Interview with Health

Guardian: What did you guys try to do on Get Color to branch out from the first record? In what ways have you succeeded?

John Famiglietti: More repetition, making everything more “song-based” and more grooves. I think we mostly succeeded in evolving and progressing our sound, but we’d like to go much farther.

G: Do you see the band moving toward a more dance-oriented sound on the next release? Where are your heads at right now in your vision of HEALTH for this year?

JF: Well, yes actually, because our next release is DISCO2, the sequel to our remix album, which is naturally dancey. But for future HEALTH projects, yes with an ‘and,’ and if with a ‘but,’ not gonna make an album of dance beats, but definitely want to keep streamlining the “groove” aspect and produce things in a way that is more electronic bassy.

G: How do you engage the audience in spaces that might not be as conducive to your frantic live show? The Loft is a fairly upscale bar and lounge, for example. What’s your mentality when getting ready to play at a space like that?

JF: We just do it. We’ve really conditioned ourselves from years of playing; We can do it anywhere. Also for college shows, it’s par for the course.

G: What band is inspiring you guys most right now in what you’re doing with your own music, and why? Any new bands from LA you want to shout out?

JF: No one really, and I’m not being a dick. We do keep taking influence from other music, but it’s mostly just song concepts or musical tricks. At the moment we’re listening to Top-40 radio … really dying for a good new record to listen to at the moment. There’s a new band in LA called TEARIST, which I think is pretty cool. Also, I’d love to shout out Pictureplane from Denver — his 2009 album Dark Rift is amazing.

G: After the SD show, you guys are going to quickly tour Canada and then it’s off to New Zealand and Australia. What was it like getting that tour booked?

JF: Well, there’s never really much of an adventure of getting a tour booked, its just some e-mails, and you cross your fingers.

G: Do you have any vacation plans while you’re there, aside from playing music?

JF: Totally. We’ve never been, so we’re taking days off to hang (which we rarely do on most tours). Hoping to hit up the black sand beaches and see some countryside.

G: What’s HEALTH’s dream collaboration? If you could do a song with any artist working now, who would you pick and why?

JF: We’ve always wanted to do a song with Johnny Jewel of Glass Candy.

G: P.S. My funny HEALTH fact: Way back when, there was a post on Craigslist wanting a vocalist for a band based in LA, listing influences like Liars and the Locust … it was you dudes. My hometown is Thousand Oaks, a suburb about 45 minutes north of Los Angeles, but I answered the post because I was looking to join a new band and I loved all the influences you had put down. At the time, it bummed me out that I couldn’t join (I think I was still in high school). Just thought I’d share that, take it easy guys.

JF (laughing): I forgot about that. We never used anyone from the ad by the way.

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