A Chat with Craig Broomba from Filmspeed (13.02.19)
Fresh off their first West Coast tour, Filmspeed took some time to slog through their emails and deal with everything press-related. We were lucky enough to be one of those amidst the mass who had email questions answered by the talented Craig Broomba – not that the other gents aren’t talented. I mean, it’s just an adjective, don’t read anything into it…but he is really talented. I’m digging a hole here. Let’s move on to his answers to Nicole’s questions.
OSR: Hello, gentlemen. Thanks for taking the time to have a quick chat with me! I’ll try not to bore you too much with my niggling questions. Shall we begin?
CB: Hey there! Craig here! Thanks for the spotlight, let’s GO!
OSR: So, always the cliché but good for introductory, who is
CB: It has pretty deep roots just outside of Detroit, Michigan. The bassist, Nick and I grew up in the same town, went to the same high school, worked at the same grocery store, etc. We started Filmspeed with the drummer from the project that took us all out to Los Angeles. A pop-punk power trio with keyboards and loud hair called No One Goes Home
The first Filmspeed record was put together remotely while each of us had
LP number three came out last fall, and it’s the first to feature our newest and most
OSR: What does the name ‘Flimspeed’ mean and how did you come up with it?
CB: When you reflect on memories, recall events, or even tell a story from your point of view, it always comes in bits and pieces, like chopped up scenes from a movie about yourself. As more crazy things happen in this life, the more you’re living at the speed of a film.
OSR: You just completed your ‘Consistently Off’ tour beginning at the infamous Viper Room in LA. Were there any butterflies flying about in your stomachs at all?
CB: Anytime we set out for the road it’s exciting. The stage is where we really belong.
OSR: Did you hope to see any celebrities at the Viper Room, preferably not throwing up, disappearing or seizing outside the front door?
CB: Well when you end up kicking off on a Wednesday evening, you never know who’s gonna show up. Good news is, it’s put on track for being the Bay Area by the weekend. That’s just good routing, haha!
OSR: Is there any city you were particularly keen on playing, and why?
CB: Two of us had never been to Vancouver and we’re told it’s one of the greatest cities on Earth. The Pacific Northwest is beautiful, so we were looking forward to getting out of this concrete jungle and breathing in some fresh forest air!
OSR: You played with many different supporting acts during this tour, like Sway, LaGoon, My Dallas Teens, and Rumour Mill, but is there any band you are particularly keen to get on stage with?
CB: Sheesh, there’s no way. Every single night of this tour was stacked with great f*ckn bands. Even more awesome than that? You nailed it right on the head when you say ‘many different acts’ too because the range of this collection is incredible. It definitely reminds us that we can play gigs with just about anybody and have a great evening.
OSR: What sort of preparation did you do for the ‘Consistently Off’ tour?
CB: The prep was all in the logistics. Getting the right schedule and plotting the trip. Renting the right vehicle, ensuring the gear is road ready, etc. In all honesty, we’re never worried about the music rehearsals or setlist. We figure we’ll read the room and conduct the party.
OSR: Do you have any pre-performance or post-performance rituals, like saying a prayer or drinking a shot of tequila?
CB: We move quite a bit on stage, so it’s all about stretching, haha! Drinks change depending on the night, sometimes it’s a bourbon night and sometimes it’s local brews.
OSR: If you were to describe Filmspeed in one sentence, what would that sentence be?
CB: A power trio that is obsessed with music and brings the party to every room we play.
OSR: Your last album was Hexadecimal – a bit of a tongue-twister if you try to say it ten times fast. What can you tell me about that album?
CB: Oh, a great many things, but I’ll give just cliff notes. It’s a record for people who love full albums. Once you ‘drop the needle’, it is 57 minutes of straight sound. It is also a collection of songs recorded with two different drummers and the first tracks we made with Oliver.
OSR: What was the production process like for Hexadecimal?
CB: This record has two drummers featured on it. Just over half of it is written and performed with Oliver. The songs are written over the course of about four years. The original plan was to put out an EP by mid-2016 but, of course, life happens. We had a solid batch of nine tracks to choose from all done on our own with help from great buddies at AEA. But, during the talks about how and when to release them, we amicably split with James the drummer.
Obviously, we had some retooling to do, so we took time to play live and get a groove. We suffered a hiatus for a few months during which Nick lost his father and my mother passing not long after. #fuckcancer
Once we got back, settled, unshook and ready for anything, we make the decision to make it an LP. Back to the studio at AEA, and then wrapped up into a real product at Manifest Music in Santa Monica. With Oliver at the kit, another 11 songs exploded out of us. Final count, 19 jams. All totally different, fresh, raw and handmade. Then we picked the final track listing, edited and remixed the whole thing. After we put in the segues and final mastering, we got ourselves an LP.
OSR: I read in an interview you did with Love is Pop that your last two releases were self-produced. Is your upcoming single another self-produced piece?
CB: Actually no! The latest lead single ‘Bless My Soul’ was produced and recorded by Jason Hollis. He’s a tastemaker here in LA and abroad. We actually plan on putting together a few more with him in the near future.
OSR: What is the inspiration and meaning behind the new single?
CB: That’s a song that started as a sexy lick. So, naturally, the lyrics are inspired by the chemical reactions of two consenting adults who get lost in the moment. There’s no drink or drug on earth as intoxicating as a romp in the hay. We hope the song leads you to make love instead of war.
OSR: Alright, so Hexadecimal was released in 2017; what have you been up to in the past year?
CB: Two tours, two singles, two videos, a cover, about eight podcast episodes and countless SoCal shows. Not too bad for 12 months, but we’re looking at getting much more active this year.
OSR: Hexadecimal is a funky, hard rock album that can keep a listener intrigued from start to finish. Do you think the style of ‘Bless My Soul’ differs from your past tracks, or could it fit in along ‘I Feel Alright’ and ‘Going For Broke’?
CB: Hey, thanks for the kind words! I think the new track is a little sharper, and a bit more sophisticated. Oliver has only been with us two years, so we’re pretty anxious to create more songs.
OSR: Do you have any regrets in your musical journey that you would like to change in retrospect?
CB: It’s a rich man’s game. It takes a big budget to put out competitive content these days. Oftentimes, a working band will have countless odd jobs to build up a ‘band fund’. Every penny gets reinvested in a band project. So, in retrospect, being born wealthy would definitely have helped.
OSR: What are your thoughts on selfies? A fan or do you think they’re a waste of time?
CB: Big fan and major critic. I think self-preservation and confidence are extremely important; however, vanity is extremely toxic. But ultimately, we always have the time if you got the camera.
OSR: A lot of people go weak at the knees for British accents, but which accent do you think is the sexiest?
CB: Blame it on 007, but Russian accents. Definitely.
OSR: Tea, coffee or hot chocolate to end the day?
CB: I’m a tea freak, actually. So, at the end of the day, I’d always recommend a cup of classic chamomile.
OSR: In addition to the tour and new single, what else does 2019 hold for Filmspeed?
CB: The official video should be released pretty soon. We’re also in pre-production on new songs. Oh, and episode 10 and 11 of the podcast should be dropping in the few weeks. Beyond that, we’re plotting a summer out, hopefully hopping on someone else’s tour as a support slot.
Thanks so much to Craig for speaking with us! For more from Filmspeed, check out their Facebook and Twitter.You can also stream their music via Spotify.
