We Fell To Earth Interview

In the middle of Joshua Tree, California beneath a star-studded sky, electronic master Richard File of U.N.K.L.E. and psyche lover Wendy Rae Fowler, who lends her voice to Queens Of The Stone Age, crossed paths. A romantic setting for sure, but these two experienced musicians had one thing on their mind – the creation of a new sound. We Fell To Earth is the audible product of that musical desire. Wanting to create music that embodies a vast sound filled with space, depth and atmosphere, their debut album has achieved exactly that. What a perfect place to start!

Tell us about how you two met and why you wanted to work together?

We met in Joshua Tree, California. One day we happened to be together in a room full of instruments. Rich started playing guitar and singing and I heard something in it, so I picked up an instrument and we had writen a song within 10 minutes.

Tell us about the impact the time spent in the desert has had on your music and sound?

Joshua Tree is very still and quiet…raw and unspoiled. It also happens to contain a plethora of natural wonders. For us these things seem very conducive to the creative process.

You both have an extensive musical background, which you can now put back into the music industry. How would you describe the industry today?

Can anyone really answer that question before it changes AGAIN? Everything is moving so incredibly fast, it doesn’t seem anyone knows what’s going on or what to expect. You can choose to either panic or get excited…we’re going with the latter. Regardless of what’s going on in the industry, we feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to make the kind of music we’ve both always wanted to make.

Richard, you’ve been part of huge collaborative processes during your time with U.N.K.L.E. What is it about collaborations that you think work so well?

I’ve always loved what happens when you put yourself in a room with people for the first time. There’s something magical in not knowing how you’re going to interact.

When collaborating, where do you draw the line with tracks when they need to have their own sound but still fit in with the rest of the album?

We made a decision early on about the desired general feel or vibe of the record, however, when writing we tried not to dwell too much on this. We allowed the songs to come out freely, eventually deciding which ones would best carry the sound we wanted to get across. We wrote several songs that didn’t make it onto the album because they didn’t fall within the parameters we initially decided on.

What is important to you both when performing live? What kind of experience do you want your audience to have?

What’s great about making music is that it gives you a chance to create a world that you like to be in – one that you can get sonically lost in, depending on your mood. Our live show is an invitation for others to join us, and hopefully get a break from the outside world for a while. No theatrics…just honest-to-goodness MU-
SIC.

It must be exciting having a new musical project. What’s next for We Fell To Earth?

We’re looking forward to touring with the band. We are very happy with how the album translates live. The sound is large, and it’s fun playing and watching the audience taking it in. It makes all the work leading up to the release of the album even more worthwhile when you look out into the audience and see the looks on peoples’ faces that say they are completely present, completely listening, completely THERE.

Writer Yasmine Bryce