On The Road Again With Gringo Star

The Band Formerly Known As A Fir-Ju Well Is Working Harder Than Ever

originally published April 4, 2007

Barreling down a lonesome highway, somewhere between Pittsburgh and a small college town called Indiana, PA, Nick Furgiuele is nonchalant when talking about how the last year unfolded for Gringo Star. In August of 2006, the band formerly known as A Fir-Ju Well - Nick and his brother Peter along with Matt McCalvin and Peter DeLorenzo, each taking turns behind drums, bass, keyboard, guitar and vocals - announced it was playing its "last show ever."

But word soon spread that the group wasn't breaking up, merely changing its name. This came as a relief to fans of the Atlanta indie psych-rock band; that is, until the new name, Gringo Star, was unveiled. The backlash was severe, especially in the group’s hometown. For weeks at virtually every show, or every coffee shop around the city, local music goers scoffed and snorted over the silly Beatles pun that had usurped the more mysterious name A Fir-Ju Well. But by all accounts, the rest of the world has been much kinder than Atlanta. “At the onset, we worried about playing towns where we had a following,” Nick admits. “But we just played Little Rock and it was one of the greatest shows we have ever had! With the email lists and word-of-mouth, most people know that we’re the same band.” DeLorenzo weighs in, adding, “It felt like in many cliques and circles around town, there were some inaccurate assumptions about our motivations. As time has gone on, people are starting to get what we're doing and realizing that the essence of the band is the same, only stronger.”

Meet The New Band, Same As The Old Band

Nine months down the road, the joking in Atlanta has subsided and the group is working harder than ever. Before turning south to play CD release parties in Athens and Atlanta, the group will have played 22 shows in 22 days. Not far into the tour, the band’s van died. Where many would have thrown in the towel, canceled the remaining dates and limped home, the Gringos soldiered on. The replacement vehicle is a small red pick-up truck on loan from friend and fellow Atlanta singer-songwriter Anna Kramer. It is by no means a luxury haul, as the itinerary includes two people in the cab and two people in the back of the truck with all the gear. The scene captures an image of the DIY spirit in its truest form, and stands as a testament to the kind of dedication that saves the group from being written off, by even the most boisterous nay-sayers.

Later this month, Gringo Star will release a new self-titled EP that mostly reworks older material, while offering a handful of new numbers as well. Revising some of the oldest songs from the group’s catalogue indicates that Gringo Star is the same band it has always been. But indeed, some things have changed. From the opening drum roll and Southern surf rock sounds of “No Reason,” Gringo Star portrays a sense of maturity that eclipses the swirling and overtly psychedelic qualities of its former self.

The song “No Reason” previously appeared on A Fir-Ju Well’s 2004 release Absolutely A Fir-Ju Well under the name “Guevon.” “Transmission” was plucked from the group’s ’02 self-titled debut full-length. And other songs - “Coming For You” and “Not A Sound” - are pulled from a 7” released by Rob’s House Records in the summer of ’06.

A Bright And Shindig Star

What’s immediately noticeable about each song is the refined sound quality. Under the guidance of producer Paul Durham (Black Lab) in his home studio in Bozeman, MT, the group fine-tuned these older songs to take on a more accessible hue. Whereas each song originated in various states of lower-budget production, and was bound by extended jams and experimental rhythms, the new versions are clean, quick and concise. New songs “Esmerelda” and “No Man” follow suit, and as Nick explains, the CD is a demo of sorts that was put together in hopes of catching the attention of a larger label.

“We have about 16 more new songs that we need to put out,” he chuckles. “We’re just using this EP to get a label behind the full-length. We've had a couple offers in the last few months. We’re just waiting for the right thing to show itself.” And who doesn’t make themselves look better on a resume? In the meantime, the group is maintaining the same rigorous live schedule it has always kept. In addition to crisscrossing the United States, Gringo Star will embark on its third U.K. tour in May.

In spite of the local backlash, the name change has propelled the group, hopefully, into the stable of a larger record label. “We're still introducing the band to the world and we're still evolving,” DeLorenzo adds. “It’s helped us focus our energy, and the band feels more unified than ever.”

Chad Radford

Who: Gringo Star, Phonograph, Lost Art
Where: Caledonia Lounge
When: Tuesday, April 10
How Much: $5