Interview: James Carman & Nick Faciane
Discussing The Reflectors’ New Album, 'Going Out Of Fashion'
The LA guitar pop scene is hot right now and The Reflectors are among a handful of bands leading the charge.
With a hooky, high-energy sound that is equal parts power pop and punk, their third album, Going Out Of Fashion (Neon Nile), captures a great band at the peak of their songwriting and musical powers. This is music built on a sturdy foundation of late ‘70s and early ‘80s influences, but with a modern approach that feels immediate.
“Buzzcocks are definitely one of our largest influences. They have a biting guitar attack with high octane drums and some of the best harmonies and vocals by any early punk artist. Those songwriting values are big inspiration and you can hear that influence on The Reflectors with our back-and-forth vocals/melodies and guitar riffs,” James Carman told me for the interview below.
Exactly why LA is a hotbed of activity right now—with The Reflectors, Uni Boys, Billy Tibbals and Kate Clover, among others—is anybody’s guess, but Nick Faciane thinks part of the reason is that guitar pop is in the city’s DNA.
“Consider bands like The Nerves, The Quick, The Plimsouls, The Beat, 20/20, The Go-Go's, The Bings, and BOMP Records! You could even include The Beach Boys if you like. The list goes on and on,” Faciane said.
“It’s nothing new here. We never stopped playing it. I think people are just starting to seek it out again and the younger generation, with their limitless access to music, are taking notes.”
I traded emails with Nick and James as they prepared for their first-ever Japanese tour.
Did you take a different approach to writing and recording Going Out Of Fashion? How collaborative is your songwriting process?
Nick Faciane: James and I usually start the songs separately at first. We always bring our stuff to the table though and finish them as a band which gives us that distinctive sound. Some songs are fleshed out on our own, and sometimes we only have a section and the rest of us fill in the gaps. We all make our own parts. Also, having Danny Rossi onboard really got us into playing in a more upbeat driving style. Which has been really great for us and made playing our material feel brand new again.
We had already recorded most of the new album with our old drummer. But after hearing the new tracks we made with Danny, we knew we had to re-do the entire thing from scratch. Not only because the drums were so good, but he also added so much life to the rest of our playing that we knew we just had to do it over.
We went back to Jazzcats studios in Long Beach at the beginning of the year and recorded it all with our friend Jonny Bell in two 8-hour sessions. He is great to work with, allowing us to grind out that many songs in so little time. He gets what we are going for and he has worked on a ton of great records including The Lasts’s most recent Look Again re-release, which finally makes that album comparable to the mighty LA Explosion!
The first single from the new album, "All the Way Down," is pretty perfect power pop. Do you consider yourselves a power pop band? How do you feel about genre labels in general?
James Carman: We’re definitely no strangers to the genre. Even before I really learned the term ‘power pop,’ I was already immersed in it at a young age. I really enjoyed the early punk bands with great catchy hooks. Bands like Buzzcocks, Undertones, Clash, Ramones, Pointed Sticks—to name a few. They all had songs that were fast and punchy, but most importantly the songs were so catchy and stuck with me.
Discovering other artists along the way such as The Nerves, 20/20, Shoes, Raspberries really paved the way for my undying love of the genre. And it's really amazing how much larger, mainstream artists like The Cars and Cheap Trick had long-lasting hits, but are still in line with power pop sensibilities.
The Reflectors are very much in power pop territory, but we also enjoy writing high-energy songs. So, I feel like we have a bit of a punk aesthetic as well.
Tracks like "What's Taking So Long" and "Living in a Dream" would fit neatly on a playlist with other current LA bands like Uni Boys, Billy Tibbals and Kate Clover. Do you consider them peers?
Nick Faciane: The Billy Tibbals/Uni Boys crew are responsible for some of the most exciting music coming out right now. Their songwriting is smart and their technical ability is mindblowing. Every time I see them, they get better and better. Their recordings are fantastic and you can tell they’re listening to all the good rock and roll tunes.
Being LA bands and having similar taste, I do consider them peers, like we are both out there fighting the good fight. I feel as if we have a mutual understanding and respect for each other and I’m rooting for them. Our drummer Danny used to play in a band with Kate Clover many moons ago, so yes in a way she is a peer as well. Danny plays in a ton of interesting projects, one of my favorites is a newer band he’s in called Abscam which isn’t power pop at all, but is music of the future!
Who are a few other LA bands you're listening to these days?
Nick Faciane: It’s an interesting time in the local music scene right now and it feels like this is the calm before the storm. I’m hoping some new, younger bands start popping up to follow the Uni Boys/Billy Tibbals lead and for some old friends like Color TV to start playing out again.
Softjaw is a newer upcoming band right now that kicks some major ass, but I’m not sure if they are repping Long Beach or LA…I’ll let them decide.
There really does seem to be an LA guitar pop Renaissance happening right now. Why do you think that is?
Nick Faciane: I think it’s because other styles of rock are becoming increasingly stale. What once was exciting, now often feels uninspired. Many come off as trying so hard to be original that it’s unoriginal. It's tiring, and I think this leaves listeners craving genuine songs—those with heart, structure, and melodies, and perhaps even a touch of familiarity. This form of music serves as perfect escapism in today’s divisive world.
I don’t think this style ever really disappears either; many people have a soft spot for it and are now remembering and embracing it once again. No one is trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s just good, timeless music, which I'm sure is refreshing for many.
"Just Can't Get Enough Of It" is my current favorite from Going Out Of Fashion. How did that track come together?
James Carman: The title of the song was hilariously created when I heard my girlfriend say, "I just can't get enough of it" while drinking some iced coffee. I thought, ‘Well, that would make a great lyric for a chorus’ and kind of just started thinking about how to build around that lyrically. Of course, I started thinking about things I couldn't get enough of, and it just kind of dawned on me that everyone has some sort of vice—coffee, smoking/drinking, gambling, or whatever it may be— something they just can't get enough of. I thought that would make for a great story to tell which people could relate to in their own way.
You guys have been playing a lot of shows recently, and you're currently touring Japan. How's the new material going over live?
James Carman: The new material has been extremely fun to play live and people enjoy it. We love playing the title track “Going Out Of Fashion,” “I Gotta Run,” and we’ve typically been closing with “All The Way Down” and “Limitation.” Now that we are on our third record, we have an array of songs to choose from, so we just try to keep a balance of material from all three albums that we think are strong live songs.
What's next for The Reflectors?
James Carman: Making it to our third album was definitely a milestone for us. Also, making it to Japan on our first ever international tour was another definite milestone for the band. Nabil, our manager who also runs the Neon Nile label, has worked wonders driving us in the right direction.
We have aspirations to make it out to Europe and the UK early next year. We’re already in discussions about it, so stay tuned as we will start making some announcements later this year about touring across the pond!
The album definitely has its hooks in me.