The Fur Coat and All Of Its Children
Jack Hittinger
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Arts
Besides inheriting the title of "longest band name on campus," The Fur Coat and All of Its Children also keeps more unique instruments onstage than any other campus group.
"I played glockenspiel, sang, screamed on one song, hit a pan and I shook a maraca," junior Natalie Scarlett said of their set at the Battle of the Bands.
Primary songwriters Hilary Lewis and Daniel Chasen, both sophomores, agree that there's a lot going on in the band.
"Ethan [Lewis, the drummer] is in percussion ensemble so we have a lot at our disposal," Chasen said.
Chasen and Hilary Lewis said they draw their sound from many different artists: from indie artists like Cursive and Arcade Fire to composers like Rachmaninoff and even heavier bands like Megadeth.
"But no prog," Hilary said, laughing. "Just because I don't like it. But everything else is open game."
For Chasen, who plays rhythm guitar and writes lyrics, writing songs is a spontaneous process.
"Usually I write lyrics and then Hilary and I jam on chords," he said. "We really like playing together so we just use whatever works."
Hilary's viola contributes to how they write the songs.
"I like the tone and range because it can blend in well," she said, contrasting it with the violin. "You can still play high and solo if you want but you can always go low to complement the song."
After the two find something they like, they bring it to the rest of the band and work from there.
"Ethan's just amazing at getting a feel for the song and bringing everything together," Chasen said. "Jason [Carr, the bassist] and Ethan are really a solid base, they keep things together well."
Their instrumental "Apple in Repose" involves a lot of noise and "people slamming on everything," Scarlett said.
"It's not very pretty," Hilary said, "But there are two really melodic parts in the middle."
Some listeners might be turned off by the overbearing cluster of noise that The Fur Coat sometimes emanates, but Scarlett said they just like to get caught up in the fun of making music.
Most of their other songs feature beautiful melodies and thoughtful lyrics, like the song "Leaves," which Scarlett said tells the story of a blind man caught in a forest fire.
"We try to put an emphasis on the lyrics," Chasen said. "And we're Christian so a lot of it is based on a walk with Christ."
Chasen said The Fur Coat and All of Its Children might try to schedule one more show before the semester ends. They've recorded the song "Leaves," and they're putting the finishing touches on it before making a website.
Hillsdale College Collegian, 2007
"I played glockenspiel, sang, screamed on one song, hit a pan and I shook a maraca," junior Natalie Scarlett said of their set at the Battle of the Bands.
Primary songwriters Hilary Lewis and Daniel Chasen, both sophomores, agree that there's a lot going on in the band.
"Ethan [Lewis, the drummer] is in percussion ensemble so we have a lot at our disposal," Chasen said.
Chasen and Hilary Lewis said they draw their sound from many different artists: from indie artists like Cursive and Arcade Fire to composers like Rachmaninoff and even heavier bands like Megadeth.
"But no prog," Hilary said, laughing. "Just because I don't like it. But everything else is open game."
For Chasen, who plays rhythm guitar and writes lyrics, writing songs is a spontaneous process.
"Usually I write lyrics and then Hilary and I jam on chords," he said. "We really like playing together so we just use whatever works."
Hilary's viola contributes to how they write the songs.
"I like the tone and range because it can blend in well," she said, contrasting it with the violin. "You can still play high and solo if you want but you can always go low to complement the song."
After the two find something they like, they bring it to the rest of the band and work from there.
"Ethan's just amazing at getting a feel for the song and bringing everything together," Chasen said. "Jason [Carr, the bassist] and Ethan are really a solid base, they keep things together well."
Their instrumental "Apple in Repose" involves a lot of noise and "people slamming on everything," Scarlett said.
"It's not very pretty," Hilary said, "But there are two really melodic parts in the middle."
Some listeners might be turned off by the overbearing cluster of noise that The Fur Coat sometimes emanates, but Scarlett said they just like to get caught up in the fun of making music.
Most of their other songs feature beautiful melodies and thoughtful lyrics, like the song "Leaves," which Scarlett said tells the story of a blind man caught in a forest fire.
"We try to put an emphasis on the lyrics," Chasen said. "And we're Christian so a lot of it is based on a walk with Christ."
Chasen said The Fur Coat and All of Its Children might try to schedule one more show before the semester ends. They've recorded the song "Leaves," and they're putting the finishing touches on it before making a website.
Hillsdale College Collegian, 2007
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