You're doing alright when you get to divide your time between a professional band - the Friendly Fires - and an amateur DJ - as Jack Savidge - otherwise known as the drummer in the band. Since the bands breakthrough with their debut self titled album in 2008, and then being nominated for a highly coveted Mercury Music Prize the following year, the lads have released another album titled 'Pala' and an edition of the 'Late Night Tales' series towards the end of 2012 - all of which have shown the flavour of music they like.
As a side project to the band, Jack plays sporadically under the guise of 'Friendly Fires (DJ Set)', where he gets to explore another side to his taste in dance music, keeping things simple with two decks and a mixer.
The first time I remember seeing you DJ and you were warming up for DJ Sneak at Space a few years ago, do you remember that?
"Yeah, I do actually, I was thinking about that other day."
A great gig, how was that for you?
"Yeah, I'd been DJ'ing since probably, I dunno, maybe 18 years old? Kinda' before the band had properly got going. It was good, it was a really big deal to even do a gig in Ibiza, and then to be warming for the the man Sneak. I remember he didn't say a word to me actually, we just shook hands. I was ready to say "hello, how are you!?", but it was just silence mate! So, yeah, if you're warming up for Sneak, don't expect to him to be too chatty!"
Sweet, cheers for the heads up. Do you ever see a point where the DJ'ing takes over from the band?
"No, I don't think so. I mean, the band is still obviously the most important thing, just that it's a good fun thing to be able to do, in the interim when we're just kind of writing music. It's a good excuse for a party really."
You've obviously come a long way since the debut album, particularly in the style of music that I've heard over the course of the different albums, and the Late Night Tales album, what's the next step? Where do you go after those three albums?
"Yeah, we were just starting to get going, we had a bit of a break over the autumn. We're just getting going now on the the new stuff - it's sounding good, quite different again, maybe something a little more live sounding, more live sounding than the previous record anyway. Which is great as we got to indulge our production side. It's sounding good, we've been jamming and using some cool old synths, stuff like that. I guess at the moment because they're all kind of slightly unfinished, and because we've been using what we've been using it all sounds kinda '70s', but that will change. It's hard to say now, but it's fun - we're enjoying it!"
So we're not going to hear a techno album anytime soon then? That'd be nice.
"Yeah, it would be nice wouldn't it! I think we always try to make our albums as varied as possible... well not actually as varied as possible because that would be awful! But, we always want to keep the listeners guessing. But yeah, we shall see!"
How did the Late Night Tales compilation come together? It wasn't something I was expecting from you.
"Cheers! They just approached us and asked if we'd like to do one, and we immediately said yes. We thought it was a really cool series, with some really cool editions people have done, with every one that's coming out having its own particular flavour, and also it seems to show a side of a band that you thought you already knew.
The recents ones, the Metronomy one in particular, is cool because it gives you an insight in to the way they are as a band. Obviously, you just want it to purely be a good listen, but sometimes I think it can be more interesting and a laugh."
How did the track list come down? I've read that tracks you would like to have been on there didn't make the cut, for whatever reason.
"Yeah, there are a lot that get stuck in major label licensing issues, that was the biggest problem to be honest, so that knocks a load out. I think there was one record where we couldn't track down who the owner of it was, and in the end it was decided it just wasn't going to happen."
It goes quite quickly from a list of 50 to a list of 25, and then we just get in the studio together and try to form a running order so it becomes a nice smooth listen. I think that's the fun part, because you're given the pieces of the puzzle and you've got to use your ingenuity, whatever that might be, to fit them together."
Were you ever one for sifting through tunes in record stores? Maybe Phonica in London is one close to your that's well known…
"Yeah, Phonica is cool. I guess I visit sometimes, but I tend to go to Rough Trade, I like buying CD albums. I actually don't buy that much vinyl anymore. But occasionally I'll make it to a second-hand shop, that's where the fun is really. But I definitely tend to buy way more CDs than vinyl. There used to be some good record shops, but times have changed, and now you do all your sifting on sites like YouTube. There's clearly something very romantic about going through a lot of physical copies of records, going through jumble sales, things like that. But it has changed, hasn't it."
Yeah, things are certainly easier now. Just to talk about an event you're playing at on Saturday night in Liverpool - Freeze and Bedrock warehouse party - with the likes of Digweed and Greg Wilson. Are these guys you look up to?
"Yeah, I've seen Greg Wilson play a number of times, and he's always fantastic. He always seems to end up doing one of those afternoon Bestival sets, you know, really recognisable and perfect for that time. Slow paced, and a couple of edits of tunes you recognise… I'm a big fan. I watched him in the summer at that Eastern Electrics festival, it was good!"
"Leftfield are on the lineup as well, and I think he's a drummer isn't he? I'm not sure which one it is, but I'm sure I can chat about drumming with him maybe… looking forward to it."
I think you put on a party last year - Deep Shit?
"Yeah, what a name eh? I think we're doing more of them this year, we're just about to announce a new one actually. We're moving it down to South London, across the river. It's a little bit of an experiment, but I think it's going to be really good fun. So yeah, we've got a special guest… I know everyone always talks about a 'secret special guest' and people are a bit bored of that whole rouse, but it does help you get some really good guests, and you don't have to charge loads on the door because their agent doesn't know about it! So, we've got a really cool guest for the first one, we're gonna do something down in Peckham."
You've obviously got a very eclectic taste in music, so if you put on a club night and you could have anyone on the lineup, who would have?
"Probably Andrew Weatherall, I'm a big fan of his. Everytime I see him DJ… well I've never seen him be even remotely not good. You know, I've never seen him even be less than a 10 on 10, you know? I don't know who else really, I'm a big fan of Michael Mayer, from the Kompakt label."
Yeah, I saw him on the Mantasy Tour in Liverpool. Really good.
"Ah, you went down? Cool. He seems like a really nice chap. So, who else would I have? I'm not sure, I guess with money no object I'd have to have someone pretty massive. But, I don't know, I'm pretty happy with Weatherall to be honest!"
We'll leave it at that then! Just to take it back to the band, obviously you're hugely successful and really popular with fans of music across the board. But has the success ever got in the way of you trying to make yourself a name as a DJ on your own?
"Well, I mean it's hard getting around the fact that it's two separate things, but at the same time it does bear the bands name, so it kind of represents us in some way. But yeah, I guess there might be some people who might not want Friendly Fires on their gig flyer, because we're a big, cheery indie pop band. But it doesn't really bother me, because I don't think I'm the kind of DJ that would playing downstairs in Berghain. I think I'm more party-ish, you know?"
Well, is that something you would ever realistically aspire to be? You know, no mention of Friendly Fires on the lineup, just Jack Savidge, playing downstairs at Berghain…
"I don't know, maybe now it's starting to make more sense, and I mean who wouldn't? But you've got to have a reason to be going out there to play, you know? I'm working on some bits and bobs myself, some kind of techno, which will hopefully come out on the next Deep Shit label release."
When might that be?
"Maybe in March, but then it might be a little later. We haven't announced it yet, but I think that will be really good. The A-side is an absolute banger. But really, the band is the most important thing for me, I can't be dedicating all my time to cultivating a DJ career or trying to make my own music. It's been a nice thing and something I guess I'll work on gradually."
Like a hobby I suppose…
"Yeah, exactly. And maybe when one day the band doesn't exist anymore or something, I'll have a strong hobby to fall back on, we shall see!"
I'm sure it's just nice to have something you can do away from the band, just mixing two records together, not worrying about performing or anything?
"Yeah, sure. I mean I really enjoy doing it, it's a lot of fun, like a little holiday for me. Although we are only just getting back in to it, it's a good laugh. There comes a point where you do something professionally, particularly in the music industry, where it becomes less fun because you've got to keep the wheels moving. But I think there's definitely something to be said for being an amateur, the amount of bands and DJs that have done their best work when they first started their career, when they weren't professionals in any sense of the word, they were just doing it to have something to do, as a hobby. There's definitely a mentality change when money and a music career gets involved, but I'm definitely happy with where I am now… hopefully being a good amateur."
