We got a chance to talk with Eric Hillman of longtime indie rock/folk darlings Foreign Fields, about their new album What It Cost, its creation, their history as a band, his love of Björk, and much more.
Interview was conducted over email.
Well, first off, where are you guys from/where did the project originate? And what was your upbringing like?
Brian and I both currently live in our home state of Wisconsin. I’m over in the Southwest Driftless region, and Brian is over in the Southeast city of Milwaukee. Our story actually started here in Wisconsin about 20 years ago when Brian and I first met and started playing together in our church youth group band. We were both pretty suburban kids through and through. Growing up in the Midwest in the midst of the emo/hardcore scene with our eyes firmly set on what was happening over in England and NYC at the time.
How did y’all get into music? What was the song/moment when you first fell in love with it?
I grew up in a very musical family. My grandfather was an orchestra conductor and my grandmother was a composer and music educator. Almost everyone in my extended family has their profession deeply rooted in music. So for me my love and obsession with music started very early. Because I grew up in such a strictly classical environment some of my most striking memories with music were when I was introduced to something outside of that realm.
One such memory is when I first heard Björk’s “Venus As A Boy” playing through the car speakers, I was maybe 8 or 9 and it changed everything for me. I can think of several moments like this where it just felt like my eye (and ears) were opened. Hearing “The District Sleep Alone Tonight” (The Postal Service) in high school, experiencing the works of Steve Reich performed in college, spending a night in Berlin absolutely falling in love with House music.
Who/what were some of your major musical influences?
Historically: Björk, Radiohead, Early Coldplay, Sufjan Stevens, Sigur Ros, Son Lux, Bon Iver
Recently: Rozi Plain, Big Thief, Jon Hopkins, Hovvdy, Rostam, Stimming
How did you form as a band?
I asked Brian if he wanted to be in a band back in the early 2000’s when we were just teenagers (I think Brian was actually 12?) and we’ve been making music together ever since.
Are there any newer artists that have caught your attention?
Absolutely, I listen to new music almost everyday. Some artists that have caught my attention recently are: Memories of Jane, Isola, Mei Semones and Night Tapes
What do you think of the current shape of the folk scene?
To be honest, I don’t listen to a ton of folk music. Certainly not enough to have a good grasp on the landscape of the scene currently. When we were starting up I felt like folk had two strong directions. On one side there was the stomp+clap americana scene led by the likes of Mumford and Sons, and on the other side there was the more ambient and experimental side of things with artists like Bon Iver.
We certainly felt more in line with the latter in the past but I feel overall that side of things has gotten quite jam-bandy in its older age which I don’t see us aligning with much. At this point though, I would venture to say, if someone is pushing folk music forward and leading the scene it’s most likely a woman.
How would you describe your sound?
I think as a band we have always been obsessed with moments. Moments in music that can pull your emotions in all sorts of directions. I think the idea of special moments describes our music overall better than any one genre tag could.
What’s your creative process like?
Brian and I (for the most part) write separately. Our separate lives provide the backdrop and context for everything that we make so the writing is always happening in the background. We know it’s time to get together and make a record when we check in and find that we are both wrestling with the same subjects in our minds, that we have something to say about something in particular. This is when the real work begins.
Congrats on the forthcoming release of your new album, What It Cost. What’s your feeling as the official release is finally upon us? How’s the response been to the songs you’ve released thus far?
Thanks! Yeah, the feeling of releasing music is always a bit strange. For us the creation process is the real meat of the process. Everything that we “need” or “want” from our art happens then and there. So releasing something out to the public usually happens long after that is done and usually when our hearts are already bending towards the next. That being said, the response from people has been so lovely.
As a group that’s been around for quite some time, who stays relatively quiet (for today’s standards) and continues to make very personal music it is so heart-warming to see people digging into your new music, either brand new listeners or people who have been with us through the whole journey. We are incredibly blessed to have some incredible fans and that will continue to be the best part of releasing music.
How’d the album come together? Any influences? How long did it take to complete?
This one was definitely quite different from our previous releases. This was our band record. An attempt to loosen up a little and have some fun. Brian and I wrote songs separately and then got together with our good friends Nick Morawiecki (guitar) and Nate Babbs (drums) to flesh out the songs and give them a life as a band, rather than constructing them on the computer (which was more typically of our past albums). This created a much more collaborative atmosphere and certainly guided the final feel of the record. It’s a bit messy, a bit more live. We felt like our previous album (The Beauty of Survival) closed out an era for Foreign Fields, and this was our first step into something new. I can see us doing more albums in this way, not necessarily more band records, but trying to place ourselves in completely new situations when making music to try and produce more unique results.
What was the inspiration behind the album? And any meaning in the title?
For this record we were feeling inspired to make a record about “love” and more specifically the love in our lives and all the forms that it takes. The title “What It Cost” loosely refers to an excerpt from Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet” that speaks on the idea of a life with or without love.
Paraphrasing: you will laugh, but not all of your laughter, and you will cry, but not all of your tears. That idea that love is dynamic, it’s beautiful, but also it has a cost. Sometimes life can be a little less comfortable, but elation is worth the friction.
What do you want listeners to take from the project? Any specific themes?
Personally I would love for listeners to take whatever they find from the project. It’s theirs now.
Do you have a favorite song off the project? I think mine might be “When You Are”, it’s very alternative and almost experimental but still has those folk roots. A great vibe.
Nice! Yeah, that’s a favorite of mine as well. Certainly the most experimental on the record. I think “Bloodstone” may be the best song I’ve written so far in my life. I’m quite partial to the simplicity of the title track as well.
Aside from making music, do you have any other passions?
Brian is a man of many passions (cooking, gardening, and the Milwaukee Bucks), but I feel like most of my passion lies in music of some sort. I think my greatest passion outside of music would be traveling with my wife and kids, I spend a majority of my energy (and money) on making sure that happens as much as possible.
What can people expect from you in the future? Shows? Tour?
Yeah, we’ll be playing some shows here in the fall. Really excited about those, bringing the band mentality to life on the stage will be a ton of fun. After that we have some really cool collaborations with other artists that we have been cooking up as well!
Foreign Fields’ new album What It Cost is streaming now!
