Skip to main content

PhoulBallz Talks With Les Savy Fav's Seth Jabour

Normally, when I interview people for the site, it's a player or a coach. That makes the following Q&A session extra special.

A brand new phriend of PhoulBallz has emerged. Seth Jabour, of the exceptional indie rock band Les Savy Fav, took time to chat with PhoulBallz.com this week about fame, the troubles of leaked music, Phillies baseball and more.

Currently on Frechkiss Records, the band also consists of Tim Harrington, Syd Butler, Harrison Haynes and Andrew Reuland. The group pumps out creative content, has a considerably large fan base and loves to perform. No questions asked, Les Savy Fav needs to be on your musical radar.

Hoping to reach some news phans, Seth agreed to answer some questions, so check out what he had to say below.


Seth, you're lead guitarist for Les Savy Fav. What's the best thing about being a rock star?

That all depends on what you mean by 'rock star.' I don't drive an Italian sports car or trash hotel rooms. I guess that archetype is dated. But I love to meet people and perform in front of a crowd.


A lot of folks idolize rock stars and pro athletes. Is the travel involved with touring as glamorous as people imagine? And who has it better, athletes or musicians?

We fly coach and generally travel the roads in a van. I sense a bus in our future, so I expect the glamour factor to step up a bit. As for who has it better - depends on your status in your respective field. My guess is that all the A listers have it sweet. We're like the dudes in the minors - just happy to be playing the game and steadily striving to get noticed.


Baseball fans not familiar with the name Les Savy Fav may unknowingly be familiar with the band's music, as it has been included in some video game soundtracks like MLB 2K7 and Grand Theft Auto IV. What sort of attention has video game exposure brought the band and/or how has that benefited the band?

Don't forget NHL 2K8. Our bassist, Syd, is a big hockey fan. As far as gaining exposure through video games goes, I'd say GTA IV got the most attention throughout the blogging community. I'm a fan of the GTA franchise, so it was a nice feather in my cap.


You grew up in NJ, right? Who were some of your favorite baseball players growing up?

Damn right, Jay! I grew up watching Philadelphia TV stations, so I was a Phillies fan. This was back in - oh, let's see now - the early 80's. I was a fan of Pete Rose (that hair!) and Mike Schmidt (that mustache!). I remember going to see the Phillies play the Cardinals in '80 or '81 and I wanted to meet Mike Schmidt. As my family and I made our way back to our car, I asked my dad where he thought Mike Schmidt was parked. I was under the impression that a post-game Mike Schmidt was parked in the same lot as my folks. What a boob I was.


You now reside in NYC. Are you partial toward either the Mets or Yankees or have you managed to avoid that sort of awfulness?

Nah. Does Newark have a team?


Les Savy Fav's latest release Root For Ruin had its release date pushed up in a rushed fashion after the music leaked online. Talk about what the stress level is like for musicians when something like that happens and how did the band react?

Well, we were pretty bummed, but these days it's par for the course. Tim came up with a clever plan to follow our fans on Twitter with an account called "You Stole Our Record" (now defunct). Anytime someone tweeted about liking our new record, Tim would haunt them, urging them to make a donation to our Pay Pal account. It worked for a little while. Some people took it as a witch hunt and were none too pleased. On the other hand, most folks don't steal music by accident. I think we handled it in stride.


Do other members of the band like baseball or are they partial to other sports?

Syd loves hockey. Andrew likes most sports. He occasionally wears a Mets cap. Harrison is a Chapel Hill native, so college basketball is his sport of choice. I like football. Tim likes skateboarding and swimming.


If you were going to compare the band members to the Phillies, which member would be which player?

I think Tim would be the Phillie Phanatic - hairy, no pants, and a sure crowd pleaser.
Syd would be the team manager, Charlie Manuel. He's great at taking charge of the team.
Harrison would be the Carlos Ruiz of the band - calls the shots in over the plate. Writes the set lists!
I'm not sure where that leaves Andrew and I. Infield and outfield. Andrew provides the punch and the power, so- Ryan Howard? I'm partial to improvising and thinking fast on my feet, as well as being able to switch it up, so- Victorino perhaps?



If you had an opportunity - which you do, here- to reach potential new fans, what would you tell them, to convince folks to check out your music or come see a Les Savy Fav show?

We're one of the best live bands working today. Our music is great to sweat to. It's fun without being funny or goofy. I think fans of anything left of center can appreciate our music.


Thanks to Seth for spending time answering the questions. Readers, you can download Les Savy Fav's new album Root For Ruin LEGALLY directly from iTunes. Also, check out Les Savy Fav's website by clicking this link.

_________________________________________


Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE.


BallHype: hype it up!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PhoulBallz Interview: BlueClaws OF Justin Crawford

Justin Crawford w/ junior reporter Evan At the age of 19, outfielder Justin Crawford has played his way into the conversation of being considered as one of baseball's top prospects. The son of four-time MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, Justin has looked every bit as impressive as his position as the 17th overall draft selection last year would have most fans thinking he should be.  He opened the season with Class A Clearwater where, in 69 games, he notched a .344/.399/.478 slash line.  And since mid-August when he was promoted to Class A Advanced Jersey Shore, the younger Crawford has posted a .300/.364/.440 line.  He's also stolen 44 bases in 52 attempts overall. And while the BlueClaws enter the final week of the regular season 1/2 game out of first place in their division, I spoke with Justin Crawford about the team's hopes of making the postseason for the first time since 2018. I also asked Justin about the similarities and differences between his skillset and his father'

Jersey Shore clinches playoff berth on final day of regular season

Ottto Kemp, image- Jay Floyd With an extra-inning victory over first-half division champions Hudson Valley on Sunday, the Class A Advanced Jersey Shore BlueClaws clinched the team's first playoff appearance since 2018, winning the second-half division title. Key performers in the BlueClaws' clincher were righty hurler Jason Ruffcorn, who threw three innings of relief to earn the victory and third baseman Otto Kemp, notched three hits, a walk, two stolen bases and plated the game winning run in the 11th inning on a sacrifice fly.  On top of that, Kemp, who turned 24-years-old on Saturday, made an absolute game-saving defensive play to help the club hold their lead in the bottom of the 11th frame. One of Jersey Shore's most consistent performers all season long has been right-handed reliever Cam Wynne.  The Phillies' 20th round draft pick in 2021 out of Nebraska.  In 34 appearances, one start, the 24-year-old tallied a 1-1 record with one save, a 2.44 ERA and a .190 batti

RHP Pipkin headed to AFL after hot August

After completing what was easily the best month of his career, righty hurler Dominic Pipkin is ready to face the tough competition of the prominent Arizona Fall Leage.   Pipkin, who was the Phillies' 9th round draft selection in 2018, has had moderate success in his five years as a pro, posting a 4.93 ERA, a 7.6 K/9 mark and a .260 batting average against mostly at the lower levels on the minors. After missing time this year with an unspecified ailment, the six-foot-four 170-pounder proved to be healthy as he dominated AA competition in nine appearances with the Reading Fightin Phils during August.  Pipkin's impressive production resulted in a 1-0 record with a save and a 0.96 ERA while striking out eight and walking three in 9 1/3 innings. The California native says his efforts to improve have helped him touch 100 MPH on the radar gun, while his fastball velocity is mostly around 96 MPH.   Pipkin's arsenal includes that improved fastball as well as a slider while his curve