Interview for the Japanese Label/Magazine Kakehashi (click here for the Japanese version)
I think the band name FISH ON FRIDAY is unique. Why you name like this ?
William : I’ve had this name in my mind for years. It sounds great and the good thing about it is that the abbreviation F.O.F. sounds very nice and is easy to use in text.
I proposed this name for our project and Frank immediately agreed. By the way it has really nothing to do with the Catholic habit, or whatever religion, of eating fish on Friday.
Your web site says you are affected by ALAN PARSONS PROJECT.
Any other bands and album ?
Frank : The Alan Parsons Project is of course one of our main influences because this is Progressive music composed mainly on the piano or other keyboards. William and I are both keyboard players and really love song based progressive music like the Alan Parsons Project. But we of course also like more up to date progressive bands like Blackfield, Porcupine Tree, It Bites. We also have our Pop influences like Tears For Fears and The Buggles. The mix of those Progressive and Pop influences are the base of the Fish on Friday sound.
You suggest "WOMAN FRIENDLY PROG ROCK". Could you explain in detail ?
William : Frank and I like listening to all kinds of Progressive music but we both have wives who like the more song based Prog like Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Alan Parsons…. So if we play the more complicated Prog to our wives they don’t like it. They are not interested in long guitar solo’s , they don’t like musicians who just show how fast they can play and forget to write a real song. This is a bit of a problem in today’s Prog…I feel that not enough attention goes to the writing of a good song. Instead many Prog musicians are more concerned about trying to be virtuoso’s. This often results in what our wifes call “Ugly music”. They like a good song, most women like a good song better than a virtuoso performance !
And we like women that like our music !!! J
If you have any good episode when you recorded, please tell me.
Frank : We’re always having fun when recording, we ‘re always relaxed in the studio. That’s also because we are all professional musicians. Everybody knows what to play and more important what not to play. But to talk about a funny thing…when working on “Welcome “ (the opening track of our latest album Airborne) we were not happy with the bass of that song. I told William that maybe Nick Beggs (he played with Kajagoogoo and is now with Steven Wilson and Steve Hackett) could play the bass we had in mind. William didn’t believe Nick would want to play with us , but I just send him the song and he liked the it a lot and immediately wanted to be guest bass player . William almost couldn’t believe it .
What is your most favorite album which leads you to Progressive Rock ?
How do you feel when you listen first ?
Frank: the album that really got me into Prog is certainly “A trick of the Tail” by Genesis. I still play this from time to time ! I loved it because it had great songs, great musicians and the songs all had a story to tell .
William : it seems like an eternity ago but I still remember that Genesis made a big impact on me. I could easily name the same album as Frank did but I was even more impressed with “… And then they were three …” I still play this album very often. Very nice songs …. and by the way also “Woman friendly” J
Please tell me your recently favorite album and the reason.
Frank : My most recent favorite album is “made in basing street “ by The Producers. This is a band with Trevor Horn (The Buggles) and Lol Creme (10CC)
William : I totally agree with Frank. What an album. It’s got everything,… good songs, great ideas and a superb production. For me this is the revelation of the last few months. Those guys are at the top .
Belgium music scene is unfamiliar for us Japanese.
In your county Belgium, what kinds of music is popular ?
60s & 70s Rock Music is popular ? How about Progressive Rock ?
Any other Progressive Rock band you like in Belgium ?
Frank : The Belgian music scene is not that big and there certainly is not much Progressive music going on. The music that is being played here on the radio is mostly very boring and uninspired . It all sounds the same , as if no one dares, or is allowed to play anything outside the format that national radio stations dictate.
It is a bit the world upside down because now radio stations are forcing bands to play a certain genre if they want to get airplay.
Back in the days a band got picked up by a radio station because they sounded different. Now everything has to sound the same.
But still, there are some good Belgian rockbands and artists.
Bands you should check out are, to name just a few, Ozark Henry, Mindgames, ….
How do you feel about the fact that Japanese people listen to your music ?
William : We are very proud about this. We like the Japanese music culture. Japanese people are more open to music that really needs to be listened to, they are open to music that is different to mainstream music. I think that Japanese people are more adventurous in listening to music.
Please tell me your impression about Japan.
Do you know any Japanese band ?
If you know, please tell me your favorite Japanese band and album.
Frank : I grew up with YMO and have been following their career from the beginning. I also like Ryuichi Sakamoto a lot and have met him a long time ago over here in Brussels. My favorite YMO album is “Technodelic” . This sounded so different than everything I had heard before . Very inspiring !
Please give me your message to Japanese listeners.
William : We wish all Japanese listeners lots of happiness and also hope we bring them joy with our music. Enjoying music makes people happy and also can help the sad to feel better !! Best wishes from Belgium. Sayonara !
William : I’ve had this name in my mind for years. It sounds great and the good thing about it is that the abbreviation F.O.F. sounds very nice and is easy to use in text.
I proposed this name for our project and Frank immediately agreed. By the way it has really nothing to do with the Catholic habit, or whatever religion, of eating fish on Friday.
Your web site says you are affected by ALAN PARSONS PROJECT.
Any other bands and album ?
Frank : The Alan Parsons Project is of course one of our main influences because this is Progressive music composed mainly on the piano or other keyboards. William and I are both keyboard players and really love song based progressive music like the Alan Parsons Project. But we of course also like more up to date progressive bands like Blackfield, Porcupine Tree, It Bites. We also have our Pop influences like Tears For Fears and The Buggles. The mix of those Progressive and Pop influences are the base of the Fish on Friday sound.
You suggest "WOMAN FRIENDLY PROG ROCK". Could you explain in detail ?
William : Frank and I like listening to all kinds of Progressive music but we both have wives who like the more song based Prog like Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Alan Parsons…. So if we play the more complicated Prog to our wives they don’t like it. They are not interested in long guitar solo’s , they don’t like musicians who just show how fast they can play and forget to write a real song. This is a bit of a problem in today’s Prog…I feel that not enough attention goes to the writing of a good song. Instead many Prog musicians are more concerned about trying to be virtuoso’s. This often results in what our wifes call “Ugly music”. They like a good song, most women like a good song better than a virtuoso performance !
And we like women that like our music !!! J
If you have any good episode when you recorded, please tell me.
Frank : We’re always having fun when recording, we ‘re always relaxed in the studio. That’s also because we are all professional musicians. Everybody knows what to play and more important what not to play. But to talk about a funny thing…when working on “Welcome “ (the opening track of our latest album Airborne) we were not happy with the bass of that song. I told William that maybe Nick Beggs (he played with Kajagoogoo and is now with Steven Wilson and Steve Hackett) could play the bass we had in mind. William didn’t believe Nick would want to play with us , but I just send him the song and he liked the it a lot and immediately wanted to be guest bass player . William almost couldn’t believe it .
What is your most favorite album which leads you to Progressive Rock ?
How do you feel when you listen first ?
Frank: the album that really got me into Prog is certainly “A trick of the Tail” by Genesis. I still play this from time to time ! I loved it because it had great songs, great musicians and the songs all had a story to tell .
William : it seems like an eternity ago but I still remember that Genesis made a big impact on me. I could easily name the same album as Frank did but I was even more impressed with “… And then they were three …” I still play this album very often. Very nice songs …. and by the way also “Woman friendly” J
Please tell me your recently favorite album and the reason.
Frank : My most recent favorite album is “made in basing street “ by The Producers. This is a band with Trevor Horn (The Buggles) and Lol Creme (10CC)
William : I totally agree with Frank. What an album. It’s got everything,… good songs, great ideas and a superb production. For me this is the revelation of the last few months. Those guys are at the top .
Belgium music scene is unfamiliar for us Japanese.
In your county Belgium, what kinds of music is popular ?
60s & 70s Rock Music is popular ? How about Progressive Rock ?
Any other Progressive Rock band you like in Belgium ?
Frank : The Belgian music scene is not that big and there certainly is not much Progressive music going on. The music that is being played here on the radio is mostly very boring and uninspired . It all sounds the same , as if no one dares, or is allowed to play anything outside the format that national radio stations dictate.
It is a bit the world upside down because now radio stations are forcing bands to play a certain genre if they want to get airplay.
Back in the days a band got picked up by a radio station because they sounded different. Now everything has to sound the same.
But still, there are some good Belgian rockbands and artists.
Bands you should check out are, to name just a few, Ozark Henry, Mindgames, ….
How do you feel about the fact that Japanese people listen to your music ?
William : We are very proud about this. We like the Japanese music culture. Japanese people are more open to music that really needs to be listened to, they are open to music that is different to mainstream music. I think that Japanese people are more adventurous in listening to music.
Please tell me your impression about Japan.
Do you know any Japanese band ?
If you know, please tell me your favorite Japanese band and album.
Frank : I grew up with YMO and have been following their career from the beginning. I also like Ryuichi Sakamoto a lot and have met him a long time ago over here in Brussels. My favorite YMO album is “Technodelic” . This sounded so different than everything I had heard before . Very inspiring !
Please give me your message to Japanese listeners.
William : We wish all Japanese listeners lots of happiness and also hope we bring them joy with our music. Enjoying music makes people happy and also can help the sad to feel better !! Best wishes from Belgium. Sayonara !
Interview for Canadian Prog Magazine “Terra Incognita”
By Michel Bilodeau
Fish on Friday! (FoF)
Does it refer to the catholic habbit of eating fish on friday instead of meat?
WILLIAM : Not at all !
If not, what's the signification?
WILLIAM: It’s something I’ve had in mind for at least twenty years. I promised myself that if I would ever start a new project it would have that name. The good thing about the name Fish on Friday is that one can pronounce it easily and the abbreviation FoF is also very nice sounding and easy to use in texts. Frank Immediatly agreed. He looked at me in a strange way and said….ok, why not.
Frank, the first time I listened to Fish on Friday I was very impressed by the recording quality.. For me it is clear that you have a long time experience in the studio.
Do you feel that the studio is like a music instrument for you like a guitar or a keyboard?
FRANK : I,ve been a producer and studio Engineer for more than 25 years now and run and own my own professional studio, ACE , near Antwerp in Belgium.
The studio is my natural habitat.
So yes , I could easily state that the studio is my instrument. It enables me to record everything that’s in my head.
The treatment of of your vocal remind me in some parts of the Alan Parsons Project. I know that you have chosen one of his albums for your personal Top Ten. Is this a goal to reach for you? An example?
FRANK: It’s not so much a goal to reach for, or to mimic the APP but William and I have always been die hard Alan Parsons fans.
Beside the flawless production techniques of Alan Parsons, he also makes sure he has great songs to work with. And he almost never uses overwhelming voices, rather softer voices like my own. My voice has often been compared to that of Eric Woolfson or even David Gilmour. Neither of them, nor I myself, are great singers, but they have character and warmth in their voice . Just put a nice reverb on such a voice and you have the Alan Parsons feel.
If you have to label Shoot The Moon, would you say it’s intelligent Progpop.
WILLIAM: Certainly, we consider ourselves a Progpop band, blending 70’s Prog, like Genesis or Floyd, and 80’s quality pop like The Buggles or Tears for Fears, just to name a few, in a unique way.
Frank and I will always go for real songs. If you can’t play and sing it on just a guitar or a piano alone, it’s not suited being an FoF song.
It’s also always in this way we present ideas to each other, just on the piano.
We’re also serious about the lyrics, making sure they tell something, that they’re intelligent. That’s also Frank’s job.
On Shoot The Moon the songs are not really long and you don’t hear any long instrumental sections like in prog music. Is it intended to stay closer to the pop songs format?
WILLIAM : Yes and no . We’re convinced that it’s not the length of a song that makes it stand out or not, on the contrary
I often feel that in today’s Prog instrumental parts are way to long and are sometimes in the way of the song itself, as if they’re not part of the song.
Ofcourse I like guitar solo’s that stay in the head for days but very often they do bore me.
We’ve got some great musicians in the band and they know how to dose their soloparts. That’s very important in FoF’s music.
About the title track “Shoot The Moon”. I really like that song with its Blackfield feeling..In the beginning I hear at some point music that reminds me (the keyboards-chords) of the opening theme of an american TV cop serie: Southland.. Is this something you intended ?
WILLIAM : No, I’ve never heard about that TV series.
I had these chords on paper before we started the pre-producion.
Only not in the right order, woeha !
While we were working on this song there was a terrible shooting in our hometown Antwerp. A lunatic, blinded by racist hatred, shot some people in the street just because their skin color was dark, even a little girl, aged five. It inspired Frank to write some great and very touching lyrics and we orchestrated the song even bigger than originally intended. It’s here that Frank showcased all his producer’s talents. This song needed to take the listener by the throat and I think we’ve succeeded in that.
Frank, you work a lot in the studio. Recording takes a long time I presume. Is it easy for you to say, OK now we stop working on this song?
FRANK: It’s never easy because I’m a bit of a perfectionist (ask William about that !).
But there always comes a time when you feel that work is done, a time where you can’t improve on it anymore.
I have worked a couple of months with Gary Langan (Trevor Horn’s right hand and mix Engineer for Yes, The Buggles , Frankie goes to Hollywood etc…) and he had a saying ‘The job ain’t done till the job is done “
I work by that rule.
Do you think that we can hear traces of your past (new wave, 1000 Ohm) in FoF’s music?
FRANK : oh yes, certainly, you can’t hide your influences can you ? You can hear it from time to time in the way I sing or make melodies and use Synthesizers. I started my professional career back in the 80’s, it will always be in my blood.
You’ve also released 7 cd’s of electronic music under your own name.. Did you use this experience in the music of Fish on Friday?
FRANK: Not that much, Fish on Friday is more Prog, Orchestral and Pop/Wave based and less electronic.
Of course we use sequencers from time to time but we don’t want to come to close to Berlin School territory.
On your webiste you announce Nick Beggs as a special guest. Can you tell us about that collaboration.
FRANK: On the new album Airborne we had this opening track “Welcome” which featured a half programmed and half live played Bass part. But William and I were never happy with it, however we mixed it. So we were looking for someone who could play the bass more or less like we had it in mind. I told William, “you know who could do it, Nick Beggs, that bassplayer from Kajagoogoo (Too Shy ), it’s that kind of sound and playing style we need for this song.”
He now even plays with Steve Hackett and is in Steven Wilsons’ band.
William laughed and said “you can always try”
So I just send him the song, thinking I would never get an answer from him.
About an hour later he replied, telling he loved the song and thought it was very powerful and also, he was a bit seduced by the 80’s feel it had.
He was eager to play on it.
What he played on that track surpassed our expectations, it gives the track such a great drive and an even more 80’s feel.
William, Can you talk about the new cd Airborne? Did you work in the same musical direction as the first one? More progressive with more instrumental parts?
WILLIAM : We’re very happy with our second album Airborne.
Very often the second album is the hardest to make but we didn’t feel that way.
We didn’t change our way of working. I always work on ideas just on the grand piano at home and go to the studio to present them to Frank , the same way Frank works on his ideas at home. We are a composer’s duo and it’s the interaction between both our ideas that makes the Fish on Friday sound.
The new album is just a little bit more Prog minded with some slightly longer songs and yes, Airborne has more guitar solo’s than Shoot the Moon, but they’re only there because they fit the song. Frank used all his magic tricks and has done a great job . The arrangements, the recordings, the mix…it wasn’t obvious and production standards were high.
I’m very happy with the result and hope our fans will also feel this way.
By Michel Bilodeau
Fish on Friday! (FoF)
Does it refer to the catholic habbit of eating fish on friday instead of meat?
WILLIAM : Not at all !
If not, what's the signification?
WILLIAM: It’s something I’ve had in mind for at least twenty years. I promised myself that if I would ever start a new project it would have that name. The good thing about the name Fish on Friday is that one can pronounce it easily and the abbreviation FoF is also very nice sounding and easy to use in texts. Frank Immediatly agreed. He looked at me in a strange way and said….ok, why not.
Frank, the first time I listened to Fish on Friday I was very impressed by the recording quality.. For me it is clear that you have a long time experience in the studio.
Do you feel that the studio is like a music instrument for you like a guitar or a keyboard?
FRANK : I,ve been a producer and studio Engineer for more than 25 years now and run and own my own professional studio, ACE , near Antwerp in Belgium.
The studio is my natural habitat.
So yes , I could easily state that the studio is my instrument. It enables me to record everything that’s in my head.
The treatment of of your vocal remind me in some parts of the Alan Parsons Project. I know that you have chosen one of his albums for your personal Top Ten. Is this a goal to reach for you? An example?
FRANK: It’s not so much a goal to reach for, or to mimic the APP but William and I have always been die hard Alan Parsons fans.
Beside the flawless production techniques of Alan Parsons, he also makes sure he has great songs to work with. And he almost never uses overwhelming voices, rather softer voices like my own. My voice has often been compared to that of Eric Woolfson or even David Gilmour. Neither of them, nor I myself, are great singers, but they have character and warmth in their voice . Just put a nice reverb on such a voice and you have the Alan Parsons feel.
If you have to label Shoot The Moon, would you say it’s intelligent Progpop.
WILLIAM: Certainly, we consider ourselves a Progpop band, blending 70’s Prog, like Genesis or Floyd, and 80’s quality pop like The Buggles or Tears for Fears, just to name a few, in a unique way.
Frank and I will always go for real songs. If you can’t play and sing it on just a guitar or a piano alone, it’s not suited being an FoF song.
It’s also always in this way we present ideas to each other, just on the piano.
We’re also serious about the lyrics, making sure they tell something, that they’re intelligent. That’s also Frank’s job.
On Shoot The Moon the songs are not really long and you don’t hear any long instrumental sections like in prog music. Is it intended to stay closer to the pop songs format?
WILLIAM : Yes and no . We’re convinced that it’s not the length of a song that makes it stand out or not, on the contrary
I often feel that in today’s Prog instrumental parts are way to long and are sometimes in the way of the song itself, as if they’re not part of the song.
Ofcourse I like guitar solo’s that stay in the head for days but very often they do bore me.
We’ve got some great musicians in the band and they know how to dose their soloparts. That’s very important in FoF’s music.
About the title track “Shoot The Moon”. I really like that song with its Blackfield feeling..In the beginning I hear at some point music that reminds me (the keyboards-chords) of the opening theme of an american TV cop serie: Southland.. Is this something you intended ?
WILLIAM : No, I’ve never heard about that TV series.
I had these chords on paper before we started the pre-producion.
Only not in the right order, woeha !
While we were working on this song there was a terrible shooting in our hometown Antwerp. A lunatic, blinded by racist hatred, shot some people in the street just because their skin color was dark, even a little girl, aged five. It inspired Frank to write some great and very touching lyrics and we orchestrated the song even bigger than originally intended. It’s here that Frank showcased all his producer’s talents. This song needed to take the listener by the throat and I think we’ve succeeded in that.
Frank, you work a lot in the studio. Recording takes a long time I presume. Is it easy for you to say, OK now we stop working on this song?
FRANK: It’s never easy because I’m a bit of a perfectionist (ask William about that !).
But there always comes a time when you feel that work is done, a time where you can’t improve on it anymore.
I have worked a couple of months with Gary Langan (Trevor Horn’s right hand and mix Engineer for Yes, The Buggles , Frankie goes to Hollywood etc…) and he had a saying ‘The job ain’t done till the job is done “
I work by that rule.
Do you think that we can hear traces of your past (new wave, 1000 Ohm) in FoF’s music?
FRANK : oh yes, certainly, you can’t hide your influences can you ? You can hear it from time to time in the way I sing or make melodies and use Synthesizers. I started my professional career back in the 80’s, it will always be in my blood.
You’ve also released 7 cd’s of electronic music under your own name.. Did you use this experience in the music of Fish on Friday?
FRANK: Not that much, Fish on Friday is more Prog, Orchestral and Pop/Wave based and less electronic.
Of course we use sequencers from time to time but we don’t want to come to close to Berlin School territory.
On your webiste you announce Nick Beggs as a special guest. Can you tell us about that collaboration.
FRANK: On the new album Airborne we had this opening track “Welcome” which featured a half programmed and half live played Bass part. But William and I were never happy with it, however we mixed it. So we were looking for someone who could play the bass more or less like we had it in mind. I told William, “you know who could do it, Nick Beggs, that bassplayer from Kajagoogoo (Too Shy ), it’s that kind of sound and playing style we need for this song.”
He now even plays with Steve Hackett and is in Steven Wilsons’ band.
William laughed and said “you can always try”
So I just send him the song, thinking I would never get an answer from him.
About an hour later he replied, telling he loved the song and thought it was very powerful and also, he was a bit seduced by the 80’s feel it had.
He was eager to play on it.
What he played on that track surpassed our expectations, it gives the track such a great drive and an even more 80’s feel.
William, Can you talk about the new cd Airborne? Did you work in the same musical direction as the first one? More progressive with more instrumental parts?
WILLIAM : We’re very happy with our second album Airborne.
Very often the second album is the hardest to make but we didn’t feel that way.
We didn’t change our way of working. I always work on ideas just on the grand piano at home and go to the studio to present them to Frank , the same way Frank works on his ideas at home. We are a composer’s duo and it’s the interaction between both our ideas that makes the Fish on Friday sound.
The new album is just a little bit more Prog minded with some slightly longer songs and yes, Airborne has more guitar solo’s than Shoot the Moon, but they’re only there because they fit the song. Frank used all his magic tricks and has done a great job . The arrangements, the recordings, the mix…it wasn’t obvious and production standards were high.
I’m very happy with the result and hope our fans will also feel this way.