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 to access audio and video on collective you need real player.By the fire. “We’ve got democracy fever!” It’s election year in America, and Matthew Friedberger, multi-instrumentalist and creative mastermind behind The Fiery Furnaces, is bringing his fans to the ballot box. He’s mapping out plans for the band’s next album in his sister Eleanor’s apartment, which doubles as their practice space on the outskirts of Greenpoint in Brooklyn. A trinity of smells envelops us as Eleanor explains how she resides between the motorcycle shop downstairs, a sewage plant at the back of the apartment, and a giant strip of road that takes cars into neighboring Queens. Vying for space among the Furnaces’ equipment are piles of well-thumbed paperbacks, as well as various items rescued from thrift stores and the basement of the Friedberger’s late grandmother and one-time collaborator, Olga Sarantos.  As Eleanor hands out generous mugs of ginger tea, Matthew talks about the creation of current album Widow City, which features contributions from long-forgotten musicians, conjured up via the creaky keys of a proto-sampler from the 1940s. “We used a keyboard called The Chamberlain, which plays tapes of other instruments,” he explains. “When you press C on it, it activates a recording of a long-ago man playing a C on the flute.” He adds, touchingly: “I like to think that all those people played on our record.” Matthew, who always seems to be cooking up at least three or four grandiose schemes for the band, really hits his stride as he pontificates on their plans for the follow-up to Widow City. “We want to play a new genre of rock called Democ-Rock,” he explains, to much laughter from his sister. “It’s very serious,” he warns. “We’re having a caucus where people are meant to choose what the next Fiery Furnaces record will be.”  That much is true. With the band’s ambitious plans for a ballet temporarily shelved (“We need a grant for that,” says Eleanor), visitors to the Furnaces’ website are presented with eight candidates for the next album, and the opportunity to “stand in the corner of the internet next to the album of your choice”. “The different albums will all get a chance to campaign for release on the website,” explains Matthew. “There will be a speech from one, and maybe a negative ad - one of the albums against the other.” He concludes with some rabble rousing that would make any politician proud: “We hope to hear the voice of the people soon.”
Nick Neyland
Videos by Matthew Lessner / Monte Lomax Productions.The Fiery Furnaces - Widow City is out now on Thrill Jockey.
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