Name: Fluke
Members: Jon Fugler, Mike Tournier, Julian Nugent
Nationality: British
Current release: Fluke's new album The Second Bite is out via Surface Records / !K7. To accompany the release, the band have commissioned a remix of “Atom Bomb” from Daniel Avery, which is out as a stand-alone single.

[Read our Daniel Avery interview]
 
If you enjoyed this Fluke interview and would like to find out more about their music, visit the band's official homepage. They are also on Instagram, Facebook, and bandcamp.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

The impulse to create is a very interesting turn of phrase, as a lyricist I find myself adding words, rhymes or melodies almost subconsciously to everything and anything, from a random instrumental to the drone of a motorway journey.

As for the inspiration to the song itself, that could be almost anything, real or imagined, the trick there is to be able to capture it and fill that empty space.



For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

My best intentions are to always start with a solid idea, however, where that leads is another question entirely. There is perhaps a 50/50 chance it might stay on track.

This is something I am quite comfortable with now, to the point where I look forward to where the writing may take me.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

The song as a list is the only time there is any form preparation. Inspired by the classic lists of the great artists I admire, the list will always be one of my go-to lyrical subsets.

"Tosh," "Absurd," "Electric Blue," etc, all share their DNA with this ever expanding playlist, and these all require numerous iterations to get into the perfect order.



For your latest release, The Second Bite, what did you start with? If there were conceptual considerations, what were they?

As a concept The Second Bite is a reimagined celebration of some of our favourite tracks. Some classics, some more obscure, and all from our releases of the 90’s/00’s.

There are some we would have liked to include, but felt they should not be touched, and some we decided to present in a radically different manner, while others were simply given a little sonic blush.

Our only overarching consideration was to present a coherent production across all the tracks, 2026 sounds very different to 1990-2003.

Tell me a bit about the way the new material developed and gradually took its final form, please.

Quite simply a long list became much shorter and once we started working on that our choices became much simpler.

As we were in the somewhat unique situation for us of having the songs ‘written’ the recording/mixing process was considerably streamlined. With no multitracks, but with most of the original hardware, patches and samples it was initially a process of recreating the tracks to a point before looking at the vocals, bv’s, leads etc.

Then the most enjoyable part, spending time flexing some creativity by updating the songs in ways that were just not accessible to us in the ‘90s.



Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

For me complete control is a little daunting, as a group we might be in control of our own corners, but the end result will always be a collaboration.

As there are borders and not inconsiderable distances that separate us our process now requires giving up ownership to one another as the stems pass from one daw to another.

In a strange way this echoes how we worked in London, it still works for us, and is always exciting to hear what develops.  

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

There are moments where I feel intensely in tune with the music, the rhythm, the lyrics or maybe just one tiny part those that is holding the track together.

These trigger what are certainly some very strong emotions, both at the time writing, and, having spent time revisiting tracks during The Second Bite, in the more recent period of reflection.



Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

It is always important to step back and allow yourself to listen with a clear(er) head, how long that might be is variable, and so often project/deadline dependant.

For The Second Bite we gave the tracks a month or so to settle (it was assembled and mixed in 4/5 weeks, so, a quite intense schedule), only then did we start focussing on any thoughts of changes to levels/fades/etc.

With the final mixes all taking place in the box the tweaks were so much simpler and faster to achieve compared to when the tracks were originally recorded.

How do you think the meaning, or effect of an individual piece is enhanced, clarified or possibly contrasted by the EPs, or albums it is part of? Does each piece, for example, need to be consistent with the larger whole?

It’s a given that a track should stand up on its own. That said an album or EP where the tracks support each other to create something greater is undoubtedly the holy grail of recording.

This can take many forms, the concept, the production, or by a sheer force of personality, otherwise there is always a danger of it being another compilation. In a world of playlists I feel this is sometimes forgotten.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (performance)?

This is where the magic happens. It is a fundamental part of our process as so much can be shaped during the mix.

It would be true say for us that a track can never be considered complete until it has been mixed. It is also quite often that the mix is the only time we are together for a track, so that adds to the moment immensely.

The mastering process is also something we consider an essential final stage to the recordings, and one we always leave to a professional. With so many listening options available why not ensure your music sounds best on all of them.

Music and the accompanying artwork are often closely related. Can you talk about this a little bit for your current project and the relationship that images and sounds have for you in general?

We have always taken pride in our record sleeves, and as an act have never shied away from making something wonderful, not only to hear but to hold and to own.

The Second Bite is the first album, and physical release from us in some time, and as such a perfect opportunity to really focus on the artwork and the presentation of the whole package.

Ian Anderson at The Designers Republic has created a simple, strong, and sumptuous sleeve with sublime original typography that effortlessly captures the history and intent of the record.



After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

Sadly I have yet to reach that professional milestone, there is always something to get done.

I would love to know a little about the feedback you've received from listeners or critics about what they thought some of your songs are about or the impact it had on them – have there been “misunderstandings” or did you perhaps even gain new “insights?”

Like many I prefer to steer well clear of reviews and critics. If they like it, thank you kindly, if they don’t, I understand, music’s not for everyone.

Feedback from listeners is something altogether more valuable and insightful, and relatively unavoidable today. It has been a joy to hear some context from when the tracks were originally released and what they meant to people, both then and now.

As for misunderstandings, I don’t think that’s important, make of our music what you will.



Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?  

Tricky. Music’s reach makes it inherently different from almost everything, it is the soundtrack to our lives and with us almost everywhere we go. It evokes memories of people and places, of our best times and our worst, it can spark a conversation or can mend a broken heart, all while it follows you as you go about your mundane or your extraordinary.

So while I wish I could make a great cup of coffee, I remain content in having added in some way to somebody’s soundtrack somewhere.