Interview — Ferona Vei

By Marcia Taylor

Ferona Vei formed in Ventura County, CA, two years ago. The band currently calls nearby Thousand Oaks home and just played only their fourth show with the current line-up. The group signed with DoughMain Records and released an EP, DIARY OF A STONE ROMANTIC, in February 2006. They also just finished shooting a video with Shane Drake (who has worked with Panic!, At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, and Hawthorne Heights). On their Myspace profile, Ferona Vei say of their sound: "straight rock 'n' roll is our game." However, don't expect a classic rock sound, as they play more of the contemporary version of the genre.

The members of Ferona Vei are Noah on vocals, Brian and Jimbo on guitars, Moose on bass, and Jon on drums. Noah and Jimbo spoke with me about the band and their new record.

SKRATCH: What does "Ferona Vei" mean? I thought it might be Latin.
NOAH: That's the million-dollar question. There are a couple of answers. We are very romantic and really love the play ROMEO AND JULIET, which takes place in "fair Verona." Ferona Vei is just a play on those two words.

SKRATCH: ROMEO AND JULIET is certainly a romantic play, but NOT a happy play, what with almost everyone dead at the end.
NOAH: But isn't that realistic? How much love ends in happiness?

SKRATCH: Okay, you've got a point! But what about happy love songs?
NOAH: Music-wise, people seem to relate more to the other side of love. People say you learn from pain-at least, that's how it works for me.
JIMBO: I just like the name.

SKRATCH: What kind of music did you guys listen to growing up that influenced your wanting to play in a band?
JIMBO: My favorite band is Skid Row. When I was a kid, I watched Skid Row videos and wanted to be in a band. I grew up listening to KNAC-Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue....
NOAH: I grew up with a Frank Zappa shrine in my house. My dad has this whole room of Zappa. First it was one wall, then two walls.... I have broad tastes, though. The Band and Bob Dylan are big influences, as far as lyrics go.

SKRATCH: Yeah, those guys have written some great lyrics. I can't say I am too into Dylan's later stuff, but I give him credit for continuing to work and perform as a musician just about 365 days a year. And he plays shows at prisons, too, which is cool.
NOAH: I think BLONDE ON BLONDE and HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED are his best records. Some of his later stuff got kind of wild and weird, but he has been doing it so long that now he's the voice of several generations. When I was growing up, I played in church bands and some gospel groups. In fact, that's how half of us in the band met each other. One of the church bands I was in was the first band to play at a California Youth Authority facility up here. It was an interesting experience to be face-to-face with people on the other side of the lifestyle I lead. And I got a small taste of the energy you get back when you play at a place like they, where they really appreciate it because they don't usually have anything like that.

SKRATCH: It sounds like you came from a musical family.
NOAH: My dad was a little bit of a musician. My mom was very involved in a local church. When I was five, they found out I could sing, so she put me in the choir. Because of my involvement with the choir, I was trained to sing onstage with a lot of different people with different kinds of voices. At the charismatic churches, they LOVE their music! [Laughs]

SKRATCH: That's really interesting. I just wrote about another band in which all the members met through playing in different church bands and had gained a lot of very professional technical experience as musicians. I guess choir is like everything else kids do now: it's no longer amateur-it's competitive and semi-professional (like cheerleading has become).
NOAH: I read somewhere that some members of The Killers grew up playing in church bands. It's a huge movement with the churches, and kids really do get to play and learn.

SKRATCH: How about you, Jimbo? Did you grow up in a musical household?
JIMBO: I was lucky enough to be around professional musicians and learn tricks from them. These were people who were involved with old touring acts. I played with a guy from Wasp and another who'd played with Captain and Tenille.

SKRATCH: Now, those are two groups that are pretty far apart musically! According to your press release you have a new bass player. How is that working out?
NOAH: Dave [a.k.a. Moose] was playing in a band called Fine White China before our band. He's got tenacity onstage, a lot of attack. He's brought a new dynamic to our stage show. The chemistry is really there now! And it will be interesting to see what the new stuff we write is like. Now that we have new influences, I hope to have more mature stuff.

SKRATCH: It seems like Ferona Vei has really progressed very quickly in the comparatively short time that the band has been together.
NOAH: It's really interesting. When we started this project, I had no idea we'd be moving so quickly. It's so exciting! And we got to shoot our video with Shane Drake!

SKRATCH: What do you think, Jimbo?
JIMBO: I've been in the band eight months, and I'm excited. I'm still trying to catch my breath a little bit. As a group, we're willing to sweat and put in the work for this. I don't sit around; I'd rather play a show every night. When I came into the band, there was no problem of my style of music meeting theirs. I had a chance to help write three out of the six songs on the record. Everyone in this band has an absolutely indispensable quality in the songwriting, whether it's technique, melody....

SKRATCH: Are there certain themes or ideas that inspire your songwriting?
NOAH: The title of the album DIARY OF A STONE ROMANTIC, that really IS the story of the last year of my life. Then there's "Lament", which is written from the standpoint of someone who has given up on god. It's about the confusion and frustration of what god IS in America. The songs that I like best go a little deeper and tackle more intimate issues. As a writer, I have been able to let out things that other people can relate to.

SKRATCH: Does either one of you have a song on the record you'd like to talk about?
JIMBO: I think our single, "Long and Hard", is a REALLY fun song to play live. There's a difference between the way we play it on the album and live. We have a little fun with it [live]. "Chasing Doxies" is a big rock 'n' roll song that is really fun to play and sing. Noah and I have to sing together, and we get to do some three-part harmonies and more technical vocals.

SKRATCH: I have to say that I was surprised to see the word "doxies" in the song title. That's a very old-fashioned word!
NOAH: Well, I thought, "If I'm gonna write a song this shallow, I'm gonna use a cool word."

I definitely think it's a cool word. You can visit Ferona Vei at www.myspace.com. If you would like to comment on this interview or anything else in SKRATCH, please e-mail us at speakup@skratchmagazine.com.

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