Foreseeable Futures Shares ‘Stories’
Foreseeable Futures just released their debut album, ‘Stories’ ‘STORIES’ COVER ART: SHANEIKA AGUILAR PHOTO; ZACH MANZANO GRAPHICS
Anna Sachs and Phil Potter are Foreseeable Futures, an indie acoustic pop duo from Honolulu. We featured them in a May 2015 issue of Metro, so you might already know that they’ve been performing together for the past two years, are also a real-life couple, and are occasionally joined on stage by friends and collaborators on drums, cello, guitar and bass.
At the end of last year, the two launched and successfully completed a Kickstarter campaign to record their debut full-length album, Stories. After months of recording, mixing and masters at Thunder Studios Hawaii, Anna and Phil released their album into the world in December. They’re hosting a release party on Friday, Jan. 29, at The Studio, the intimate lounge located within Hawaiian Brian’s. As they prepare for the big event, Anna and Phil took time out of their busy schedules to do an interview for Beyond The Groove:
Describe the album in one sentence.
Our album Stories tells of the journeys we have taken, both individually and as a duo, that have brought us this far.
Favorite song and why?
(Anna) I will always love By & Bye because it was the first song. I remember exactly how it felt when Phil sang it to me as a sort of love song, and since then, we always laugh a little when we play it together on stage in front of people. It holds a lot of meaning for us.
(Phil) Stories remains my favorite from the album because since we first sat down to write it, the song really took on a life of its own. It started with a scribbled page of lyrics that Anna jotted down; I added a chord progression that I had been playing with, and the song started to take shape. When we got to the studio, I was initially skeptical of the first rhythm our drummer Faith Benson suggested for the recording. I was happily out-voted by the rest of the production team, and now it remains one of my favorite beats of all the songs on the album. Zach Shimizu’s haunting rhythmic guitar track brings it all together for me.
You mentioned in your Kickstarter campaign that support from the community has given you the ability to succeed. In what kind of ways? And to other artists hoping to break into the scene and write original music, what advice can you offer?
In order to share your music, there needs to be a place to play it, people to run the place, people to come out and listen, and so on. We have been blessed to have this support in our live shows, as well as in the adventure that was Kickstarter. It’s not every day that we ask for $10,000 so we were nervous about the whole process. However, friends, families and even strangers from far away rose up in support to not only meet our goal but to surpass it! We were completely blown away. We are also so grateful to be surrounded by individuals who are passionate about music, simply for the joy it brings them.
To artists trying to break into the scene: Just keep at it! Keep writing, keep playing, keep connecting with other musicians. Hawaii has a very supportive music scene, and people tend to respond positively to authenticity. If we haven’t met you yet, we’re looking forward to it!
Being in a relationship … do the songs ever reveal something more than what you knew before about the other person?
Yes, good lyrics often are very personal and tend to be about people or situations that left a mark on you. Our songs are not only about our story together, but also the roads we took to find each other and find our voices.
You also mentioned this album will be submitted to the Na Hoku Awards.
It was a major goal of ours to be nominated for the Na Hoku Awards, as they have showcased so many talented friends of ours in the local music community. It actually helped push us to record a full-length album, after initially discussing an EP, and to release it by the end of 2015.
You’ve successfully completed that goal. Where do you see FF going from here? What are your goals for 2016 and beyond?
Well, the nominees for the Na Hokus have yet to be announced, so our fingers are crossed! Now that the album is released, we will be filming its first music video shortly, as well as following up on all the rewards for our Kickstarter supporters! Beyond that, we still aspire to open for touring bands that come to the Islands.
Describe your perfect gig.
(Anna) Mine already took place. It was the wrap party of our Kickstarter campaign, and we played on a farm at the top of Pupukea, with the ocean beneath us and stars above us. Friends and family attended the farm-to-table dinner by the Drunken Master Chef (Lan Thai), while we sang into the night. I just remember feeling such abundant joy, and I still think about it often. Maybe I’ll put it into a song.
(Phil) My perfect gig would include all my favorite local musicians. We’d need a really big stage to fit everyone!
Check out Foreseeable Futures’ debut album release party at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at The Studio in Hawaiian Brian’s. Tickets cost $5 at the door.
ROGER BONG RECENTLY TURNED HIS BLOG INTO A RECORD LABEL: ALOHAGOTSOUL.COM
