Getting old is such a kick in the balls – literally. It becomes harder to stay up late, hangovers are viciously unremorseful and, even worse, as I approach middle age, I suspect I will never father a child.
Saskatoon’s Father Figures, however, are a completely different kind of kick in the balls.
Comprised of drummer Billy Tataryn and guitarist Matt Folkerson, the Father Figures have managed to establish themselves in an up-and-coming scene in a relatively short amount of time. The duo is so musically inclined in fact, that it’s hard to not look up admirably at their particular dance of buzzsaw guitar rock as some kind of wizened source of inspiration.
Even better, with the two-piece playing often and fiercely, who the fuck needs kids anyway?
“Matt and I started the project in early December of last year with a show a month away – we basically locked ourselves in our jam space,” says Tataryn. “We tried to open our heads and combine our ideas of what we wanted to achieve. Since then we have been playing and perfecting our material playing it with a different perspective almost every time we play live. We have been lucky enough to have been offered some really awesome opportunities from some very influential and talented musicians as well as record our four-song EP with Jordan Smith at Avenue Recording Company.
“We’ve tried to play each show that has come our way, each one opening a new door.”
Despite the inherent minimalism of a guitar ‘n’ drum attack, the Father Figures have a massively full sound that doesn’t try too hard to be anything that it is not. Combining sleazy booze-rock with grooves that nod all gentlemanly-like to retro living room dance parties, the duo slash and burn like a martini mixed with gin and dirty gotch.
And although their debut EP reaches for perfection, Tataryn fully admits that the group isn’t afraid to fuck around with their sound.
“The EP marks a time in Father Figures’ progression musically and creatively,” says Tataryn. “The EP is the first songs Father Figures wrote, and it’s a stepping-stone for us musically. The songs change every time we play them whether jamming or live. The EP is a fossil if you will of Father Figures first step out into showcasing something we are very proud of and love to share with the crowd.”
Clocking in at only four songs, the EP is pretty much something of a teaser or a harbinger of things to come. Despite their varied approach, Tataryn states that the Father Figures will be committing to recording new songs in the not-so-distant future.
“Father Figures see touring in the crystal ball,” says Tataryn, “as well as a full-length album hopefully in the next year if we can get all our ducks in a row. Basically we just to continue to grow musically and creatively and write some more kick ass tracks to melt some faces.”