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FICTION PLANE Feature in Bloomington Herald-Times
« Thread Started on Aug 7, 2008, 9:07pm »

Fiction Plane was the recipient of a feature in the Weekend supplement in the Bloomington Herald-Times, Pete's hometown newspaper. The story was printed to promote the band's show at The Bluebird this weekend!

However, this story is with Joe (since Pete had done a feature when they went through last year on The Police run).

The direct link to the article online is:
http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2008/08/07/scene.qp-4629457.sto

Since this link is viewable to Herald-Times subscribers only, the Fiction Plane Info Center graciously obtained a copy of the text by the story's writer, Kristina Wood. The full story is enclosed below.

Again, this text is copyrighted to The Herald-Times and reprinted with permission.

Enjoy!

Q&A with Joe Sumner of Fiction Plane
By Kristina Wood
August 7, 2008

WHO: Fiction Plane
WHEN: 8 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Bluebird
HOW MUCH: $10 in advance
INFO: Call 336-BIRD.

Q: What brings Fiction Plane to Bloomington (Pete Wilhoit’s stomping grounds)?

A: We’ve been booked to play the Missouri State Fair with Foreigner!? and Bloomington is on the way. Now we can figure out how Foreigner is different to Journey.

Q: Where did the band’s name come from?

A: Fiction Plane means a place where we can have total freedom in our music and our minds. I wrote a song of the same name and when we decided to change our name from Santa’s Boyfriend we chose it. Although it has a deep meaning to us, it is also the worst band name I’ve ever heard because no one can remember it right. See “Picture Frame” and “Friction Pain.”

Q: How many shows has the band done so far this year? Last year?

A: We’ve been out for 15 months straight and we’ve done over 200 shows.

Q: How do you keep up with that pace on the road?

A: For me it’s all about the mid-afternoon nap. The excitement of a good crowd can also break through any level of fatigue.

Q: Tell me a little bit the new single, “It’s a Lie.”

A: It’s all about the line between telling the truth to a would-be sexual partner and telling them what they want to hear in order to get them into bed. People say they want honesty but honesty is not always rewarded.

Q: What’s next?

A: Our drummer Pete is having a Bloomington baby so we’ll take a little break for that then we’ll head to Europe for a preposterously bombastic headlining tour.

Q: How did things fall into place as a trio, with Pete and Seton Daunt?

A: It was smooth like butter. Forget seven, three is the number.

Q: How has your sound evolved as a group, since that first session in the studio with Pete?

A: It took us a while but we finally managed to get record executives, producers, critics and their ilk out of our heads and be ourselves. The goal we are striving towards is that we can communicate entirely through our music. Less talk, more riffs.

Q: Up until last year, you didn’t want it to be known that you were Sting’s son, forging your own path. How did you come to terms with that, and the inevitable comparisons?

A: I sold my ass to the devil and it kind of worked. Now I want my ass back.

Q: After opening for the Police reunion tour (and now with 311 and Snoop Dogg), have you seen your fanbase and fame skyrocket?

A: We’ve gotten infinitely tighter as a band. Fame isn’t really our bag so we’ve tried as hard as possible to let our music do the talking and we’ve found that the fans we get that way are just the sort of open-minded musical folk we want to play for. The Unity tour with 311 and Snoop is a perfect example of that. It totally ridicules the idea of a cast-iron racial divide in popular music.

Q: Being Sting’s son aside, how did you get into music, singing and playing bass? When did you know it was what you wanted to do?

A: I wanted to be Kurt Cobain so I started a band. I started playing bass just two years ago when our bassist left the band.

Q: What do you aspire to do as an artist (and a band)?

A: We want to make the best music and become the biggest band possible without selling out or compromising our personal lives. I’d love to still be playing when I’m eighty like Chuck Berry. I’ll keep my cameras out of the ladies’ bathroom though.

Q: The band’s Web site lists the Pixies, Radiohead and Nirvana among the major influences. Where else do you draw inspiration from?

A: Jeff Buckley has heavily influenced most male vocalists since his death so that’s in the mix. A lot of my ideas come from books as well. Kurt Vonnegut, Phillip K Dick, Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky have got some serious fingers in the key lime pie that is my brain.

Q: Your songs tackle some heavy subjects — dying, alienation, loving the wrong person and knowing it. What are those songs to you? What do you hope to convey to your audience?

A: That I’m giving them every ounce of effort I possibly can to give them to honor the privilege of their attention.

Q: How has the overall reception been to “The Left Side of the Brain?”

A: People who haven’t heard it don’t like it. For those who have, the opposite is true.

Q: What songs have you found to be Fiction Plane’s biggest crowd pleasers? Ever have people sing along?

A: When we play for other band’s crowds, our song “Cigarette” goes down the best because of my puerile and persistent use of profanity, but for our own fans, the acoustic song “Drink” sees us getting drowned out by the rowdy buggers! I think crowd interaction is really important for a live show. Too many concerts are just ego-driven recitals and i don’t think people are standing for it any more. Fans and bands at a show should just be a singular giant mass of energy.