Belle Adair… Beautiful fire fighters
Interview: Belle Adair
Published on October 1st, 2012 | Jonny Abrams
Alabama five-piece Belle Adair are gearing up to release a first full-length album’s worth of their dreamy, lightly psychedelic folk-pop, so Rocksucker fired over some questions to front man Matt Green in order to find out a little bit more about their whole operation. First, though, get a load of the gorgeous sound that his band creates…
What’s the line-up of the band? How did you all meet, and how long has the band been going for?
Currently, we’re a five-piece: guitar, pedal steel, keys, bass, and drums. We’ve all been playing together for about a year and a half. Ben Tanner (keys) and I have known each other since we were kids playing recreational sports, and I got to know all the other guys after I relocated back home to Muscle Shoals about two years ago.
How would you describe your music, if pushed?
We’re a folk-rock band at heart that meanders into ambient and noisy territory.
Where are you based, and what do you use to record with?
We are based out of Muscle Shoals, AL in the northwest corner of the state. Our first EP and upcoming full-length were recorded digitally with Pro Tools, though we were able to afford the comforts and functioning equipment of a high-quality recording studio while recording our new record.
Is there a full album in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it? (Feel free to be as abstract as you like…)
We are currently in the process of mixing our first full-length album and should have a finished copy in our hands by the end of October. It’s a mixed bag of all the music we love: some ambient moments, some folky songs, some orchestral moments, some pop songs, some noisy moments. Hopefully, everyone can find something to latch onto.
Where can we hear your music online?
www.belleadairmusic.com or www.soundcloud.com/belle-adair
You can also listen to us on Spotify.
Which have been your most exciting gigs and/or overall moments so far?
We played alongside Dylan Leblanc at Secret Stages in Birmingham, and a few of us opened for the Alabama Shakes in Chicago in early September. They’re both from in or around Muscle Shoals, so it’s great to be able to share the stage with them.
Got any more coming up? (Gigs, that is…)
We always have shows on the calendar, but we mostly keep it close to home (the Southeast, generally). With full-time jobs and other obligations, musical and otherwise, we try to keep the shows to about three or four per month.
Are there any obscure and/or up-and-coming acts that you’d like to recommend or give a shout-out to?
Don’t know if they’re obscure and/or up-and-coming, but the following have been dominating my listening sessions lately:
The new Sea and Cake LP – Runner
Curtis Mayfield (any and all)
Quantic & Alice Russell – Look Around the Corner
The new Calexico LP – Algiers
Bill Fay – Life is People
Karen Dalton – In My Own Time
Finally, if you were forced to spend the rest of your days in solitary confinement, but were allowed to bring the entire works of five different artists along to tide you over, whose would you choose?
Jim O’Rourke, Curtis Mayfield, Grateful Dead, Haruki Murakami and Tim Hecker.
Matt Green, thank you.
For more information, please visit www.belleadairmusic.com
About the Author
Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.
