Band Of The Week #159 - Flyte
This week’s Band of the Week is London based trio Flyte, who have just released their stunning album ‘This Is Really Going To Hurt’ - a deeply personal tale about the falling apart of a long term relationship. The band took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there Flyte, how are you? So your second album is finally here - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
It feels like a weight off the shoulders actually - this album has been a heavy one to carry. From its conception, it was a way of confronting and expelling pain. To then sit on an album like this, especially through a global pandemic, has resulted in some mental straining to say the least.
It is titled - ‘This Is Really Going To Hurt’, what is the meaning behind that?
It‘s actually a reference to the film ‘Hook’. Captain Hook says it to Jack when he’s prepping him for an ear piercing. In the context of the opening track ‘Easy Tiger’, it’s a warning to myself. You know when you cut yourself really badly and in that initial moment of shock, you haven’t started to feel any pain yet, but you know its on its way? That’s that place I was in with my breakup when easy tiger was written, hence the line feeling so appropriate for the album title
Where was the album recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the experience?
We recorded it out in California after a long tour of America. We lived in this flat just off Hollywood Boulevard, which was surreal in itself. The studios we worked in were old 70s spaces and amazing musicians were everywhere, even coming in and spontaneously playing on our songs. It was hard not to feel like we were living our own rock bio ha.
Well from the moment go - this is obviously a breakup album, how does it differ from all the rest? It certainly feels like it goes on a journey of the whole relationship - was that your intention?
We so often think we’re hearing a ‘break up’ album because there are one or two break up tracks on there. This record is from start to finish, about one moment in time. I did try to tell the story with the finger pointed at myself as well, which I’ve noticed doesn’t happen all that much. Break up songs are almost always pointing the finger at someone else. It’s an album that’s meant to be experienced in order because the songs are quite literally in chronological order of the process of this break up.
A lot of this album started off as a twenty minute voice note - can you tell us a bit more about that? Also how do you take something from that level and turn it into an album?
Oh, every song starts from a voice note. This time round it was an album in a voice note. More or less.
Along with the album, you are releasing a pen album book - can you tell us a bit more about that?
That was something we had fun putting together because we had so many photographs and scribblings from the time of making the record. The thought of being in someone’s pile of toilet books was too irresistible.
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
The key theme is honesty
Do you have a favorite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
‘The friends who must choose, which one of us they wish to lose’ from ‘Everyone’s a Winner’ always hits hard for us.
Now the album is out there - what next for Flyte?
We’ll be taking this album on the road in September. And we’ve already started work on something new and exciting.