by Andi Bricklin
Earlier last month, buzz band, The Felice Brothers, released Favorite Waitress on June 17th. The album marked the band’s fifth official release and the first for their new label, Dualtone (The Lumineers, Shovels & Rope, Guy Clark).
The Felice Brothers will be in Philadelphia this Thursday, July 10th at the Union Transfer and we sat down with James Felice to talk about the new album, life on the road, social media and the fans.
That Mag had the pleasure of seeing The Felice Brothers during the 14th Annual Non-Commvention in May and the band put on one hell of a show; a major presence on stage, The Felice Brothers brought with them great songs and a good time! How does a band whose main members have no formal musical training–“I took some piano lessons when I was young”–deliver the goods in such a compelling way? “It all comes from Ian, his voice is the voice of the band. He’s the nucleus.”
Ian is James’ bother and the band’s main songwriter and vocalist. Rounding out the band is James Felice on piano/keys/vocals, Greg Farley on fiddle/vocals, Josh Rawson on bass/vocals, and David Estabrook on drums. Put them all together and you have a great synergy of folk and rockabilly that is unmatched.
You may have heard the new release stashed in the background of the CW hit show, The Vampire Diaries, last season. “We have a song in the other vampire show too, “Whiskey in My Whiskey” was in True Blood”, Felice says.
Hopefully not to get niched in vampire dramas, The Felice Brothers planted their roots in early folk with influences from Jimmie Rodgers and Bob Dylan to their own modern listening enjoyment of artists like Steven Reichert and Old Crow Medicine Show. “We like songs that are really simple or music that can rack your brain.”
Everywhere the band goes they garner droves of fans. “We have incredible fans–they’re our kind of people. Fans in DC that brought us books to read when we are on the road, and we had fans in Philly who made us food–a big Italian meal to take with us on the bus.” What a great testament to the support the band receives in the cities in which they travel!
It can’t be easy to keep their fans engaged when they are on these long tours, so how does the band utilize social media to keep them updated? “I have to admit that we are not very good at it. It doesn’t feel natural and we don’t want to come off as impersonal. We want it to be meaningful.” Indeed social media can be a tricky rope to walk. Just keep Tweeting and posting to show the band your support and know that they see it, hear it, and appreciate it.
The immediate future for The Felice Brother includes touring, touring and more touring. The band has a few festivals scheduled, a trip to Europe at the end of the year and more of the same; writing, recording and touring. “Time is a flat circle”, says Felice and we look forward to more of what The Felice Brother is putting out.
Don’t miss the band with Robert Ellis at Union Transfer this Thursday. It just might be your last chance to see them before they explode
