Flight Facilities
Subscribe
X

Get the latest from Beat

All

Flight Facilities

flightfacilities.jpg

At face value, the Flight Facilities boys are a couple of larrikin mates that finish each other’s sentences, dress up in costumes and play at clubs and festivals. Beneath it all, Hugo Gruzman and James “Jimmy” Lyell are the forces behind a thoughtful and intelligent catalogue that pushes genre limits and embraces all musical stylings, old and new.

Forming in 2009, they first began mixing songs by other artists before releasing their first original single Crave You. While they mightn’t have known it at the time, the duo was destined to form Flight Facilities as Jimmy remembers always having been drawn to the music industry growing up and Hugo concedes, “I think at about nine or ten years old I wanted to be a pilot. It’s kind of funny how that seems to have panned out.” Funny indeed, as the pair currently sport aviator jackets, flying goggles and pilot caps on stage.

The outfits and their artist name, it’s revealed, are genuine pieces left over from Hugo’s grandfather’s business. “Flight Facilities was the flight charter company between Sydney and Merimbula. There used to be a sign down at the airport for Flight Facilities until about four years ago when they took it down. But that’s where it all came from,” Hugo cites.

Since the establishment of Flight Facilities’ musical incarnation, the duo have carved a name for themselves producing original tracks that marry dreamy melodies and infectious modern-day disco. Both agree that the timelessness of the 70s sounds are a major influence on their own creations. “The fact that a lot of that music still gets played and listened to on a pretty heavy basis says a lot about the longevity of it. So we decided to have a go at it,” says Hugo.

While pop/funk riffs do most of the heavy lifting among their collection of originals, there are obvious stylistic differences within each song. Jimmy reveals, “It’s all part of the end game… We want to be known as songwriters as well, so if we’ve got quite a catalogue of different stuff then it means in the future we can go and write for different people.” He also admits it’s a deliberate decision that “…reflects on the inspirations that each of us brings to the table. It’s quite a shared platform that we make music with and what’s come out of it has been a really good marriage of all of our inspiration. I guess we really like to put two opposites together and make a song out of it. That’s probably our favourite thing to do, our favourite way to make a song.”

Enter Clair de Lune: The lofty, eight –minute ode to Claude DeBussy’s creation of the same name. It’s all encompassing with an almost progressive soundscape introduction, drawn out strings and Christine Hoberg’s vocals that are equal parts painful and delicate. This Flight Facilities bomber solidified their versatility and proved their theorem that opposites attract.

Jimmy pinpoints the song’s inception at Denpasar Airport, Bali while listening to the original DeBussy manifestation. “We were sitting in this airport … with one earphone each, and we were about to fly home so it was the perfect song. If you’ve ever been to Bali you’ll know you get Bali Leaving Depression. We’d obviously had the perfect week and then we were like, ‘You know what, let’s make a song using this as a reference’. It kind of went from there and it grew and grew.”

With over two million views on Youtube, the song’s music video has become a force in itself. Co-created by Foals main videographer Dave Ma and shot in the San Fernando Valley, California it was a featured short film at this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival. Hugo and Jimmy recognise these new digital platforms as key elements in fostering relationships between new artists and developing fan followings.

In a matter-of-fact manner Jimmy explains, “Music’s become like a business card now. You’ve got to give it away for people to hear it. Would you rather the five people that have bought [the track] at the show or the 500 people that have downloaded it for free at the show?”

“It’s about embracing the new platforms…you just want to embrace everything and give it a shot. If it isn’t for you, you can always get off it but I think it’s a good idea to just embrace the new technology as it comes”, adds Hugo. The boys certainly have it covered with a blog, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud and Youtube accounts, but the real Flight Facilities experience peaks and culminates at their live performances. Self-proclaimed as a show with “lots of colour, lots of light, a few vocalists, and two guys standing behind it all” they’ve sold out national shows, secured a spot at Splendour In The Grass and featured in Triple J’s House Party tour. Of this recent whirlwind Jimmy understates they’re experiencing “a retrospective, ‘wow that was big’ yawn.”

On plans to further enhance the Flight Facilities live experience, the duo digress and entertain fantasies of arriving at their upcoming venues in a suitcase, unpacking themselves on a baggage claim carousel and starting the set.

“Somewhere down the line, that is the vision. You’ve heard it right here.” Jimmy jokes.

BY ISABELLA UBALDI

Recommended