First/Last-Free Energy

 Photo courtesy Leslie Plesser

Free Energy

Shadow Lounge

Thursday, June 21, 2012

East Liberty

"Cult Minneapolis rockers Hockey Night split up a couple of years back, and for a time mainmen Scott Wells and Paul Sprangers continued to operate under that moniker. They altered their musical orientation, got signed to DFA, and recorded an album with LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy playing bass and manning the mixing desk, and Pat Mahoney on drums. FACT was fortunate enough to hear a few tracks at DFA HQ last year and can tell you that they sound great – very un-DFA in a way, with a real high-fidelity, guitar-heavy and totally unironic AM-rock sound reminds us of Tom Petty and great summers. And now…

The band is a quintet – Sprangers and Wells are joined by Geoff Bucknam, Nicholas Shuminsky and Evan Wells – and they’ve changed their name to Free Energy. DFA are currently giving away a free track by the band, ‘Dream City’, taken from the forthcoming album. It’s the first publicly available material by Free Energy and it’s brilliant, obviously.”

The band is touring this summer, previewing tracks from their upcoming album "Love Sign" and stop in Pittsburgh next Thursday. Bandleader Paul Sprangers was nice enough to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
“Appetite for Destruction”, Guns N’ Roses. Our babysitter played it for me.

Your last album bought?
“Skying”, The Horrors. Epic mind rockers.

Favorite album of all time?
“Kick”, INXS.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
“Chipmunk Punk”, The Chipmunks.

First concert attended?
New Kids on the Block at Harriet Island in Minnesota.

Last concert?
M83 at Union Transfer in Philadelphia, PA.

Favorite concert ever?
Coldplay in Camden, NJ. Viva La Vida!. Mind blowing.

Least favorite concert?
Thomas Dolby at SXSW in 2012. TOTAL BUMMER (Free Energy played after him).

Any thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
We love Pittsburgh! Played an awesome show there a couple years ago. Super psyched to come back. Please come out and say hi.

Thanks, Paul. Digging the lead track off the new LP.