FILTH IN MY GARAGE (est. 2007) toured Europe extensively and have recently released an excellent debut LP called “Songs From the Lowest Floor”, serving a real treat for fans of POISON THE WELL and cross-genre amalgamations drawing from noise rock, southern rock and other styles that add to its diversity. Our buddy Gab De La Vega of Epidemic Records helped with the vinyl version of the album (CD version is available through Argonauta Records), so we figured it would be nice to give the band a bit more space than just a regular news story. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… FILTH IN MY GARAGE!
“Songs from the lowest floor” by FILTH IN MY GARAGE sees the light three years after the EP 12.21.12, which laid the foundation for a real reborn from an apocalyptic landscape, bringing the band to a new and less frantic horizon, less standardized and more spontaneous. A spontaneity hard to find, because of several changes in the composition of the band itself, and also for the vicissitudes that every single member has carried with him, on both personal and musical layers. This new balance surely influenced the sound of these tracks, united with the several tour experiences abroad, that increased the desire for a sound research completely divergent from the stylistic conventions strictly bonded to the genre (as the band always used to), but with new awareness and security due to the experience and to the growth of individual and group. This new work tries to be a multi layered experience, a discovery where the listener is left free to step in independently. Filth in my Garage keeps limited to observe, while playing their songs… from the lowest floor.”
Hey there guys! 3 months after the release of your new acclaimed album and right after your recent string of shows, how does it feel? How has this first half of 2016 been treating you so far?
Hi everyone, thanks for having us here! We feel great, I mean, these past months have been intense and we feel very good about how the year started out.
You have collaborated with many artists on this tour. Have there been any particularly memorable bands that you’d like to mention here?
Well, we played quite a few shows now, and we got to know many people and friends. With some of them such as SELVƏ, LAPPESO, SUNPOCRISY, we had the chance to share the stage with multiple times and it has been better and better from time to time!
Do you have any plans to arrange more touring in other countries later this year?
We’re working on it, can’t tell you exactly when or where cause there’s nothing defined yet, but it’s in the plan.
By the way other countries, how do you compare your local scene to other places you’ve experienced both as a touring band and an attendee? Could you describe what your scene was like back when you started FILTH IN MY GARAGE and what it’s like today?
We had an European tour in 2014 which gave us the chance to play some cool shows and have a quick idea of how it works, I think there is much more interest generally in music compared to Italy, even if in the last few years are flourishing many cool bands and people started to not attend only to “big” shows. Indeed, people are starting to get a more serious view about music culture.
Anyway, talking about many of the venues which hosts gigs (with some exception – really good ones), there is still a lot to do, the culture of music and shows is still not fully accepted nowadays.
Photo by Stef Steffany.
Ok, back to the record, what are your personal thoughts on your debut full length now that a little time has passed?
It feels good… we worked hard and we’re all satisfied about the way the record came out, and here we must be thankful to the almighty Fabio Intraina of Trai Studio too, whose technique and knowledge gave us the possibility to render the sounds and the atmosphere we wanted for every single track. It sounds really natural and spontaneous to us, and reflects the way we wrote and played the tracks.
What feedback have you got so far? Has there been a lot of attention on the record internationally?
We got a good response at the shows and we got positive feedback both from home and abroad… I wouldn’t say we got “a lot of attention”, but we read some nice words about us and it feels just great!
Where did the name “Songs From the Lowest Floor” come from?
While writing the lyrics for the song “The Lowest Floor”, Stefano (singer) came up with this idea of how all the songs were bonded together by a sense of deep desperation and struggling that everyone has to face day by day, but we wanted to convey a sense of possibilities through reaction too… then it felt right to name the album after it: a bunch of songs screaming about the human condition and weakness, but also about not giving up and fighting to leave this so called lowest floor.
What inspires you to write your lyrics?
Our lyrics are written in a personal way but with a context opened to our society (occidental), there is too much stuff to take inspiration from nowadays, I mean, reality is full of facts that let you think there is something wrong on our behavior, this eternal fight between ideals and reality, passing by compromises, I think is our real inspiration.
Ok guys, apart from FILTH IN MY GARAGE, is there any other projects you’ve been up to lately that we should know about?
There are two things mainly: there is Matteo’s (guitar) Progetto Cervo Booking Agency, which is working really well to wrap up great gigs with awesome bands and I think you should all check it out via facebook.com/progetto.cervo
The other thing we feel to suggest you is the project involving Stefano and his brother Mattia; the first one is a great illustrator and Mattia is a calligraphy master! Now, put them on the stage while the gig is on, and you get live music and live painting, bringing to life a unique atmosphere to experience in its whole. If you ever get the chance, come see them live, you won’t regret it.
Are there any interesting festival, shows or record premieres that you look out for this year?
There are some things coming up, our friends SELVA just presented their new album, NORMA JEAN are coming to Italy (and we’ll have the honor to share the stage with such a great band!), DEFTONES played an awesome show in Milan a few weeks ago and many other things..
Are you thinking ahead to recording more new tracks with FILTH IN MY GARAGE already?
Of course we do! We haven’t practiced a lot since we started touring, cause you know how hard it is to combine work, family, touring and rehearsals… but we’re all looking forward to get on new riffs and parts really soon.
Thanks so much for the interview and your thoughts. Cheers from Warsaw and congratulations on the record! Best!
Thanks to you guys! Keep up the good work! Ciao!
01.07 @ Edonè, Bergamo
02.07 @ Santorso, Vicenza
03.07 @ Circolo Mu, Parma w// Norma Jean and more
