112. The Fiery Furnaces - Aren't You Curious?

In this chat, we get to meet The Fiery Furnaces. The band first rose to prominence in the 2000s, but after a sort of garage-y debut album, they released a slew of highly experimental, avant-garde, quirky abstract pop and rock epics, putting out numerous records in a short time span. Then they stopped. And while they both have had robust solo careers, the duo - made of brother and sister Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger - have never made another FF record. And while they did give me at least some hope for another one down the line, this conversation focuses mostly on two of their most acclaimed and beloved LPs: Blueberry Boat and Bitter Tea, which celebrates its 20th birthday this year. We talk all about these two records, as well as what was going on before and around them, and also touch on live shows, songwriting, alter egos, and more. It's a good chat with two people whose work I've been a dear fan of for many, many years. Thank you for listening.