Punks Mr. Fartface talk about playing live and their new record!
Hello, Mr. Fartface! Thanks for taking time to answer a couple of questions for us. As a start, would you mind introducing your band to our readers? Hey Valentine, thanks for having us on your webzine. We usually describe Mr.Fartface as a power punk band filled with sweet sounds and goofy lyrics. Our listeners and followers have known very early on that we don’t really take anything too seriously – we’re just here to enjoy the music and have a laugh along the way. We always try to incorporate funny stories in our songwriting. Hopefully our listeners can find some form of comic relief in the midst of all that screaming. How would you describe Belgian rock scene from a global POV? We think that the Belgian rock scene – and more specifically the Belgian punk scene – is doing alright. We are always surprised by the number of great bands that we have. And there is also a fair amount of places where bands can play. However, it is still difficult to get high attendance at these shows, especially for less popular bands who are trying to make a name for themselves. Punk is probably not the most popular of genres for the moment – so the general population tends to be drawn to other forms of music. Personally, we prefer going to see a bunch of sweaty guys/girls giving it all on stage rather than a DJ behind a mixing table. This is probably more of a global statement rather than just being exclusively related to Belgium – but we can’t really compare to other places and that’s how it feels like over here. I see that you guys are playing a lot of shows. Any pressure before going on stage? If yes, how do you manage it? I guess we felt more pressure early on, when we were playing our first shows. Playing our songs to a live audience for the first time can be a little intimidating but ya I feel like we have grown a lot this past year. In the end, the single most important thing is to have fun on stage. It’s not really about hitting every note perfectly every time. If you’re having fun on stage, then that energy transpires to your audience and that’s what is most important. Another thing that helps is not being hung over. When our singer feels like puking on stage after a night of heavy drinking, he’s not going to be hitting those high notes like he’s supposed to.
From all the shows you've played in your life, is there one that has really marked your minds? If yes, which one was it and why? We used to be a trio but recently added a second guitarist so with our current line-up we’ve only played four shows. All the shows have been great, but if we had to pick one then we would go for the one in Charleroi organized by Punk’tum asso. It was quite memorable. Martin was feeling a little uncomfortable in his clothes, so he decided to drop his pants and shirt and played most of the show in his underwear. Great energy and crowd, we had a blast. The other bands were awesome too. You’ve released your debut album on October 25th. Would you mind introducing this release to our readers? Sure! The album is a twelve track LP entitled “Songs for the neighbors”. This is our first full length but our second release since our “Puke and Piss” EP from 2017. The album was dropped on all music streaming platforms on the 25th of Oct. We are in the process of ordering physical copies (CDs and vinyl) with Distrolution Merch and these should be arriving soon. After so much hard work, it is a great feeling to have our album completed and out into the world. Almost like a baby that’s turned into a fully grown adult. We are really happy with the end result and it’s something we can be proud of. Of course, we would recommend all the songs on the album. But if you’re short on time and you are a “next-track trigger friendly” listener, then go for “Kill the party-poopers”, “Microsoft Paint” and “Stinky, Skanky, Sexy”. &fbclid=IwAR1aRbndB5b7UqAYolIMuQ_j-KEPmWdto5wVgiWYV-FgD3m7QveMmV6h5i0 How was your writing and recording process for this record? It really has been a two-year process with songs being written at any point along that timeline. It usually starts with a guitar riff and some drums. Bass and lead guitar are then added. And finally, melodies and lyrics. The lyrics are always the thing that tend to drag on for the longest, because it’s hard to get in that zone. Writing lyrics can be kind of boring sometimes. It’s easier to spend time on a guitar rather than with a pen and paper. But there are also exceptions to that rule. For instance, “Bring your grandma to the gangbang” started with a singing melody, and guitar riffs were then built around that melody. A lot of ideas have also come out of just jamming together so I guess it just depends on the song. We recorded the whole thing in 7 days at SoundWave Studio in La Hulpe, close to Brussels. We had a great sound engineer that guided us through the whole process, so the experience was really fantastic. The last words are for you. If you have a message to convey, here’s your chance! If you’re looking for revolutionary answers to the world’s biggest problems and issues, then you most definitely have come to the wrong place. But if you love punk rock and want to enjoy a night out listening to heavy music and drinking beer, then you just might be at the right address. All we want to do is share our music and play it in front of anyone who has a sense of humor as childish as ours. Don’t hesitate to like/follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It would mean the world to us! And always remember… to get pissed… and to puke and piss. Thanks for your time!
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