Short Interview with L.A. noise artists - HEALTH

Nashville is a quickly growing alternative rock scene, expanding beyond the traditional country and blues forms it is known for. Nationally known alternative acts such as Ghostland Observatory, Ben Kweller, and The Kings of Leon have scheduled fall dates in Nashville. Less than an hour away from Bowling Green, Nashville can offer a live taste of the national alternative music scene. This fall on October 31 at the Sommet Center, Nine Inch Nails will perform with L.A. noise rock band Health.

Health is a four person band comprised of Benjamin Jared Miller, Jake Duzsik, John Famiglietti, and Jupiter Keyes. Miller plays the drums. Duzsik sings and plays guitar and zoothorn. Keyes plays guitar, percussion, zoothorn and keyboards. Famiglietti play bass, zoothorn, and electronic percussion. The zoothorn, which is a permutation of microphone, and guitar pedal is a trademark of Health because it gives their music the abrasive noise rock sound they are known for.

With the success of their self-titled LP recorded at the Los Angelos hipster hotspot, The Smell, Health planned to halt their early 2008 touring and begin work on their follow up album. However, Trent Reznor — sole official member of the Nine Inch Nails act — recruited the Health band to support Nine Inch Nails as a part of their national tour. Notorious for impromptu shows, Health put their recording ambitions on hold and created a fall/winter tour list that includes concert dates with Of Montreal, Angel Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors, and Nine Inch Nails.

Chad Meadows from Rise Over Run had the opportunity to ask Health a few questions about their music and concert with Nine Inch Nails.

Rise Over Run: Not too many noise rock bands (or any bands for that matter) are so willing to push their music to be remixed by other groups and DJs. Why do you enjoy remixes so much? What makes your music so palatable to good remix content?

John Famiglietti: In this decade remixes have become an artform, and less and less kids listen to rock music; its a very easy way to be relevant, and if yr working with people you admire an exciting way to make some great music you wouldn’t normally make. I think the element that makes us translate to remixes well is our (Jake’s) vocal style, which contains very little flair, which can translate to dance music without sounding like a joke, which is what usually happens when a hard rock band is remixed. But most importantly its the remixer, all the remixers we picked because we knew that hatever you gave them it would be gold and they’d serve their artistic desires above serving the source material.

ROR: You have certainly developed a unique sound, how has your music changed since you began as a group?

JF: When we began, we did not have a unique sound at all, which we hated ourselves for. We immediately began experimenting to try and do something different it became the sound we have now.

ROR: What motivates your music? or Where do you find inspiration?

JF: The overwhelming desire to make good music. We want to make a great album, and deliver a great live show. Our dream is to be “that” band for “that” kid, that they were actually around for during the heyday, there’s not very many bands today you can define your lifestyle by. Our main inspiration is other music, good and bad.

ROR: How much is your live act a part of experiencing your band?

JF: We want the records to stand on their own, but I think most people understand the sounds and the intent of the music much better after seeing it live. But as music goes nothing is better than the real thing live.

ROR: Will there be any live collaboration with Nine Inch Nails at the concerts that you play together?

JF: Absolutely not, but their light guy is gonna do lights for us, which is exciting cuz its the coolest lighting rig I’ve ever seen in my life.