Music Q&A with Neil Exell of Fox Lake
Photo courtesy of Fox Lake
Congratulations on the release of Repose! What does the album mean to you?
Thanks! The album for us is a result of a years-long process of trying to hit the right balance in our songwriting. We actually had a whole album written a few years ago and after a brief hiatus, scrapped most of it because the songs just weren't what we wanted. With these songs, we started to hit the balance we were after: high energy, technically pleasing and musically rich.
What’s your favorite song off the album?
Always a tough one to answer. I think it changes week to week for me (Neil - bass), but I love playing “Chameleon Strategy” - it feels like the song with the greatest dynamic range, and the influences that I hear in it are all over the place. That song went through so many iterations, and we were still moving things around basically until we walked into the studio.
What is one artist or band that you haven’t seen in concert, that you hope to see someday?
Collectively, we'd all love to see Crash of Rhinos. I think they're beyond done as a band, so it will likely never happen, but maybe their spin-off band, Holding Patterns, one day. We don't listen to a lot of the same music, so I'd be curious what the others would say.
If you had a chance to interview any of your musical heroes, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Again, you'd likely get a wildly different answer from each of us. But I promised Shane I'd say Zakk Wylde. We love Zakk Wylde. Personally, I'll say Rob Crow - he's been releasing interesting music almost as long as I've been alive, and I'd want to ask what's in the water that's made that San Diego scene so special.
We all have our days where it may not be going as well as we’d like. People deal with their worst days in different ways. What helps you get through the bad days? How do you stay positive?
Ah - okay I hope these aren't too cliche but - I have a two year old and toddler energy is simultaneously the most enriching and draining human presence you can find. Also, honestly, I think we all turn to this band for a positive outlet. Some of the musical relationships in Fox Lake go back over 15 years, and our friendship is central to this band.
Thank you for taking the time for this Q&A. Any last words or final message for the readers?
Well to anyone who read this far - thanks for caring! Drop us a line if you like the album. It's actually a super nice surprise to hear from "fans", and we've made some cool connections already from people reaching out.