DeadJournalist.com Exclusive Interviews
Film School

EXCLUSIVE Interview: Film School
Chuck Norton, DeadJournalist.com
11.03.06

It's easy to get lost in "Sick of the Shame" by Film School because if you listen to the song with your eyes closed, the band will take you on a six and a half minute journey deep into your own imagination.

A band able to produce that depth of sound doesn't form over night. And Film School didn't. The band as spent five years together crafting well-thought lyrics and wondering, ethereal melodies.

Krayg Burton started Film School in 2001, recording seven songs for MeToo! Records. Within a few months, he had added fellow musician Nyles Lannon (who was also working on his own solo projects) and Jason Ruck to the band and released the debut LP, Brilliant Career.

The San Francisco-based band followed their 2003 EP, Always Never, with their second full length album entitled, Film School, which was released in January 2006.

Now signed to Beggars Banquet Worldwide, the band is comprised of Burton (lead vocals, guitar), Lannon (guitar, vocals), Justin LaBo (bass), Donny Newenhouse (drums) and Ruck (keyboard). Film School is currently in the studio working on their next album.

For more information on Film School, visit their Web site www.filmschoolmusic.com or their MySpace.com page www.myspace.com/filmschool.

DeadJournalist.com brings you this exclusive interview with Krayg Burton of Film School.

You and Nyles recorded the soundtrack for a series of short films with Demetri Martin. How did that come about?

KB: Kinda randomly. Our manager knew a group who was working on the films with Demetri and asked if we'd be interested. We didn't know Demetri, nor he us, but the people putting this together thought we'd be a good match. I didn't know too much about Demetri's work, but the more I listened the more I wanted to be involved.

Did you enjoy working on a film-based project?

KB: It was great. I had some weird image in my head that film scoring involved working in a "pro" studio with dimmed lights and several workstation keyboards and complicated software all synched to a screen. I guess that's how some films are done, but it wasn't like that at all for us.

We worked in a small studio in San Francisco where a lot of old blues players recorded back in the day. We'd check out a scene and then Demetri would throw out some ideas and we'd all run with them, grabbing a guitar or a glockenspiel or a mini yamaha keyboard as needed.

Demetri sent us a toy glock as a thank you present, which will surely make an appearance on the next Film School album.

Last year the band toured Europe with the Rodgers Sisters in the UK and The National in several European countries. How was the response of the audience in Europe to your music?

KB: Overall I think it was good. Because our album hadn't been released yet there were lots of people who had never heard of us; so each night we had to prove ourselves in some ways. The nights that went well would keep our spirits up. I think that's how it is for most bands when they start out. The National and The Rogers Sisters were both really supportive and encouraging and made it fun regardless.

In Liverpool someone shouted, "You fucking suck!" in the middle of the set. We heard later that a Killing Joke concert had just gotten out upstairs and some Joke fans had filtered in.

Obviously they weren't aware that Killing Joke are huge fans of Film School.

What stands out most about that tour?

KB: The cooking. Each club we showed up at in Europe had their own cook and they'd prepare a meal for the entire group. Before the show got started, everyone would sit together (the bands, the promoters, the sound people and the staff) and have a "family-style" meal. And this happened in every single venue every night, whether it was in Brussels or Berlin or Stockholm.

You're lucky if you get a couple drink tickets in some of the clubs in the US.

Now that Film School’s second LP, Film School, has been out for ten months, has the success of the album matched or exceeded your expectations?

KB: I didn't expect too much when we released the album. Not because I didn't believe in the music, but because we released it at the height of the punk disco craze and we weren't going for that at all.

So when we heard that it was doing well I felt pretty good. It's funny that we're getting more people writing in now than ever so that seems like a good sign, but you never know what's going to happen in music.

Are you in the process of recording a new album? If so, when do you expect it to be released?

KB: We are. It should be finished by the end of the year, but not sure when it'll be released.

Is the song-writing process a collaborative process with other members of the band?

KB: For this next album it's partly collaboration, partly songs that we write on our own and then work out when we're together. We live in different cities now so we're experimenting with the songwriting process.

I've written some complete songs and then meet up with the others to go over the parts and make the necessary changes. On another song Nyles came up with some ideas and we built it into a song together.

One way or another we're all involved in the final piece.

What influences you most as a songwriter?

KB: Breaking up and getting back together.

Who inspires you most as an artist?

KB: The Dreamers.

What were you listening to in 1996?

KB: Space Needle, SeeFeel and the Sea and Cake.