The FRATELLIS Chat With All Access About Their New Album, “Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied” and Old Memories!

The Fratellis are made up of Jon Fratelli (vocals/guitar), Mince Fratelli (drums/vocals) and Barry Fratelli (bass/shouting). And no, they aren’t brothers! 🙂

Their biggest songs have been the Top 10 hit singles “Chelsea Dagger” and “Whistle For The Choir”. They have released four albums: “Costello Music”(2006), “Here We Stand”(2008), “We Need Medicine” (2013) and “Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied” released last month.

The recording Process for “Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied” has been quite a saga for the band – They recorded a full album of demos in 2013 and left right afterward for tour. Almost as soon as they came off the road they decamped to LA, and the ever-rigorous, ever-prolific front-man Jon promptly ditched most of the songs he’d written a few months previously.

Lear more about that process and their favorite memories on the road in the following All Access interview with Jon:

Thank you for your time! What else do you have on tap today besides this interview? What’s a typical day look for you lately?

Of course! Wel, I’m not sure I have a typical day, if it’s a gig day it’s all about that, if not then time seems to take care of itself one way or another

Can you remember the moment when you three decided to start this group? Why do you all think you work well together? What other band names were you considering? 

We met through adverts placed in a music shop window in Glasgow and from the first rehearsal, it was obvious that things would work out, as to why I have absolutely no idea and have never tried to work it out. I’m just happy that it did. We’d chosen the band name when we met up in a bar for the first time before we’d even played a note of music.

Can you talk about the process of putting together “Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied”? Why were most of the original songs written for it not used in the final product? 

They just hadn’t been the right songs at the right time. We just had to wait until we had the right songs before even thinking about recording them, if you have the right songs and the right producer then it’s really quite easy from that point.

How do you think the band’s overall sound and style has changed since your debut release “Costello Music”? Has your general songwriting process changed through the years? 

It’s hard for me to tell to be honest, I get the feeling it’s changed beyond all recognition yet not at all.

In the next few months you will be touring the US, Canada and Europe. Where are you most looking forward to playing at? What have been some of your favorite shows already? How do you keep up the energy night after night? 

My favourite place to play is anywhere anyone wants to see us and any place where the band and the audience catch fire, there’s never any rhyme or reason to that.

Do you have any pre-performance rituals? 

Not really, the gig is the easiest part of the day, there seems to be a lot of cigarettes being smoked though

Is it hard being away from your family and friends back home when you are out the road touring and promoting a record? 

It’s just something you get used to, with young kids maybe that’s tougher but we have the best job for people like us!

What was the inspiration for your latest single, “Baby Don’t You Lie To Me”?

I was just trying to fit a lot of chord changes into the shortest time possible, plus we’re all liars to some degree…

What musicians have consistently inspired you and the band’s music? Who would you love to work with in the future?

Mine are the same old names, Dylan, Springsteen… as for working with other people that happens or it doesn’t, playing with anyone who you connect with is enough for me

What do you hope listeners take away from your music? Is there a general feeling or message you’d like fans to take away from listening to your music?

I’m a terrible salesman, People will react or they won’t though I’m more than happy when they do as it gives us an audience to play to and to make records for.

Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know about you or your music?

The music we play is written and played for it’s own sake but we’re only a band when we have an audience, in that sense it’s more about them than us, when that relationship happens it speaks for itself really, we can only do what we do and hope that some people connect with it, that they do is still a thrill.

Here’s The Fratellis Fall Tour Line-Up: