Dear readers, we are pleased to offer you in this article an interview with a Argentine band that combines Progressive Metal and Progressive Rock. We welcome Fughu.
Hello, how are you?
“Very good. Grateful for this space youâre giving us and this opportunity to say âhiâ to all your readers.“
What is the meaning of your band name Fughu?
“Every great goal that leads to some satisfaction requires effort, sacrifice and pain. All light needs darkness like life needs death to have value. The Fugu fish (without the âhâ) is an exquisite dish if prepared correctly but can be dangerous and even deadly if something goes wrong. As a global vision of life, as an allegory, it is not bad at all.“
Your style combines Progressive Metal and Prog Rock, where does your passion for these sounds come from?
“Jack White once said that he distrusted anyone who didn’t like Led Zeppelin. Beyond the radical and humorous nature of the statement, I believe that anyone who is over 30 years old and is in a rock band has heard basically the same things. I, personally, began to dig Prog well into my twenties. There are Prog fans in the band but not all of us have necessarily listened to Yes’ âFragileâ to death, to give you an example. I think that what makes us Prog is the search for expansion of our sound, of not repeating ourselves, of not falling into the commonplace, of seeking, in other words, to âprogress.â But there is also a factor that has to do with your place of birth, with your roots. Without being big fans of all the incredible native music that surrounds us, surely because we live in the city, sooner or later, elements from our land end up sneaking into our music. You may like our music or not, but we cannot be accused of following a formula and resting on it.“
Your 5th album âStolen Picturesâ will be released on May 25, 2024, how would you describe this work?
âStolen Pictures is one more step, one more link in the chain that makes up Fughu’s body of work and is neither more nor less than a clear example of what I told you before. It is the result of seeking to expand, broaden the vision, move the horizon further. The best praise we give ourselves comes when we hear our songs mixed with those of our heroes and see that we, modestly, measure up.“
Both the music and the vocals are intense and elaborate, what themes do the lyrics of the album deal with?
“We try to explore and reflect on human emotions, problems and fantasies. Love, sex, the passage of time, death, are quite common themes in our work. And in general, there are many questions and almost no answers. Sometimes we take a moment to pay tribute to some of our heroes like we did on our previous album âNext Connectionâ with Bowie and Chris Cornell. In this one there is a song dedicated to the great Diego Maradona whom we love and miss.“
You have already extracted two singles from the album with official videos, are there any more planned?
“The future of Fughu is always dynamic and changing. As an independent band in which we are behind everything she produces, the desire is always there but sometimes the god of time sometimes has other plans. It is possible that there are others but to say so today would be risky.“
Elaborate and engaging tracks, it will be interesting to listen to them live, do you have any plans in this regard?
“This Summer we will be touring Europe playing songs from our entire discography and presenting some from âStolen Picturesâ. We will be in Spain, Germany, Austria, Czechia and Poland. Find us on our website (fughu.com) to stay up to date with dates and venues. Back in Buenos Aires, we have a nice series of concerts between now and the end of the year. Then weâll see.“
This is your 5th album, how has your sound evolved over time?
“On one hand, it is something that happens naturally but reinforced by the premise of not walking in our footsteps. We believe that the element of surprise in art is fundamental and we live it as a responsibility to our audience to provide something that moves them, that shakes them. On the other hand, the composition methodology has not changed but we do try to learn from what has worked and even more so, from what has not. This also applies to recording, production and
mixing techniques, which are always on us. We believe that the result is more than satisfactory.“
How do you see the modern music scene in your country and beyond?
“Buenos Aires is a city with an enormous cultural offer. However, those artists who can make a good living from their art are counted on the fingers. The constant changes in political direction in the region certainly do not help. Not to mention the effect of the pandemic. High-profile spots are reserved for hyper-recognized artists with a big record company behind and those whose circumstances have put them in the spotlight for a while until the meat grinder devours them. As for underground bands, in general the treatment given to them is quite disrespectful and they are always trying to get money from them in some way. Not to mention international events where local support bands have to pay a fee to perform or have to give away writers copyrights. It’s sort of established that, in this business, everyone makes some profit except for
the musician. It seems that making music is not working, that it does not involve effort and costs of any kind. The best thing is to try to manage the shows yourself since, if you look carefully, there are still some places where there are people who want to listen to you specially out of the city. Our European experience is quite different in that aspect where we have always, to a greater or lesser extent, been treated with the minimum respect that someone who comes to do their job
to the best of their ability, with responsibility and professionalism, deserves.“
How difficult is it (if at all) to succeed in the modern music market with a more sophisticated genre like yours?
“I have no idea, if it ever happens, I’ll tell you, hahaha. Seriously, we consider ourselves successful for being on the road playing the music we like and are passionate about in front of people who appreciate what we do, many or few. And to have the opportunity of shaking hands with them and talk for them is worthy enough. Obviously we would love to earn a lot of money and all that but it is not something that should be demanded of art. If it comes, much better, of course. Meanwhile, we enjoy what we do.“
What advice would you give to new artists approaching music by proposing sounds like yours?
“Don’t do it, hahahaha. Simply do what comes from your heart and gut. Listen to a lot of music, read, watch movies and, as I said before, don’t go after money and fame since that is reserved for a few but work hard to improve yourself and your craft so youâll be ready if one day, the goddess fortune knocks on the door. Unless is what we do.“
Do you have any other activities or artistic passions outside music?
“Marcelo is an actor who walks on some independent stages from time to time. The rest of us have other activities but they have nothing to do with art.“
I thank Fughu for the interview, wishing them all the best for the continuation of their artistic
career.
“Thanks so much. See you on the road.“
