Fleet Foxes plays Friday night, Sept. 28, at The Waiting Room Outdoors.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Led by singer/songwriter Robin Pecknold, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes has been heralded as one of the country’s best new bands since their self-titled Sub Pop debut topped all the “year’s best” lists in 2008. The band’s warm, ambient sound has been compared to Pet Sounds Beach Boys and modern acts like Grizzly Bear and Father John Misty (Josh Tillman used to be in the Foxes), but on their new album, Crack-Up (2017, Nonesuch), the rich harmonies and echoing production recall Bookends-era Simon and Garfunkel (to me, anyway). The record is a dense, sweeping, elegant piece of modern folk rock, a challenge on first listen that gets better with every spin.

I caught up with Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold and asked him to take my Ten Questions survey. Here’s what he had to say:

What is your favorite album?

Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold: Sibylle Baier, Colour Green

What is your least favorite song?

The National Anthem of Nazi Germany

What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

The sense of being on a team, the mental stimulation of recording, and the rising to the occasion of the athletic-ish challenge of touring.

What do you hate about being in a band?

Sleeping in a moving vehicle

What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Sand

In what city or town do you love to perform?

Nashville, Tennessee

What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

Our set at a music festival in Europe was called off after a freak storm tore some stages down.

Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

I am lucky to be able to play music professionally for the time being, and I haven’t had another job since around the time our first album came out.  We all live pretty frugally, which helps.

What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

Filmmaker, and in old age, teacher.  I wouldn’t want to be a hitman or an Influencer.

What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

That you’re the jewel of the Midwest and there’s a statue of Conor Oberst on Main Street.

Fleet Foxes play with Nap Eyes Friday, Sept. 29, at Waiting Room Outdoors, located on Military Avenue between Maple St. & Binney St. Tickets are $36. Showtime is 7 p.m. For more information, go to onepercentproductions.com.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.