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Interview with Atlanta band The Mad Flight + a live video
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The Mad Flight is Paul Cantrell, David Fountain and Heath Ladnier. I recently had the pleasure of asking Paul a few questions. You should really give it a read as the answers are well thought out and really portray a devoted view on the artistic world to which the band contributes. He has some good things to say about many Atlanta bands and whats going on around the city in the music community. The Mad Flight is an indie band with a really unique sound. As you’ll find out below…these guys have been working and perfecting their sound for some time and they are on the verge of making things happen for themselves. They have an indie sound with what I call a Sinatra twist throughout. They have a sort of dream effect to many of their songs which puts off a real sense of passion in the music. They say below that they wail, howl and croon and I think that just about describes it perfectly. They will be replacing the lower quality demos on their myspace with higher quality stuff really soon and I can’t wait for that. I’m also hoping to book them at the beatlanta house soon. They are playing at 529 on October 1st for the It’s Elephants fair well show so make it out to that….I think beatlanta will. The pictures were provided by the band and they were nice enough to include links to all the bands they mention. The video is not beatlanta video but just one I found on youtube shot by Matthew Walker, In Stereo Photography. Sit, look, read….?
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B: When did The Mad Flight form? Who plays what? How does everyone know each other?
Dave and I met the summer we turned 18. We recorded and played shows for a few years, mostly acoustic. Then I moved John, my best friend from Baltimore, down here to play drums. Before long, Dave went off to NYU for grad school, and I went back to Baltimore to finish a novel. When the two of us moved back here, we agreed to reform the band as two bands—one for my songs, one for Dave’s. Then our best friend, John, was murdered in the bar where he working. The Mad Flight formed two months later, in March of 2009. That was around the time that Heath and I met, but he didn’t start playing drums with us until recently. I’m pretty sure that Heath and Dave met on a Fur Bus that my friends rented for my birthday last year, but that’s another story. I howl and croon and play guitar. Dave wails and soars and plays bass. Heath doles thunder.
B: Do you have any albums out now or coming soon that we should know about?
We plan to record an album in the next few months.
B: Do you have any upcoming shows and/or tour plans?
On Friday, October 1st, we’re playing a free show at 529 with our good friends, It’s Elephant’s. It will be their last show together, and it means a lot to us to be a part of it.
B: What are your goals as a band?
To live out our years in heat of blood.
B: Describe a Mad Flight show.
Garrett, from It’s Elephant’s and The Letters Organize, once described our sound as “towering, romantic.” He’s a kind man. There’s also the bombastic element to what we do, but it’s all within what feels like a pretty sturdy melodic framework.
B: What experience above all others do you hope fans take away from the show?
I think that if you’re going to take time in your life to see a band, then that band should do everything it can to give you the time of your life.
B: Tell us about your writing process.
Usually I’ll play with the words for a while, working out the relation between sound and sense. On a good day, that relation will be informed by the melody and by what the entire band is doing in the arrangement. As for the music, I try to have all of the parts worked out first. Then Dave and Heath find better parts to play.
B: Describe your music in one word.
In a fit of headiness, I once asked Dave what the aesthetic constant was. All he said was, “Rocking.”
B: Are there any major influences that influence your sound or made you want to start your band?
Any given song will have its own set of influences. Some people have said that we sound like a mash-up of early Smashing Pumpkins, Jeff Buckley, and Radiohead—them in a bar fight, or some such. And by “bar” they mean Robert Pollard’s basement. Those are flattering comparisons, but they probably have more to do with tone than with the songs themselves.
B: Are there any major influences the entire band shares, music or otherwise?
I think we all agreed on early Weezer. Heath has been known to call people over late at night to perform the blue album in its entirety. I recall that at one point we also agreed on the early, piano-driven Muse material, like “Absolution.” Dave’s a walking encyclopedia of music, and I haven’t heard of half the bands that Heath references. Our individual influences run the gamut, but they meet in unexpected ways that we like.
B: Describe the Atlanta music scene in one word.
Lush.
B: What local bands would you recommend to your fans and fans of local music?
I admire the ways that Abby Gogo and The N.E.C. are expanding shoegaze. Howlies, Gold-Bears, CAN CAN, All the Saints, Mermaids, and Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun all put on a hell of a show. This Piano Plays Itself, Mice in Cars, Imagination Head, and Lacuna M. are doing impressive things in terms of conceptualization and structure, albeit in drastically different ways. The same goes for what Dave Daniels is doing with Americana. Anything involving Tom Cheshire is going to make for a great night. I’ve also made no secret of my hope that The Long Shadows will reunite. There are too many to list. I openly defy anyone to try shaking a stick at how many amazing bands are in this city.
B: What are your favorite non-local bands?
Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets is a great band out of Florida. Sleeping in the Aviary. Deleted Scenes. The Dead Science. Heath just turned me on to Colour Revolt. They’re great, too.
B: Whats your favorite place to hang in Atlanta?
Probably East Atlanta Village. Wherever there’s a good show in town that night.
B: What was the last album you bought?
That Tenement Halls album from a few years ago.
B: How do you advertise your shows?
Word of mouth and the usual websites. We’re on Facebook.
B: Any closing statements or thoughts or anything about the band or your music you want folks to know?
This band has been a long time coming. The old rehearsal demos we have online don’t do anyone much justice. We’ll have better, proper recordings available soon. In the meantime, come see us for yourselves.
Go to their upcoming show on October 1st…plus, its your last chance to see It’s Elephants.
We were lucky enough to get a demo of theirs to post, please keep in mind its a demo, the recording is a little rough, but hey, we can keep an open mind…new and upgraded songs are currently in the works…it rocks either way.
