When Dan Boeckner, formerly of Wolf Parade, and Spoon’s Britt Daniel set out to collaborate last year, the aim was a lasting rock ‘n’ roll group. While the result, Divine Fits, may be a “supergroup,” we shouldn’t call them that. Technically speaking, they meet the criteria for the egregious category home to fun. and Chickenfoot, but Divine Fits is so much more than an opportunity for hungry egos to feast.
The foursome, with Daniel and Boeckner sharing vocals and guitars, Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks on drums, and Alex Fischel of PAPA on keyboards, blends Daniel’s penchant for minimalism with Boeckner’s more emotional intuitiveness. Touching on ’80s new wave, boozy ’70s rock, and contemporary indie music, the group’s sound is as inventive as it is familiar. Divine Fits have a raucous quality expected from any dependable rock group, but they maintain the experimental edge heard in Daniel and Boeckner’s previous work.
In advance of Divine Fits’ show at the Majestic Theatre this Wednesday, I spoke with keyboardist Alex Fischel about the group and pizza.
You cover Tom Petty and I’ve read that you guys were listening to lots of AC/DC while recording. There’s no doubt that Divine Fits are a rock band. What inspired the interest in classic rock/new wave and how do you guys make it feel fresh today?
“Definitely undeniable. That’s some of our favorite stuff and it’s cool to take those things and try to make something that I hope sounds new.”
Obviously name recognition has helped Divine Fits in certain ways, but it does seem like you guys have started from the ground up in certain senses. Have you guys enjoyed this process? Is there a sense of nervousness with starting fresh?
“Well, there definitely will be Wolf Parade or Spoon fans who come to the shows but also there’s been people who don’t know either of those bands so that’s awesome. It’s been really fun to connect with people on that fundamental level.”
Your presence as a keyboardist gives Divine Fits a lot of its sound. How was it to blend those elements with more organic instruments like guitars?
“A lot of it had to do with Dan [Boeckner] since he knows so much about synths and stuff. I learned a lot from him, definitely.”
You guys tour a ton. It seems like everyone in the band has an affinity for being on the road. What are your personal likes and dislikes for touring? And how do you guys keep yourselves entertained on the road?
“I fucking love it! I love those guys so much, so we have a great time. As for entertainment — for the bigger U.S. tour we had a bus, which is nicer for shenanigans.” (laughs)
Dan mentioned in a January interview that you guys were back in L.A. working on some new songs. Can we expect to hear some new stuff on your upcoming dates?
“Yeah, probably! There was a new track we played at SXSW that you’ll likely hear in Madison. We’ve been in L.A. working with Joe Chicarelli on some things and just got done doing some mixing.”
Any final words for the kids of Madison?
“I love Madison! Last time I was in Madison was on a Girls tour, opening with PAPA. I walked around a bit and had Ian’s Pizza with mac and cheese on it.”