The first time I saw STRFKR, I had Zooey Deschanel bangs. I went to a Seattle show with some freshman college friends, feeling indie and a little too cool for using the word "f----" so casually. The band's song "Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second" was in heavy rotation on my 2007 iPod touch, and I'm pretty sure my friends and I wore matching Toms to the show. Needless to say, I've grown a bit since my first STRFKR experience — and so has the band.
There's something special to be said about a group that continues to evolve with its fanbase. While our hair, fashion and love interests change (I do still have a crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt circa 500 Days Of Summer and that's a hill I will die on), it's music that sticks with us. Attending a STRFKR show is like eating a handful of psychedelic mushrooms from the junior philosophy major in your res hall. You're not quite sure what you're going to get, but you know you're in store for bright lights, swaying bodies and maybe even men in spacesuits. The band's music is techno, pop, dance and groove. Each song has a life of its own, and while categorizing STRFKR into one genre feels near impossible — that's the beauty of the group.
Originally beginning as an outlet for Josh Hodges' solo work in 2007, things eventually evolved into a full-fledged indie rock band. The name STRFKR is a sarcastic jab at people who take themselves too seriously, particularly in the music scene. Says Hodges, "I was around all of these people who were kind of douchey." After hearing one person refer to themselves as a "starf—er," Hodges started to grow wary of the industry and those involved in it. As a comedic act of rebellion STRFKR became the band name.
Ahead of a 42-show tour celebrating the release of Parallel Realms, STRFKR is feeling revamped, revived and ready to share the juice. For its seventh studio album, the Portland-based band has gone back to basics in the best way possible. Described by lead-singer Hodges as an "anti-concept" album, the group took an organically collaborative approach toward the project.
The album is a 17-track experience that delivers earworms like "Armatron," "Together Forever" and "Leaving." Parallel Realms is an album you'll run to for the dancey beats, but don't overlook some of the poignant lyrical messages (which admittedly, are difficult to understand at times under Hodges' magical robot tones). Hodges' casually sings about "death licking at his heels" and "wondering what's happened with his life" beneath a rave-worthy beat on "Always / Never" (I'm not crying in the club, you are).
You'll find that some of the tracks are brief – like under 3 minutes brief – but they flow and make sense for the journey of Parallel Realms. If you're too stoned to comprehend words, look to "interspace 5" (a 1:05 minute interlude of pure space gaze) or "Waited For It" – a club bop with a techno drop where Hodges simply says "I waited for it, all of my life" for the 2:27 runtime. They're songs that carry catchy instrumentals, interesting mouth noises used as percussion that are entirely impossible to explain, and simple yet intentional melodies. Reference the same few notes used throughout "Chizzlers," and you'll understand how Hodges' back-to-basics approach entirely works for the album. As a seasoned band should, STRFKR continues to impress by evolving, offering new listening experiences and challenging its routine.
Before the band kicks off its summer tour with a stop at the Knitting Factory on July 25, we caught up with the soft-spoken Hodges to discuss long tours, life and the evolution of his band.
INLANDER: You're about to kick off a 42-show tour. That's pretty big! What are your feelings leading up to that?
HODGES: I'm excited! Being on tour can be tough on homelife though... My cats don't really like it when I'm leaving.
What are your cats' names?
Kenzy and Kitty Boy! They're both very sweet.
What are some fond memories you have on tour to get you through feeling homesick?
For me, the thing that I find most rewarding is genuine moments with fans. We often go to the merch table after a show. It's nice meeting people, but every once in a while there's someone who shares a story about how our music has been important to their life in a really meaningful way. It's a good reminder that this really has an impact beyond just making a fun show.
On this last tour, we played our biggest headlining show yet [at Salt Shed in Chicago], so that was really exciting. It felt like we were playing in a small stadium or something. We never thought we would be here when we first started this, so that was really neat. Totally surreal.
Let's talk about your new album, Parallel Realms. I love it. Can't stop vibing to it. It's synth-groove, it's stoned-on-the-beach, it's dream-pop. What was your inspiration?
It started as a solo project, and I had this very hands-off approach. It was just something for fun, and I was like, any of my friends can play with me. I hadn't even met Shawn Glassford, the bass player, when he joined the band. I met him through a friend of my girlfriend's. One day he showed up at my house, and I taught him some songs and we started playing shows. It was like, whoever wants to contribute at whatever level will – we're just along for the ride really.
It sounds like it was a pretty organic process.
Yeah, most albums I had a specific "thing" I was trying to do. This album felt more like an accumulation of all these years. It feels like the most STRFKR album to me. It represents us well. It's the opposite of a concept album. We kind of just went with whatever felt good moment to moment. We didn't have a name until the very end. The name is like a relationship between two points of consciousness. It's like reality is iridescent and if you change the perspective just a little bit, that reality completely changes.
Do you have a favorite song on the album? Or is that like choosing a favorite child?
I joke with my girlfriend about that. I have two cats, and she has one cat, and she brings her cat to my house sometimes. They're kinda buddies or whatever. I tell them at different times, "you're my favorite." I'm sure parents must go through this. [laughs]
"Armatron" is maybe one of my favorites, and "Underwater." Both of those started as demos that our drummer Keil Corcoran had, and then I took it and did my thing. We went back and forth a lot. I love when that happens.
Were the lyrics a collaborative process, or did you primarily write them?
It's mostly me. I get in a flow state, or a weird crafting state. I've been calling it "the juice." It's the juice of you and the whole universe, and you just want it to flow through you. It's not as easy as it seems because the critical mind can kick in.
What can we expect from STRFKR in the future?
I love the people I tour with. They're family, and we've been doing it for so long together. There's no bad energy. It's a special group of people, but it's also not a sustainable thing. At some point I think we will want to slow down. For now, we're still going, and this year is super busy. I'll never stop making music.
If you could gather all of your fans in one place, what would you tell them?
I would tell them I really do appreciate that we get to do this. I had some really emotional moments on this last tour. You never know when the last time you do anything is going to be. When I'm playing, it's really special. People resonate with my juice and the juice of the band, the crew, everyone. We recognize each other in this artistic way. It's rare and special. ♦
STRFKR, Holy Wave, Ruth Radelet • Thu, July 25 at 8 pm • $23 • All ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com