Humble Foxes third

Fleet Foxes frontman discusses castle plans for the next record

12 June 2009 - After a Mojo Honours triumph Fleet Foxes revealed they plan to head into the studio post festival season and return with their second album in 2010.

Singer Robin Pecknold said he’s off on holiday to Venice with his sister before knuckling down to their next offering.

“I’ve never been there so it’ll be fun. Then we’re gonna go home and record, hopefully do that for about a year or something and then come back after a period of long absence in 2010,” he told 6 Music.

In the same vein as their live shows, noted for interludes of witty banter, the singer spoke of making their acclaimed debut: “We were doing like vocal takes between laundry loads in my parents' basement.”

Their self-titled album - which was out last June - went gold in the UK, was Billboard’s album of the year and received four and five star reviews across the board.

"I think it’s been a serious confluence of incredibly lucky moments from the day that we were born to now."
Robin Pecknold

When asked if the basement will be the recording location for the next, Pecknold joked: “Well, we’re going to buy our parents a castle, in Swindon, and record there in their basement.”

The Seattle quintet were nominated for Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year at the Mojo Honours bash in London yesterday (11 June) and went home the gong for Best Live Act.

(Mojo winners)

The musician said he still can't believe how things have kicked off for them.

“It’s been good. I think it’s been a serious confluence of incredibly lucky moments from the day that we were born to now,” he explained. “The serendipitous occurrences required to just be standing here in front of you today is just boggling to me.”

Pecknold maintained that their album should not be dubbed ‘album of the year’.

“It’s not like actually the best album of the year. The best album of the year was probably recorded in rural China by some genius because there’s billions of people there,” he mused. “The best music is probably going to be from there, but no one’s ever heard it.

“It came out on 8-track in some Chinese metropolis that no one’s heard of. That’s probably the best record of the year.”

Georgie Rogers