Polaris Nominee Q&A: K’Naan + F***ed Up

September 16th, 2009

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The Polaris Music Prize will be awarded in only a few days – September 21! The good peeps behind the magic have provided us with fun Q&A with each of the nominees. Yesterday we brought you Metric and Joel Plaskett… today it’s K’Naan and Damian from F***ed Up!

K’NAAN

Where was the nominated album recorded? How long were you in the studio?
Kingston, Jamaica – at Hope Road Studios (Bob Marley’s House) and Tuff Ging Studios. Also in LA at various Studios, it took about 8 months.

What’s your best memory about recording this album?
Being in Bob Marley’s House, in the Vocal booth where he recorded all of his songs.

Which is the album’s stand-out song and why?
Tough question, hard to answer, it’s like asking which of your kids you like better. I have different relationships with all of them at different times.

When did music become you ‘life’?
When was it not?

Who named the band and why?
My Mom, cause she saw what was coming for me.

When was the current line-up created?
A month ago but some have been together for years.

Who’s the funny one?
Andy Cortes – aka the UK Kid

Who’s the serious one?
No one

Who’s the tyrant?
No comment

Favourite song of all time?
Too hard to say, but probably a Bob Marley tune

Favourite band of all time?
Ours….Duh

Favourite singer of all time?
Tie – Bob Marley, Fela and Dylan

What band would you love to share a bill with?
Kings of Leon

What career other than music would be ‘you’?
Scientoligist

What is your most treasured piece of your memorabilia – and why?
My memory

What is something fans don’t know about you?
That I don’t tell fans things I dont want them to know about me.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Guilt.

What was your first concert? What was your favourite concert?
First concert , hmmm not sure. Best: Bad Brains or Coldplay

How old were you when you started playing music?
6 months, sold stadium show.

Who was your first music teacher? At what school did she/he teach?
Never had one, many producers and artists along the way though.

What instrument did you play in the school band?
The AK47

Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?
Life, from people I meet at shows to artists and intellectuals.

What five bands are you listening to now?
answered that already :)

Do you think you can dance?
If you can talk you can sing if you can walk you can dance so yes!

DAMIAN – F***ED UP

Where was the nominated album recorded? How long were you in the studio?
The album was recorded in Toronto at Halla Music and another studio that I don’t think has a name (seriously) with John Drew. We were in and out of the studio for about 8 months working on it.

What’s your best memory about recording this album?
All the various guests coming in and eating Ethiopian food (the unnamed studio was really near a great spot)… basically it was a real loss stress recording until the very end.

Which is the album’s stand-out song and why?
For me, “Black Albino Bones”. I think it came together well in the end and while I was writing it I was sure it wouldn’t work. It is very poppy between the leads Mike did and Dallas Green singing the chorus but I still think it works. It was a song that people love or hate plus it is about collecting records.

When did music become you ‘life’?
When I was about 16. I decided not to drink anymore because it would mean I could use the money to buy more records. It is a philosophy I still subscribe to today.

Who named the band and why?
Mike did. He got it from a song on an album by an old Hardcore band called NOTA. He liked the way it looked on the back of their record cover and thought it would fit the philosophy of the band he was putting together.

When was the current line-up created?
Back in summer 2001, after the second show, I joined the band. Ben was brought in just after the record was finished last summer.

What was your most embarrassing moment on stage?
I nearly fell off the stage once when we were opening for Alexisonfire. I managed to stay on stage but tore my pants in the process. I also once had a nervous breakdown on stage in Spain… not fun… or funny… well now it is kinda funny.

Who’s the funny one?
Me, Damian.

Who’s the serious one?
Mike

Who’s the tyrant?
Mike

Favourite song of all time?
“Sputnik” By Roky Erickson

Favourite band of all time?
h100s

Favourite singer of all time?
John Brannon from Negative Approach, Jeff Clayton of AntiSeen or Jerry A of Poison Idea.

What band would you love to share a bill with?
All-time: h100s. Current band: Gauze

What career other than music would be ‘you’?
Illustrator or working in a mail room again… best job I have ever had.

What is your most treasured piece of your memorabilia – and why?
The NME with me on the cover… it still blows my mind to look at it.

What is something fans don’t know about you?
My favorite movie is Phantom Of The Paradise…. I fashion myself as an open book.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Bad pop culture stuff, violent underground wrestling, fast food, Nike shoes, records… tons more.

What was your first concert?
AC/DC at the Skydome in 1988.

How old were you when you started playing music?
I don’t think I have really started doing that yet… I would like to think that I’m living proof that you can be in a semi-successful band with absolutely no musical ability. I would actually go one step further and say that I think musical virtuosity is the most overrated aspect of music. I can name countless amazing records made by people with no skill at music and by the same token I can name countless terrible records made by “highly skilled musicians”.

Who was your first music teacher? At what school did she/he teach?
Someone from Withrow school in Kindergarten but I have no idea their name now. Jonah’s music teacher though, Tom Wade West, plays on the record though.

What instrument did you play in the school band?
I “held” a trumpet for a few years in junior high… notice how I didn’t say “played”.

Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?
A UK band from the late 70′s called Desperate Bicycles. They had a slogan the went, “it was cheap, it was easy, go do it!”. To me they are the ultimate punk band. They have an incredible song called “Advice On Arrest” which is literally a step by step guide of what to do if you are arrested by the police.

What five bands are you listening to now?
Iron Age
Vogue
Kurt Vile
No Tolerance
Nodzzz

Tags: fucked up, k'naan, Polaris, polaris music prize 2009