Interview with Forty Birds

The flight of Forty Birds – by Mel in Toronto

"When it comes to the core of the song, we are always trying to create this wall of sound that is driving forward," Forty Birds' guitarist Kevin says. Imagine a perfect fusion of alternative, progressive and metal and you'll get the sound of Forty Birds. Amongst a vast range of influences, common denominators include Deftones, Rage Against The Machine, Glassjaw, Meshuggah, and Foo Fighters.

This Canadian band is originally from Montreal and consists of Matt Pelletier (vocals), Corey Lacombe (drums), Kevin Mapes (guitar), Dave Uno (bass), and Dave Dos (guitar). Forty Birds have been together for two years and in 2007 released their debut album ‘Shotgun Therapy.'

On the album, the band's name is spelled Forty Birds on the front and 40 Birds on the side. "That's an artistic choice; actually they were charging us on the side of the CD per letter," Kevin says with a straight face before he starts laughing. "I'm kidding. Normally we go with the letters. I guess we let it slip, we are laid back."

Forty Birds gave their debut performance in Toronto this March during Canadian Music Week. While sitting on comfortable chairs in their purposely cleaned up Fairmont Royal York hotel room, Kevin talks about the album's title: "Shotgun Therapy could be looked at where you target things that you don't like about yourself and you try to fix them. There can be different meanings for it. But as far as for a meaning for us, it was definitely something that pointed to the future in terms of where we are going with our music. (…) We did it to define what we wanted to do and we hold it dear to ourselves. It's ours."

‘Shotgun Therapy' is definitely an album the band can be very proud of. It consists of eleven songs that take you on a ride. The music is well supported by the dark artwork on the album cover and in the booklet.

Forty Birds take a collective approach in writing their music. "Generally it starts off with Kevin, who works on a couple of riffs and presents it to the band and everybody just goes from there," Matt says. "We'll put it on a tape. I'll take it home, write some lyrics and come back. If something doesn't work, everybody will talk about it. Then go back to the drawing board and make it as good as possible, before we finalize anything."

Lyrically, Forty Birds' songs deal with ideas and concepts. The first song on the album ANTONIO is "about us wanting to go out there and do something. But it's written about a soldier who is going into battle. He is a distinct replica. He is the same as anybody else, we are the same as anybody else, all the bands are trying to get somewhere," Matt says.

But there are other themes. PERIOD OF CONSEQUENCES is "about global warming," Kevin says. "It's becoming a trend to be environmental, and that's great. If there has to be any trend, instead of Britney Spears, how about global warming and how about anti-war next; let's do it. Not that we were jumping on the bandwagon. It's something that affected us in a certain way that we wanted to write about it."

But not only the lyrics, but also the instrumental take you on a ride. This is especially evident in the songs INTO THE KNIFE and PART TWO. "We wanted to make bigger conceptual songs that flow into each other," Kevin says.

Forty Birds is definitely a band to watch out for. It's a sure thing that we'll hear more from these five driven and very talented musicians.

"In your own words" – ONE on ONE with Mel and Forty Birds

Mel:  How did you come up with your band name and what is the meaning of it?

Kevin:  The name is derived from a tribal use of a plant, it's known as tabernanthe iboga. They use it by mixing it into their tea or even put it into their shoes and absorb it through their feet. Some tribes in Africa use it to speak to their ancestors. It caries them above the earth, that way they can speak to their ancestors. They call it the flight of forty birds, because it feels like forty birds are picking you up. It's also a drug that is used to treat addictions, most commonly heroin addiction. It targets a part of your brain, puts you into a mental state where you don't need anything, you are in this calmness. We've never taken it, but it's definitely a very interesting concept. I think that music can create that same kind of calmness and disconnect from problems. So we thought it was cool, we liked it, that's why we called our band Forty Birds.

Mel:  How would you describe the sound of your band?

Dave Dos:  If you are five guys that have five different sets of influences, together they make something, not necessarily new and completely new, but it is different and it's hard to classify. The input of all five people makes a different style. If you want to classify, it is metal, we play heavy guitars, heavy riffs. There is also the fact that it can be progressive, in a sense that the riffs are evolving throughout the songs. So you can put it in a progressive realm. Also alternative, because we are providing vocals that are really good singing, clear singing, and screaming. We classify ourselves as alternative progressive metal.

Kevin:  When we are writing a song, we always want it to be driving and have that energy to it. (…) Even though we try to do a lot of mellow instrumental airy stuff in some of the new stuff, when it comes to the core of the song, we are always trying to create this wall of sound that is driving forward.

Mel:  Which artist would you like to record a song with and why?

Matt:  I'd like to record a song with Pantera and play with them live on stage. Because Phil Anselmo is the most insane front man, I've ever seen in my life. They are just amazing performers. It would be the greatest time ever.

Corey:  I'd have to say Foo Fighters. I always pictured myself auditioning for Foo Fighters, hoping the drummer would leave so that I could audition for them. I'm still waiting.

Dave Dos:  I would enjoy hitting up a session with Django Reinhardt. I would love to see this guy play with two fingers and being faster than me on guitars. He is dead, but I would enjoy doing a session with him.

Kevin:  It's a hard question, there are a lot of people, but also, would you be able to? Who would I go to and embarrass myself? Definitely Meshuggah is my favourite band of all times. I couldn't think of anybody else that I would like to see in action. I would go and be their roadie. They are definitely very cool. I'd cut their toe nails and polish the singer's head (laughs).

Dave Uno:  I guess Glassjaw, they are amazing, and they are sweet. Well, I don't know if they are sweet, they are good. That was a tough question, possibly the hardest question that I've ever been asked.

Mel:   What do you like best when you perform live?

Dave Uno:  Going nuts, losing facial accessories. Generally losing control, running into Dos, and getting tangled in my wire for half an hour. Jesus, I hate life shows (laughs). Lots of inhibitions out there, I'm not thinking of anything except the music that I'm playing right there, having that effect, the way I'm randomly throwing myself across the stage. That's it, just losing it.

Matt:  I like really getting up there and making the connection with people. You can see in somebody's eyes, you can pinpoint the ones that are really enjoying it and you really want to get in there and grab their soul. Grab a piece of them. So that when you get off stage, you can go talk to them, and have fun with them. We all love meeting people. If you can express your music, and have them actually believe you that's really what gets me off on stage.

Corey:  I just have to say playing. I'm always trying to make my live show better. It's weird, I get really nervous before we go on and when I sit behind the drum set, it's like I'm at home, this is where I'm meant to be. I kind of blank out and start playing and then it's like, wow, I just played a set and I didn't realize it. I just love playing. Drums are fun.

Dave Dos:  What I like about live shows is that I finally get to play music in front of people instead of seeing all four of my band mates everyday. It's fun to see a response and it's fun to rock. Playing in front of a lot of people, for me, if I see one guy or one girl out of 200 people that are there, that is head banging or that is following the music, it makes my day, my night and I rock for that one person. If there are 200 of them, even better, I wish, but at least if there is one person that is into it, I'll rock hard.

Kevin:  I think the best thing about live performances is that we fill up the venue we are playing in with our sound. The person in the front row cannot talk to the person next to them because we are so loud, envelope everybody in a sound. I think that the whole process of being able to take a riff from just a riff and bring it all the way to present it in one shot up on stage is very fulfilling. I like the whole losing yourself and having the music randomly throw your body across stage, but at the same time, I like the notion of that now it's our time to occupy this area. Whether or not it's just with the sound or visibly, even if they go to the bar to get a drink, they can't escape it.

Mel:  Where do you see Forty Birds in five years?

Dave Uno:  In a classier hotel. (laughs) In a hotel that is under water.

Kevin:  We are pushing ‘Shotgun Therapy' for a while. That's what we toiled over. I think it needs to see some more light and cities. Right now we are trying to get to the second album. Hopefully you will come back and ask us next year.

-end

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