have never seen you before?


Chris Farren: A lot of rock, and a whole lot of roll.



PT: How do the crowds on mainland Europe compare to the crowds at shows in the UK or the US? Do you notice much of a difference?


Chris Farren: It really depends – I find mainlanders are a bit more reserved, while the UK tends to get a little wild – and US is sometimes absurd.
 


PT: What’s your favourite place in the world to play and why?


Chris Farren: Oh so many to name! I love Zurich Switzerland, Boston Mass, Los Angeles CA, New York City NY, Chicago IL, Birmingham AL… there’s just so many! All for different reasons – but mainly because people like us in those places, and I like people who like me.



PT: You were over here a few weeks back for the Reading & Leeds Festivals. What was your experience of those festivals like?


Chris Farren: Reading was amazing! Leeds was pretty swell too, but Reading practically blew my mind. We played in front of SO many people it was ridiculous, and we hung with a lot of our American brethren, like the Flatliners. Actually the Flatliners are Canadian. Our North American brethren, I should say. 



PT: You also played down in Brighton while over in the UK. I live in Brighton. It’s lovely isn’t it? Did you have a nice time by the sea?


Chris Farren: SUCH a good time! I had such a good time I bought a hat. A ten pound hat.

PT: What is the soundtrack to the Fake Problems tourbus? What music are you rocking out to between shows when you’re on the road?


Chris Farren: We’ve been blasting a lot of the new Future of the Left record lately. Our driver, Christoph, plays a lot of German rap. Ugh.



PT: When you’re over in our part of the world do you check out much of the UK scene? Any bands you’ve discovered while over here?


Chris Farren: I never knew how freaking famously huge Kings of Leon were until we came over here. I know they’re an American band, but being in the UK really opened my eyes to their popularity.



PT: After the Frank Turner tour it looks like you guys have some time off. Are you guys taking a break over Christmas? How do Fake Problems like to spend the festive period?


Chris Farren: We’re touring the states in December with Thursday and Dillinger Escape Plan, and then taking a month or so off to write and record. We just nestle up with our families and try to avoid loud rock and roll bars.



PT: You’re releasing ‘Diamond Rings’ as a single – the video looks like it was a hell of a lot of fun to make. What was the shoot for that like? How much input did you get on the creative side of it? Did you end up having a paint fight with all the neon paint? I bet you did.


Chris Farren: Our idea was to have wacky paint on under black lights – the rest was the director, Josh Mikel’s idea. He’s a great friend of ours – he plays in a band called Look Mexico. They’re AMAZING.



PT: What does 2010 hold in store for Fake Problems? Are you guys looking that far ahead yet?


Chris Farren: A new record, and a hundred thousand shows.



PT: Thanks for your time. Anything you’d like to add?


Chris Farren: HOORAY FOR THE WORLD!

PT: Hello! Who am I speaking to and what do you do in Fake Problems?

Chris Farren: My name is Chris and I play the guitar and sing in Fake Problems.

PT: Where are you in the world and what are you up to today?

CF: Today we are in sunny Naples, FL. Today is our day of preparation for our short journey to SXSW in Texas. Getting our merch together, rehearsing, packing, etc etc.

PT: How’s the weather where you are? It’s raining here.

CF: SUNNY AS HELL

PT: Right, the new record – “It’s great to be alive”. Tell me five reasons you think it’s great to be alive.

CF: Hmmm. Okay,
1. Our new record is finally out.
2. We’re going to SXSW to see some amazing bands – M. Ward, Cursive, The Hold Steady, Cancer Bats, Matt & Kim, Look Mexico, etc etc etc,
3. We’re going on tour with the Riverboat Gamblers right after that
4. We’re going on tour with William Elliott Whitmore right after the RBG tour
5. Because we’re all best friends havin’ a great time during all of that!

PT: What was the writing and recording process like for this album? Was it an album written on the road? How long a journey has it been from the first songs getting written to finally getting it out there?

CF: The songs were all written at home – I have a serious problem with not being able to write songs on tour. The first song written for the record was “There are Times”, which was written sometime around January 07. The last was “Too Cold To Hold” which was penned I think early April 08. We drove to Omaha, NE to shape our record with amazing producer AJ Mogis (Cursive, The Faint, Planes Mistaken for Stars). We went in with a really specific scope of what we wanted – with sheet music for the horn and string arrangements, every auxiliary instrument in hand, and notes for every song.

PT: What experiences shaped the lyrics on ‘it’s great to be Alive’?

CF: Every day life really. Something I think is a positive aspect of not being able to write songs on tour is that there are no songs about tour. I’m sick of songs about being in a band, songs about being on the road. It’s so boring.

PT: It’s an album that expands a multitude of genres – what bands or musicians have influenced your sound on the album?

CF: The Hold Steady, T. Rex, Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint, Weakerthans, Brand New, M. Ward

PT: What are your favourite songs off of ‘It’s Great to be Alive’ and why?

CF: My favorite song remains “There Are Times”, mainly because of the horn and string arrangements at the end. Our best friend Matt Agrella, of the band Look Mexico, arranged a plethora of beautiful sounds on a lot of the songs. He’s the best.

PT: How do you translate the songs live? There’s a whole mix of strings, horns and orchestral instruments in there, do you bring other musicians on the road with you?

CF: We’re working on getting extra people to come with us. Right now we’re practicing with a cello/mandolin player and it’s going great! We’d like to have a horn section if we can find the right people.

PT: In your opinion, how does ‘It’s Great to be Alive’ compare with ‘How Far Our Bodies Go’, lyrically and musically? How different are you as band now than when your previous album came out?

CF: The main difference is “How Far” was really such an improvised record. We had the basics of the songs written, but we really did a lot of screwing around with them in the studio. With “Alive”, we knew exactly what we wanted for every song – we had such a precise idea of where these songs would end up, how they would sound, how the should sound. Lyrically I’d like to think I’ve just gotten better at it – learning over the years of writing songs what works and what doesn’t. What connects and what alienates.

PT: You’ve released ‘The Dream Team’ as a single – the video looks like it was a hell of a lot of fun to make. What was the shoot for that like? How much input did you get on the creative side of it?

CF: Isaiah Seret was the mastermind behind the video – he’s done a lot of great work for other artists as well. We flew him down and shot the whole thing in Derek’s backyard. It actually was just a crazy party that we got on film.

PT: Right, you’ve announced some dates in the UK for October. Firstly, why do we have to wait so damn long?! Any chance you’ll be making appearance at any festivals on our shores this Summer?

CF: We’re hoping to come out for Reading & Leeds, but we’ll have to wait and see. We really love the UK, so much.

PT: Those October dates will be with Frank Turner. Are you guys fans of his?

CF: SUPER FANS! My friend Jeremy in California gave me a CD-R of “This guy I saw open for Jonah” and I was blown away. Casey Lee, our guitar player, loved it so much he released it on vinyl on his record label! So we brought Frank over twice and toured around with him the states, and now he’s returning the favor. Luckily for us, he’s a lot bigger in the UK than we are in the US.

PT: You were over here not so long ago playing a few dates with All Or Nothing. What do you like/dislike about touring the UK? How different is life on the road for a band here than in the States?

CF: You guys never turn on your heaters at your houses when it’s cold. I recall almost freezing to death in someone’s living room. Turn your heaters on! If you have a heater, and it’s cold – make it hot.

PT: You’re a band renowned for their long stints on tour. What do you miss most when on tour for long periods and what do you do to keep yourselves busy on the road?

CF: We watch/download a lot of TV shows and keep our minds stimulated through that. It’s only hard the first few weeks of not sleeping in your own bed, not being able to have any real free will, missing loved ones – but you get in the swing of it after awhile and if you love what you do, you’ll appreciate your time on the road.

PT: Finally, what are you most excited about in 2009? What are your musical predictions for the coming year?

CF: I’m excited to go on many tours and interested to see our growth as a band and what kind of new songs we come up with. I also hope to tour with THE HOLD STEADY.

PT: Thanks for your time, anything you’d like to add?

CF: Thank you! We really, really appreciate it!!!

PT: Hello! Who am I speaking to and what do you do in Fake Problems?

Chris Farren: My name is Chris and I play the guitar and sing in Fake Problems.

PT: Where are you in the world and what are you up to today?

CF: Today we are in sunny Naples, FL. Today is our day of preparation for our short journey to SXSW in Texas. Getting our merch together, rehearsing, packing, etc etc.

PT: How’s the weather where you are? It’s raining here.

CF: SUNNY AS HELL

PT: Right, the new record – “It’s great to be alive”. Tell me five reasons you think it’s great to be alive.

CF: Hmmm. Okay,
1. Our new record is finally out.
2. We’re going to SXSW to see some amazing bands – M. Ward, Cursive, The Hold Steady, Cancer Bats, Matt & Kim, Look Mexico, etc etc etc,
3. We’re going on tour with the Riverboat Gamblers right after that
4. We’re going on tour with William Elliott Whitmore right after the RBG tour
5. Because we’re all best friends havin’ a great time during all of that!

PT: What was the writing and recording process like for this album? Was it an album written on the road? How long a journey has it been from the first songs getting written to finally getting it out there?

CF: The songs were all written at home – I have a serious problem with not being able to write songs on tour. The first song written for the record was “There are Times”, which was written sometime around January 07. The last was “Too Cold To Hold” which was penned I think early April 08. We drove to Omaha, NE to shape our record with amazing producer AJ Mogis (Cursive, The Faint, Planes Mistaken for Stars). We went in with a really specific scope of what we wanted – with sheet music for the horn and string arrangements, every auxiliary instrument in hand, and notes for every song.

PT: What experiences shaped the lyrics on ‘it’s great to be Alive’?

CF: Every day life really. Something I think is a positive aspect of not being able to write songs on tour is that there are no songs about tour. I’m sick of songs about being in a band, songs about being on the road. It’s so boring.

PT: It’s an album that expands a multitude of genres – what bands or musicians have influenced your sound on the album?

CF: The Hold Steady, T. Rex, Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint, Weakerthans, Brand New, M. Ward

PT: What are your favourite songs off of ‘It’s Great to be Alive’ and why?

CF: My favorite song remains “There Are Times”, mainly because of the horn and string arrangements at the end. Our best friend Matt Agrella, of the band Look Mexico, arranged a plethora of beautiful sounds on a lot of the songs. He’s the best.

PT: How do you translate the songs live? There’s a whole mix of strings, horns and orchestral instruments in there, do you bring other musicians on the road with you?

CF: We’re working on getting extra people to come with us. Right now we’re practicing with a cello/mandolin player and it’s going great! We’d like to have a horn section if we can find the right people.

PT: In your opinion, how does ‘It’s Great to be Alive’ compare with ‘How Far Our Bodies Go’, lyrically and musically? How different are you as band now than when your previous album came out?

CF: The main difference is “How Far” was really such an improvised record. We had the basics of the songs written, but we really did a lot of screwing around with them in the studio. With “Alive”, we knew exactly what we wanted for every song – we had such a precise idea of where these songs would end up, how they would sound, how the should sound. Lyrically I’d like to think I’ve just gotten better at it – learning over the years of writing songs what works and what doesn’t. What connects and what alienates.

PT: You’ve released ‘The Dream Team’ as a single – the video looks like it was a hell of a lot of fun to make. What was the shoot for that like? How much input did you get on the creative side of it?

CF: Isaiah Seret was the mastermind behind the video – he’s done a lot of great work for other artists as well. We flew him down and shot the whole thing in Derek’s backyard. It actually was just a crazy party that we got on film.

PT: Right, you’ve announced some dates in the UK for October. Firstly, why do we have to wait so damn long?! Any chance you’ll be making appearance at any festivals on our shores this Summer?

CF: We’re hoping to come out for Reading & Leeds, but we’ll have to wait and see. We really love the UK, so much.

PT: Those October dates will be with Frank Turner. Are you guys fans of his?

CF: SUPER FANS! My friend Jeremy in California gave me a CD-R of “This guy I saw open for Jonah” and I was blown away. Casey Lee, our guitar player, loved it so much he released it on vinyl on his record label! So we brought Frank over twice and toured around with him the states, and now he’s returning the favor. Luckily for us, he’s a lot bigger in the UK than we are in the US.

PT: You were over here not so long ago playing a few dates with All Or Nothing. What do you like/dislike about touring the UK? How different is life on the road for a band here than in the States?

CF: You guys never turn on your heaters at your houses when it’s cold. I recall almost freezing to death in someone’s living room. Turn your heaters on! If you have a heater, and it’s cold – make it hot.

PT: You’re a band renowned for their long stints on tour. What do you miss most when on tour for long periods and what do you do to keep yourselves busy on the road?

CF: We watch/download a lot of TV shows and keep our minds stimulated through that. It’s only hard the first few weeks of not sleeping in your own bed, not being able to have any real free will, missing loved ones – but you get in the swing of it after awhile and if you love what you do, you’ll appreciate your time on the road.

PT: Finally, what are you most excited about in 2009? What are your musical predictions for the coming year?

CF: I’m excited to go on many tours and interested to see our growth as a band and what kind of new songs we come up with. I also hope to tour with THE HOLD STEADY.

PT: Thanks for your time, anything you’d like to add?

CF: Thank you! We really, really appreciate it!!!