SXSW Interview: J Fernandez

The end of 2018 saw J Fernandez drop Occasional Din; we mentioned it on several occasions here. Well, he’s coming into Austin for the shenanigans, so let’s get right to the point! Here’s another SXSW interview for those folks out there putting together their list; let’s hope he’s on yours!

ATH: Whats the name of the band/group? Where are you from?
J: J Fernandez. Chicago IL

ATH: Describe your groups sound.

J: Condensed melodic pop clusters

ATH: What was your most recent release? Any planned releases from 2019?
J: The latest album is called ‘Occasional Din’. I’m working on new music but not sure it will come out in 2019.ATH: For most SXSW sets, you get 30 minutes to leave a lasting impression. Whats your plan of attack? You have a set list mapped out yet?

J: My plan of attack is to start the set off strong with an upbeat song, spend 20 minutes tuning my guitar, then finish the set with the same song we opened with.
ATH: Lets say your band has been booked an official showcase at a pop up venue somewhere in the middle of 6th street. The lineup features thrash metal, hip-hop, spoken word, and you. The sound is horrible, the lineup is not your style, and the crowd seems angry at the world. How would your band deal with such a situation?
J: I can adjust our set to fit any genre. In this scenario, we’ll do our thrash metal hip-hop spoken word fusion set.
ATH: There are tons of bands coming into town. Of the 1000+ band coming into town, who would you ideally like to play with. What band friends will be here?
J: I know a few friends will be in town. Paul Cherry, Deeper, The Curls, Ohtis, and Shy Boys.

ATH: What has everyone in the band been listening to, or, what plays in the tour van/car/bus?

J: We’ve mainly been listening to Phish. Island tour ’98 and Air Traffic Control Tower set from IT.

ATH: Describe your perfect festival, real or not? Whos headlining? Wheres it take place? Etc.

J: My friends organize a fest / show every year just outside of Austin called Chill Phases. Some of the artists performing this year include Molly Burch, Buck Meek, and Jess Williamson.

ATH: Whats on the bands rider? If were bringing you food and booze, what can we bring you?

J: Ricola lozenges, Gordon’s Gin, Sardines.
ATH: The band gets to create their own taco pop-up shop at SXSW? Whats the name, and what sort of tacos will you have? Any sides?
J: The taco place would be called The Taco Depot. All the tacos would be covered in gravy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *