Review Fix chats with Fast Friends’ Tom Peyton, who discusses the band’s origin in music, goals, creative process and new single, “We Broke the World.â€
Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?
Tom Peyton: OH boy. Got a few hours? I’ll mash all 3 of us in the band into one. Mom sang in choirs around town and also played 60s rock around the house. Played suzuki violin/trumpet/trombone/guitar/drums when we were young and everyone we were close to and did stupid stuff with played instruments growing up. Fell in love with Boston hardcore/thrash metal/90s Dischord/60s soul and then practiced our asses off and played the worst/best shows into our 20s. Then got good at recording/took things seriously/went on tour/wrote literally thousands of songs until there was Fast Friends. We have rodeoed many times but still very much enjoy getting our brains stomped in by bucking broncos.
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Peyton: We listen to TERRIBLE music for a good hour to start. Once our skin is crawling, we know we’ve got some good juice going and it’s time to reflect on the absurdity of existence while at the same time noodle some noodles until something sounds cool and then we’re done. Ideally we don’t spend more than 30 minutes actually Writing Music.
Review Fix: What inspires you?
Peyton: TERRIBLE music. Friction. Big laughs and buckets of tears. Knee slappers and soul crushers.
Review Fix: What does music mean to you?
Peyton: Music has brought me together with the most important people in my life. Music is glue. Music allows me to say what needs to be said. But most people have forgotten about the last part.
Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
Peyton: 11:30 Thursday night a good hour before the spins kick in.
Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?
Peyton: I’d say they’re pretty similar. A lot of technical know-how mixed with the catharsis that comes from learning to love the pointlessness of everything. In the studio, there’s three of us but live we need the full classic Aerosmith 5 line up. Lots of loose lipped chatter and reflection in both settings.
Review Fix: What inspired your latest single?
Peyton: OH MAN! What DIDN’T inspire our latest single? Warriors blowing the 3-1 lead in 2016? Celtics losing game 7 in 2010? Hot Doug’s in Chicago closing their doors? McConnell’s entire POS life? Brutal Copenhagen winters? John Carter flopping so we didn’t get the full trilogy? Death stage Capitalism bringing down every single person alive? I mean Jesus Christ can’t we catch a break? Oh wait WE did this to our goddamn selves.
Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of 2020?
Peyton: Go out to eat at a restaurant. Slap a hi-five. Get Eric Andre to reply to our cold DM on IG.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Peyton: Next single Fuck Ohio comes out on June 3rd. Our EP HI T LO IQ comes out July 10. And lots more vids of things.
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