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Strange Glue Showcase: Foxy Shazam! Interview and Music

22nd August 2007 | by Aidan Williamson

"I never enjoy reading descriptions or comparisons, I feel they rarely do the band justice..." says Cincinnati's Foxy Shazam! vocalist Eric Nally. He might want to look away now.

Pulling in influences from all over the last five decades of music, Foxy create a truly one of a kind sound, breathlessly veering from punk, to heavy metal, to soul, to indie, to surf rock with more than a few stops at every other conceivable type of music in-between.

The most apt description perhaps might be to imagine a seven car pile-up in the middle of a carnival, then you're somewhat on the way to imaging their unique sound.

Currently working hard on their follow-up to 2005's “The Flamingo Trigger” - which is expected around January 2008 - the boys are more than a bit vague as to what we can expect from them. "[It will be called] 'Introducing FOXYshazam'....this album will be more direct centre for Foxy..as opposed to our first album 'The Flamingo Trigger' that was so far left and right."

Consisting of Eric Nally (vocals), Loren Turner (guitar), Sky White (piano/keyboard), Daisy (bass) and Joe (drums) Foxy self-released their first album, and look set to do the same with their second, although they recently signed a management deal with Piermont Records (which is run by Number 12 Looks Like You front-man Jesse Korman), speaking about the deal Loren said “that's all we really wanted at the time was for them to manage us. At the time we were doin everything that a small label would do so it just made for sense to have a manager...they're awesome guys.”

"Our main goal as a band is just to go down in history, and be remembered...forever. And go in the rock hall of fame." A place currently occupied by such personalities as The Bee Gee's, The Jackson Five, Ike Turner and Black Sabbath. Visions of a bizarre Futurama style head in a jar museum enter into Strange Glue's head, and we wonder what on earth they would do there. “[We'd talk about] how good the restaurant chipotle is and what's to come on the next season of Lost”. They are also happy to offer up the 'anti-goals' that bands should never aspire to: “killing people, doing lots of drugs, trying to hook up with every girl at a show, spending more time trying to get signed instead of building a fan base.”

It's certainly tricky trying to discern when Foxy are being serious, when questioned about what inspires their lyrics Eric insists they are “about an island that I made up, called Limousine Door.” regardless though, they still espouse an almost trademark wit and absurbity. This is perhaps best exemplified on the track “NO! Don't Shoot” which opens with the proclamation “He said breath in / Love is good to you / I can't say the same for me though / SMILE!!!! / Because love is good to you” only to end with something along the lines of “She turns to me and says the six words I'll remember for the rest of my life... eee ooo aah biggity biggity boo.” we kid you not.

Now here's the remainder of the interview which we were unable to subtly weave into the preceding paragraphs.

Strange Glue!: “When are you coming to the U.K to play for us? And for the uninitiated, how would you describe your shows?”
Foxy Shazam!: Hopefully very soon! As for our shows [they are] very passionate and soulful"

Strange Glue!: “One live review said that you, quote: 'Leave your mark at venues everywhere!', isn't that a bit unhygienic?”
Foxy Shazam!: “We would never be unhygenic..they're just referring to some scratches we left on there floor when we were loading in our equipment. We got in big trouble for that.”

Strange Glue!: “What did your parents think about your music the first time they heard it?”
Foxy Shazam!: "They loved it.we all have very supportive parents, in fact, we seem to be quite a hit in the parent crowd..a lot of our fans have told us their moms and dads like Foxy."

And with the rather odd goodbye proclamation of “Don't die on us” Strange Glue wonders what tragedies have befallen previous interviewers of the band, at least there's an ocean between us, although it seems unlikely that anything could stop Foxy Shazam! if they put their minds to it. Five star cheese ending people.... now stop reading and start listening, provided ever so kindly to us by the band for your consumption are the tracks “NO! Don't Shoot” and “Seagulls Over Rhinosauras Bay”, both taken from the debut album “The Flamingo Trigger”.

Track 1: NO! Don't Shoot

Track 2: Seagulls Over Rhinosaurus Bay

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