Michael Faeth is a drummer and musician from Fresno, CA. In the 1990’s he was drummer for the Seattle/Portland quartet Jessamine and they recorded two full length albums on Kranky Records and a 7” single on Sub Pop. They toured nationally, performed at the CMJ Music Festival in New York and the Bumbershoot Arts Festival in Seattle, and shared the stage with the likes of Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, Hovercraft, and The Flaming Lips.
Hey Michael, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Likewise and thank you for the opportunity. My mom’s record collection and my brother’s 8-track car stereo. I remember he had The Cars, DEVO, and AC/DC.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Thom Yorke because he has written some of my favorite music.
Your latest song is ‘Pleasure’. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
The drum track was actually recorded for my version of “Drinkin’ For Two”, but wasn’t used. I had come up with a simple acoustic guitar part that I showed Chris, and he did his magic based on that. I put the vocal ideas down and gave it all to Nate. He brought it together musically with his virtuosic bass parts. Lyrics came about while having fun thinking up the salacious type that might appear in a modern pop song. Fortunately only the lines “pleasure, all along your slippery walls” were used. The first two lines of the third verse were inspired by Sean, John, and Yoko.
What are you focussing on right now?
Setting up new hardware and DAW. Also purchasing a MicroMoog.
What is the biggest decision you’ve had to make?
Deciding to “go it alone” so to speak and creating music of my own as opposed to continuing to just drum for others in their bands.
What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?
Staying focused on being your best creatively regardless if your audience has discovered you or not.
How do you structure your day?
With small rituals throughout: make coffee, walk dogs, yoga, meditate, do dishes, practice, read, play, etc.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Artistic performances and shows, cooking, entrepreneurship, and being a good human.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Yes. “Don’t Give Up” by Peter Gabriel, “Wrapped Around Your Finger” by the Police, and “Ingenue” by Atoms For Peace.
What are your plans for the future?
Creating music that sounds surprisingly different and yet still feels familiar.