Mulholland Drive, malt scotch, Edinburgh Scotland and Christmas trees may not seem like they have a lot in common, but in the case of Jonathan D. Haskell, orchestrator and multi-instrumentalist for the band, FIRS, they are the landscape for his cinematic orchestra.
A native Angeleno, Jonathan D. Haskell has spent years working and re-working the subtle melodic nuances that have become the headphone-centric FIRS. Conceived walking the cobblestone streets of Edinburgh while sipping scotch, Haskell accepted his inescapable fate of never leaving Los Angeles and his impending return. With that, FIRS embody his love / hate relationship with said city.
"I became more interested in how music made me feel and became a bit more selfish in the type of sounds I wanted to record. I mostly listen to music in my car, and the sounds that moved me the most occurred late at night while driving around the steep slopes and sharp curves of Mulholland Drive. There's nothing like that winding road at midnight... the ebb and flow of swirling tones pouring out from all angles leaves you with a renewed sense of focus and direction."
Firs is a direct result of this renewed energy and a reaction to growing up and feeling trapped in Los Angeles. "There is no escaping this city. If you're born here, even if you move away, its impact is always brewing just below the surface.â€
FIRS was recorded, produced and mixed by Haskell and Daniel Farris (St. Vincent, The Black Pill) in the shadowy confines of downtown Los Angeles. And contributing everything from heart-pulled strings, down tempo beats, delicate keyboards and distant voices, FIRS comprises an impressive list of talented musicians including: Lester Nuby (Verbena, Terra Naomi), Morgan Grace Kibby (M83), Mike Garson (David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins) and Eric Heywood (The Pretenders, Ray LaMontagne).
For more information on FIRS, please contact Daniel Gill at [email protected].
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