INTERVIEW: Florry Is In It For the Ride
Philly DIY band Florry proudly carry on the ramshackle warmth endemic to the scene. In our interview, bandleader Francie Medosch tells us how the band approaches live music.
Francie Medosch is already a grizzled Philadelphia DIY veteran, and Florry proudly carries the ramshackle warmth endemic to the Schuykill with the brash confidence of bands like the Rolling Stones and the Band. These influences can be scene in the band's sprawling singles "Hey Baby" and "First it was a move, then it was a book.
In our interview, Medosch reveals the neuroses inherent in her songs' characters and the ways Florry approaches their commitment to live music.
Does your album have an overarching theme?
For the past couple of years I've been focusing my writing on characters trying to find meaning in their lives. A lot of my favorite authors, songwriters, movies, etc. do this in some way, like Laurie Moore, Chekhov, Broadcast News (starring Holly Hunter!), and Big Star. I was reading about Big Star's Third recently and Alex Chilton apparently described those songs as artistic "groping" which is something I think fits with these songs. People naturally search for patterns in their lives and want some kinda reward of knowledge from the things that happen to them when a lot of the time good or bad stuff happens to people for no reason at all. I believe in faith and putting in serious effort to make changes in your life, but beyond that life is a lot of different tempered objects swirling around you.
A lot of the characters in my songs on this album are either lighting up, dimming down, or something in the middle (insanity) in the face of fulfillment or dissatisfaction from the things around them. I’m sure there's some Venn diagram that could be made but that’d be over-explaining and annoying. Its unclear whether these things (i.e love, identity, history, hobbies, tragedy, etc.) are distractions or hold actual significance, which to me feels like the most personal aspect of this record. That slight anxiety is with all of us for sure, but I was in my early 20s when I was writing most of these songs so it was pretty relevant for me.
How do you manage having a good time at shows, but also trying to stay mentally and physically fit?
The second we start loading in I begin drinking a lot of water to make me pee a bunch and I find this wakes me up and makes me feel alive the two-three hours or so before the show starts. Once the show starts I’ve hopefully eaten so I have fuel in me and I continue to drink water and maybe I enjoy a cheeky beer or two. I always wait to smoke cigs til after the set if I end up choosing to do that and I DO NOT take shots unless it’s a special occasion. Beyond that I do a mix of the chit chatting and such, most nights I love talking to strangers and making friends. Some nights though I prefer to just hang out with the band, it can be a toss up.
Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?
I got to play in a giant cave a couple years ago so the only thing I really feel I need to do with my "professional music career" is make sure my Mom can meet some of her favorite celebrities, such as Ira Glass and Aimee Mann.
Do you have any go-to albums to listen to in the van?
We love listening to a healthy diet of great and mediocre music in the van to keep us entertained, some include:
- Some Girls Live in Texas 78 by the Rolling Stones
- Tonight’s the Night Live at the Roxy by Neil Young
- Dave Matthews Band Live in Central Park
- Scenes from a Memory by Dreamtheater
- She Sings They Play by NRBQ and Skeeter Davis
- Rock of Ages by The Band
- Envy by Arto Lindsay and the Ambitious Lovers
How do you kill the long hours in the van?
I watch downloaded movies, listen to music, read, sleep, write, eat tiny snacks, smoke weed, look at Google Maps, find out what trees are around, joke around, and come up with funny shit to play through John Murray’s bluetooth speaker as someone is already playing music through the van’s stereo, such as fart and poop noises, Garageband guitar and drum beats, random sound effects, and Instagram reels.
Being in the van can be one of the hardest parts of being a musician. Sitting in a crowded tiny space for 6 hours a day can take a toll on you if you aren’t careful. This feels like the biggest hurdle in making your music somewhat of a career. DIY touring is fun and I did a lot (maybe too much!) of it in my teens but it’s just such a breeze compared to the grind of chasing the van. When we started going out for longer tours a couple years ago I realized I would have to put way more effort into taking care of myself if I wanted to be a road dog. I recently started going to the gym pretty often and exercise is something I’m looking forward to incorporating into our time at rest stops and hotels to counteract how sitting for so long makes
you feel.
Florry's next album, Sounds Like... will be out on May 23rd.
