Interview: The Fresh and Onlys on creativity, inspiration, and San Francisco

Miz DeShannon catches up with Shayde Sartin of San Francisco's The Fresh and Onlys, to find out how his home city inspires the band's music, the importance of lyrics, and why England always puts a smile on his face.

San Francisco has always had a more laid back, psychedelic feel than its West coast neighbour, the over-tanned and celebrity ridden LA.

And, as with anything creative which will be influenced by its surroundings, it therefore has a much cooler kind of music scene. From the 60s and the 'San Fransisco Sound' bands,  to its links with Beat Generation writers, the area has bred psychedelic groups like Jefferson Airplane and Acid Mother's Temple, eclectic rock bands like Brian Jonestown Massacre and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and more recently a garage-style revival in Thee Oh Sees and Kelley Stoltz.

We had a natter with Shayde Sartin, member of The Fresh and Onlys, one of the latest bands to come out of the city's eclectic music scene - and part of the musically incestuous gang which includes Sonny & The Sunsets, Ty Segall and more; most of whom Sartin has worked with already. “I couldn't be happier being part of that scene” he says. “I've had the great fortune of having people like John Dwyer, Kelley Stoltz, Chuck Prophet, Mark Eitzel and a whole cast of other names you probably wouldn't even recognise to learn from and help point me in the right direction. And I really dig that bands from out of town will contact me to help with a show, or if they need to borrow something. Or, if someone needs to set up a recording or something, they know that if I can't help, I'll know who can.”

Sounding very much like the DIY scenes that have emerged in the UK in recent years, everyone helps and hangs out with one another. “I spent years and years playing with other people, trying to find my place” says Sartin, “but my creative input into projects like Citay, [Kelley] Stoltz, Ty [Segall] and any others were pretty limited. I did learn a lot working with all of those guys. Sorta keeping to myself how I would or would not do things. I started Sonny & The Sunsets at around the same time, and Sonny was giving me a little more wiggle room with writing and having a heavier hand in how the band presented itself.”

With a mixture of influences; not garage, not pop, bits of psychedelica wailings, jangly guitars and thudding drums, whatever it is, the fundamental idea and outstanding feature of The Fresh & Onlys' writing is songcraft. “We've never really been the type to pull things 'out of a hat'; substance is everything to us” insists Sartin. “If it doesn't have a depth or meaning then we move on from it. You can really tell the difference, even though it may not be immediate or audible. Songs written from no place sound just like that.”

In his experience, having the freedom to write is what gives him the assurance and desire to do more, as well as being inspired by the people he works with. “Sonny Smith is a great dude, and hell of a person to work with. I really think the timing with that and Tim [Cohen] coming into that new batch of songs were what sparked The Fresh & Onlys. Tim is great because on top of being his own songwriter, he's great at collaboration when it comes to writing.” 

It's quite an obvious point really when you think about it, but the mechanics of being in a band and working with people aren't always so organic and straightforward. “There's a constant push and pull. It's like an engine in many ways...” explains Sartin, “when Tim and I first started writing together, many of those sessions came from sitting in the Treehouse at his kitchen table and drawing while listening to records. We would do that for hours.”

Putting quite a romantic slant on what some find to be an arduous process, Sartin's life has actually been pretty absorbed by being a musician. It's not a career that has been taken lightly; “I started playing in bands when I was 15,” he muses. “I've never done anything else. When I was first getting into punk rock and indie rock, I would listen to music all day and all night. I have a distinct memory of listening to The Cure song 'Jumping Someone Else's Train' and so badly wanting to be inside the speaker. Just wanting to know what it would feel like to be making that force that was still driving decades after the fact. Even in a bedroom in rural Florida. Now I get to be inside the speaker.”

Championing Sartin's work and others from the new SF scene, getting it out to the rest of the world is local record Store Amoeba Music, where Sartin has actually worked for ten years “It's amazing! They've even loaned me money to move into an apartment before.” Now that does sound like a good record store. “Seriously! They've allowed me to tour and come back to my job. Tolerated a lot of calling out to record. The stability is more than I ever felt growing up in some ways. They're more like family to me at this point. Some good folks in that place for sure.” Very like Piccadilly Records is in Manchester then, although they might not branch into the bank loan game...

With such a great support network around new bands and so many inspirations and influences past and present, The Fresh & Onlys have a hugely eclectic sound, “the next album has a song called Dream Girls that has a very pre-psychedelic feel to it, not only in melody but the lyrics as well” says Sartin. The songs have some quite surreal lyrics and subject matters at times. “I'd say that Tim draws his inspiration from a very raw and real place” explains Sartin, apprehensive of speaking about Cohen's writing, “sometimes human nature can be so simple that your mind will explode around it. I think Tim uses that as a platform.” 

But lyrics don't always have to be deep and meaningful, sometimes the melody and the music itself is enough, “Sometimes his lyrics are just informed by the melodies. He's also great at coming from a very dry and direct place if that's what suitable at the time. As far as lyrical play, I think it's important to try and dumb down. I've always been a huge fan of Richard Meltzer and that's a huge part of what he was preaching when he still believed in Rock-n-Roll. But then, there's nothing wrong with a little esoteric babble now and again. Just ask Robert Pollard or Bob Malloy.”

So the writing process is as eclectic and beautifully haphazard in a way as everything else we're learning about that comes from San Fransisco, even the weather - “I've always felt that the weather inspired us more than people recognise. San Francisco has a very mild climate. It's often dreary and dreamy because of the constant presence of fog. The sun certainly shines here but there's something about the low hum of the fog pouring in every day that brings out these songs.” It sounds as bad as Manchester, and as wholly inspirational. “Our songs feel at place in this city to me. I got so stoked the other day walking to work when I heard someone in a second story apartment listening to Tropical Island [from 'Play It Strange' album 2010]. The song was just pouring out of this old Victorian in the Western Addition and the feeling was indescribable. When I really started to understand pop music as a teenager, I realised a huge element of what makes it magic is the place that it's attached to. For instance, when you listen to X's "Wild Gift", you can't help but be transported to that time and place. It's a powerful thing.”

The Fresh & Onlys have been hanging around Europe for the last few months, adding to their list of festival accolades by playing places like Primavera, yet apparently it's been quite a scary time. Apart from England, of course “Europe is still a little intimidating to me personally. I think it is for the band as well. We don't have the flow figured out yet. I really love England. I definitely feel more comfortable there than anywhere else. It's not a language thing either. I find my self smiling there a lot.”

How nice. Well hopefully we can make you smile some more this time around...

Words: Miz DeShannon

The Fresh & Onlys play at The Ruby Lounge on 7th September 2011. Tickets are available below. 

Tickets are no longer available for this event