Bites from the eighth episode of Sundance Channel’s original 12-part music series “Live From Abbey Road” airing on Friday, April 16 at 8PM ET/PT. Below are excerpts from some of the bands featured in this episode, which include ‘Gossip,’ ‘The Mars Volta’ and ‘Friendly Fires.’
Guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of ‘The Mars Volta’ on writing music:
To me The Mars Volta is a celebration of irrational thought, its a celebration of all sorts of impulses and desires that spring from the darker side of your subconscious, so instead of pushing it off, and going, ‘Why did I dream that? That was really f—ked up,’ you celebrate it and put it on paper.
Lead singer, Ed Macfarlane of ‘Friendly Fires’ on writing music in high school:
I kind of think that a lot of our music is about escapism, I feel like in a sense when we were writing music, just us, somehow getting out of St. Albans, is kind of a way of escaping St. Albans [Hertfordshire].
Lead singer, Ed Macfarlane and guitarist Edd Gibson of ‘Friendly Fires’ on their inspiration:
EM: We were watching lots of YouTube videos of Dana Kunze, who’s like this guy that did the highest dive ever.
EG: We were taking a lot of influence from this hairy man in Speedos from the 70’s…just leapt off this terrifying step ladder into this thimble of water. I thought, if he’s brave enough to do it that’s a good cue. Yeah, he was a whole lot of inspiration.
Lead singer Beth Ditto of ‘Gossip’ on her gay rights activism:
I feel like sometimes it’s really a sexist decision. It’s like because I’m a woman I should be really ashamed of the things that I really like. I’ve been asked a million times, ‘Do you think your activism is going to [overshadow] the music?’ And I was just like, ‘That’s not my decision.’