by Zach Fraley
photo by Gus Black
One great constant that many individuals must face during their lifetime is heartache. Brought about through a variety of means yet provoking a similar feeling in those it infects, a broken heart turns lives upside-down and requires support and time to properly heal. Los Angeles based country pop group Fairground Saints is doing their part to help heartbroken souls find peace within themselves with their self-titled debut album. Released early last month, the 12-song record features tracks detailing betrayal, misplaced loyalty, and the uncertainty relationships can provide to someone’s life.
Megan McAllister, vocalist, guitarist, and dulcimer player for Fairground Saints, brought these songs to life with her bandmates in the hopes that those who heard them could survive the roller coaster lifestyle associated with being in a long-term relationship. “We’re gonna try and walk you through the inevitable when you find someone you’re head over heels for, because you’re gonna go through ups and downs. Hearing that in music is really therapeutic. Our album almost walks through the steps of a relationship from beginning to end. Kind of get what you will from it as a listener. It came from a very honest place from all of us. The start of a relationship, the tragic breakups – it touches on everything you can experience. It’s less cautionary because getting hurt in a relationship is kinda inevitable. The only way to be in a relationship is vulnerable.”
The group’s three members all have multiple roles in the band, and all bring different life experiences to the mix. Guitarist and vocalist Mason Van Valin began at age 12 under the tutelage of his musically-inclined father. Elijah Edwards, who sings and plays six instruments, has been a musician since age four. McAllister has remained a songwriter and singer for roughly two decades. With so much musical experience shared between them, the three of them felt right at home the moment they met each other. “It was kind of weird – kind of cosmic. It felt right, and that’s why we started writing right away. The recording happened just months after we met. As we finished a song, the producer said ‘let’s just put that down.’ We felt like a family pretty immediately, but feeling one as a band kind of developed over the past year.”
Van Valin knew his destiny lay in being a musician from the way fellow classmates fawned over his prowess at guitar. “For me, [becoming a musician] was kind of by default? I was never good at school, but when I picked up a guitar, it was really easy for me to get good at. I was popular at talent shows because all I did was play guitar. I know I’m never gonna do anything other than that.”
Edwards, on the other hand, nurtured his conviction as a musician through another educational outlet. “I’ve known that I wanted to do this my whole life. It was more of a dream than a conviction. I think for me, it was just the most logical turn of events, because I was recruited into jazz band, so it didn’t surprise me when things worked out that way.”
For their debut LP, the band worked with Matthew Wilder, a producer who has not only worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera and No Doubt, but who also brought the three individuals that make up Fairground Saints together for the first time. “It was really astounding to work with Matthew as well as the studio musicians. We’d walk into a studio, play a song for them one time, and they said ‘okay, we got it.’ But Matthew really pushed us to be better as people, and as musicians too. Matthew doesn’t act very grandiose for all the amazing work he’s done. It was super cool working with someone who has been doing that for so long. He said he’d make a song a certain way, and he followed through with it. He didn’t talk up anything. It surprised us a lot. There was a lot of experimenting, and the time we spent with him allowed us to experiment until we couldn’t anymore. If anyone had an idea, he was always open to trying it, even if he didn’t think it was a good one. It was a very humbling experience as a songwriter because Matthew is so gifted as a songwriter himself.”
Fairground Saints’ debut features 12 songs that ooze passion, dedication, and wisdom. Through sweeping melodies that resonate perfectly with a country guitar rhythm, each vocalist imparts a different yet equally important chunk of experience to the listener which, if interpreted correctly, could save them that much heartache whenever they next come down with it. One song in particular unanimously pleased the band in the recording process and beyond. “’All For You’. It’s so gigantic. It gets so huge sounding, but when you strip it back to the basics, it does something just as beautiful. The adaptability of that song is amazing, and it meant a lot to us lyrically to deliver that. It’s beautifully tragic. Both triumphant and tragic at the same time.”
Philadelphia music lovers intrigued by Fairground Saints can see them live on the 1st of October at World Café Upstairs. Already the band is excitedly making plans for their visit to the city of brotherly love. “I’m gonna get my Philly cheesesteak on. That’s the main goal. We’re big into food. I’ll probably walk a couple blocks and just look because you never know what you’re gonna find.”
Once their current tour is finished, the band has no plans to let any built-up momentum slip away. With their debut album now available, Fairground Saints will be manning the front lines in an attempt to tell the world how to revel in, and recover from, a meaningful relationship. “[We’ll] get ready for the next tour. We want to keep moving. We all are jonesed to work nonstop, so there are no plans for relaxation. We’re excited to keep playing more live shows since it’s our favorite thing to do as musicians.”
