When Samuel Flynn Scott returned to the studio this year to begin work on a fourth album with The Phoenix Foundation, he admits to wondering whether the band had "spent all its tricks".
It became obvious pretty quickly, however, that that wasn't the case. In fact, Flynn Scott says it's quite the opposite: "We've got a whole bunch of new material that's coming from a different angle to what we've done before. There was probably a good three months there when we didn't play any music together at all, which is a really long period of time for us. So, there was a really strong desire for us all just to get together and play."
As one of the founding members - alongside Luke Buda and Conrad Wedde - Flynn Scott has been heavily involved in the songwriting process throughout their three albums to date.
But he says the band has worked in a collaborative way this time around.
"It's been a matter of just going into the studio and someone having an idea and jamming it from there, which has been nice. It's taken quite a lot of pressure off me. It kind of feels like I've cleared a bit of space in the songwriting ethic," he explains.
Not wanting to lose momentum, the quirky six-piece from Wellington swiftly booked themselves on a nationwide tour, despite the album being incomplete.
"We felt it was time for us to go back to places like Golden Bay and Oamaru. Also, we've had 18 months of playing the Happy Ending set, and we wanted to give people who have seen us in the last few years something new," says Flynn Scott.
And for those who've not yet heard the new material, Flynn Scott warns, be prepared for the unexpected.
"At the moment it doesn't sound like any of the albums we've done before. "It's got a sort of upbeat, acoustic vibe that has a bit of a peculiar Wings kind of sound."
* The Phoenix Foundation play the Montecristo Room in Auckland on May 8 and Leigh Sawmill on May 9.
Building strong foundation
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