Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Related Articles
The band’s distinctive, powerful works have captured the attention of a number of stars. They’ve backed Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe, and Devendra Banhart, and twice joined Ryan Bingham on national tours. They worked closely with Jack White and T Bone Burnett, joining Nas, Elton John, and Alabama Shakes in the PBS primetime series American Epic. Their live show, honed over many hundreds of performances, is something to behold. This Fall the band also hits the road with singer-songwriter Stephen Kellogg for a very special set of dates.
Vents Magazine spoke with The Americans frontman Patrick Ferris for a deep dive into their world.
We’re happy to be speaking today with respected, talented and up and coming band The Americans! Before we kick the proverbial tin can down the dusty road, how has your 2022 been treating you so far?
How has 2022 been treating us? It’s been hard for everyone! We’re used to playing a lot of shows a year, and suddenly it’s become a rarity. We’re really looking forward to getting back to it.
Congratulations on the release of your new album Stand True! What was the inspiration for it?
We lost some people close to us while we were writing the album, so that was certainly an influence. Otherwise it was just about digging deep and trying to get even closer to what it is our band does musically.
What was it like recording the album as a whole? What were the best parts about it and how did it all come together?
We tracked everything live, just like we were playing a show, then went back and layered over that. We spent a lot of time running old amplifiers into each other to get the exact tones and distortions we were looking for. Everything was recorded to two-inch tape. Our tracking and mixing engineer Zach Fischer was spectacular—he really helped the record come together.
Who was your producer on the album and what was your collaboration like in the studio?
We produced it ourselves. We have a lot of experience with that at this point, so it went well. We each bring different strengths to the table, and when someone has an opinion that’s different from the rest, we all pay attention.
Do you have a personal favorite track on the album?
Mine is Romeo, but the other guys aren’t crazy about it, and even my mom says she doesn’t like it, so I may be alone in that.
What do your touring plans look like at the moment?
It looks like we’re playing some dates in the Southeast and Midwest come October. Details to come.
You’re based out of Los Angeles. How do those roots inform you and the music you create?
Los Angeles is a place of endless depth. Whatever it is you’re into, you’ll likely find a world of it somewhere in LA. For us starting out, that was American pre-war folk and blues, and obscure ’50s rockabilly. We met fabulous musicians playing the same music, and record collectors who turned us onto even more of it. And we were able to play shows doing nothing but that material early on because there was an audience for it.
As a singer and songwriter, which comes first for you – The lyrics or the music?
Most often it’s the music. Typically there’s a lick or progression that defines the whole mood or weight of the song, and we build from there. But I write a lot of words on my own too, and sometimes those get dropped in over a new piece of music.
Musically, who are you listening to right now?
Kurt Vile
What do you hope the takeaway is from Stand True for listeners?
I think it’s a step closer to the thing we’ve been going for as a band since the beginning. I hope people will listen to the words.
You have performed with and opened for many big name bands in your time. Who was your favorite and why?
Opening for Dr. John for two nights in 2016 was an immense honor. He was a singular artist, and his work means the world to us. Ryan Bingham is about as genuine and generous a person as you’ll meet—he’s taken us on the road a bunch of times and we’ve always had a blast.
Is there someone you haven’t performed with or opened for but would like to one day? If so, who?
Tom Waits, Bob Dylab, Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, or The Mighty Sparrow.
Listen to The Americans “Stand True”
Find The Americans via:
Tour Dates:
10/20 – Indianapolis, IN
10/21 – Chicago, IL
10/22 – Milwaukee, WI
10/23 – Minneapolis, MN
11/3 – Richmond, VA
11/4 – Vienna, VA
11/5 – Holyoake, MA
