For our second interview we are delighted to welcome Autry Fulbright II, who has been playing bass in Trail of Dead since 2010 as well as singing for the lesser known but just as cool Midnight Masses. We appreciate the time and effort that he put into the replies, and the fact that he sent them back within the hour!
Electric Eye: Trail of Dead is out there playing Madonna and Source Tags & Codes in full. Do you basically play the songs as written or do you allow yourself to inject some of your personality and ideas onto those songs that were written before your tenure in the band?
Autry Fulbright II: We definitely open the songs up as a group and I have personally taken creative liberties to adhere to my personal style and the vibe of each show while still paying tribute to the original structure. Songs like Aged Dolls, Perfect Teenhood, and Totally Natural are pretty consistent examples of that. The band as a whole has evolved and the songs were never meant to be the same live as on record.
Electric Eye: Do you know how many countries you have played in? Which one was the most different, exotic? In what ways?
Autry Fulbright II: It’s hard to say, but the band has played pretty much everywhere in Europe, including smaller cities in the UK and Germany, as well as major markets in Asia and Australia. I stopped keeping track some time ago. Exotic is a relative term, but my favorite places are the ones that are most familiar.
Electric Eye: Any plans for any Midnight Masses activity once the Trail of Dead tour wraps?
Autry Fulbright II: Midnight Masses in its original form no longer exists and hasn’t for a while, but I have several other projects and contributions to records that are in development. Some have already been released, such as Vanishing Life LP and a song with Amen Dunes on his latest album. Other upcoming projects include contributions to the upcoming Skrillex record, a project called S /\ W, and a Trail of Dead/Coathangers group called Damnaged that will release a single this summer on Suicide Squeeze.
Electric Eye: What is your fondest memory of TV On The Radio’s Gerard Smith?
Autry Fulbright II: Probably that he was a cranky bastard like me, but believed in the talent of his friends he was surrounded by.
Electric Eye: Is there one album/musician/concert that made you have the epiphany that you wanted to be a musician? Who? When? How?
Autry Fulbright II: No one in particular. My parents were involved in music throughout my life so that was probably the greatest influence. I watched a lot of MTV and listened to college radio growing up. Discovering bands that weren’t massively popular or weren’t necessarily virtuosic musicians made the idea of playing in a band more accessible to me.
Good stuff! Make sure to check out Trail of Dead on their current tour, they make a glorious racket and put on a great show. In fact, check out our review of their latest Paris date HERE.
