Future Thieves had a busy 2017. They made the official SXSW lineup; toured in Germany, Switzerland, France, and Spain; and recorded their upcoming LP in El Paso. Now, back in home in Nashville, they’re gearing up for their third annual Not So Silent Night, happening December 16th at the Basement East.
We caught up with the band to talk about the new record, the upcoming Beast show, and the video for their latest single, “Drive.”
“Drive” and “Sucker” seem to venture into a more dance-y, synth-pop direction for the band. Are they representative of the upcoming album, and what accounted for the shift?
Elliot Collett: Both “Drive” and “Sucker” are a great representation of what’s to come on the new record. We had fun challenging ourselves and working in a way that involved whatever felt great to us and [then] just recorded it. We went out to [recording complex] Sonic Ranch in the middle of the desert near El Paso. We just set up all the old synths we could find—like the good Juno’s—and just got weird.
You’ve said that unlike other musicians that move to Nashville, you all didn’t come here to “chicken-pick and twang.” Now that you’ve been in Nashville a while, however, has the city’s musical history impacted your approach to music at all?
Nick Goss: We’ve all had a lot of respect for all kinds of music. That line in the bio about chicken-picking is just a line in a bio. We love the cultural influence Nashville has on music around the world. The city breeds creativity, no matter what genre. We love having so many friends and peers here that push each other to make music that pushes boundaries. We’re extremely happy to be here in a town that gets so much respect for being a trendsetter in music, and we hope to be a big part of that.
You’re about to put on the third Not So Silent Night at the Basement East. What gave you guys the idea for the event, and what should we expect at this year’s edition?
Austin McCool: We wanted an opportunity to just have fun with everyone that’s supported us over the year and make it cheap. Our manager has always been good at throwing parties, so it just clicked to have an end of year holiday party. This year is going to be pretty rad, with cheap-as-can-be beers and no cover. Guthrie [Brown] is one of our best buds, so sharing a show with him is always a treat.
You’ve played Bonnaroo, Summerfest, and SXSW. Are there any dream shows or festivals you still want to check off the list?
Collett: Hmm. I’d probably have to say Glastonbury and some of the old theaters around the world. There’s some really good ones close to home, like the Bijou in Knoxville. Places like that have always fascinated me with the acoustics of the room.
