We posed some questions to Tim about being a band in Brooklyn, band vans, and subway performers...

Free Williamsburg: Is Brooklyn better?

Tim Harrington: Then what? Boise? Yes. Outer Space? No. Manhattan? Sometimes.

When it is better it is because we live there and so do lots of our friends. Prospect park and the botanical garden are there and there are some good places to eat and bars with good music and cheap drinks and our apartment/Practice space is nice and pretty cheap.

Free Williamsburg :Who's your favorite subway platform performer?

Tim Harrington: It is a toss up 3-ways. I like the avant guard violinist- He looks like a sort of hipster guy and I imaging he's from some eastern block country. I like the old black guy who hangs a microphone around his neck with a coat hanger  and always wears fisherman's rain gear and plays a really old guitar doing some kind of ultra stripped down blues. I like the old white guy who wears cowboy boots and has a gray beard. He always wears wicked tight jeans and a sleeveless shirts and plays Neil Young and G&R standing bow legged and rocked way back like he's taking a dump- but looking cool.

OH WAIT!!!!! The best subway performer who actually kicks these guys asses is the drunk guy who walks through the cars singing silly songs in Spanish while wearing a horses body costume on his lower half. If you've seen this you know and love it. He really works that little horsie. If you have never seen it- I'm sorry it is to good to ruin with a short description, get on the subway and wait.

Free Williamsburg: Does Les Savy Fav have a Band Van?

Tim Harrington: Oh god please don't remind me. We had the worlds coolest band van which we parked under the BQE. It had a giant boosted roof so you could fully stand up in it and a bed and a cool A.C. inverter which let you plug things in while driving and it was silver-gray with flames coming out of the gas pipe and it had a sticker that said "working is for people who don't know how to party" on it.

It was the jam but then this past May it suddenly broke down in Boston. Since then it has been to 4 Mechanics in New England. All were baffled by it. Finally we took it to a dealer and the dealer said "JUNK IT!" This is a very heartbreaking subject since the van is the only one we've ever owned (though Syd owns it) Now we have to buy a new one which will not be all cute and chugga-chugga like our old one. One time we played the van baby music so it wouldn't be stressed out and run out of gas while we were driving through the Arizona desert and it drove for an hour on fumes.

Les Savy Fav just recorded this past Spring a new album. It is called "GO FORTH" and it is good. It comes out in late October. Les Savy Fav recorded it in Brooklyn right near their house on Powers and Union and Phil Ek recorded it.

Les Savy Fav will be playing on November 1 at the Bowery ballroom for thier US launch. Please look for this record. Syd(their bass player) is putting it out on his label Frenchkiss Records. He is also putting out the DC band THE APES' record this fall. So look for "The Apes- Fugue in the Fog" and "Les Savy Fav-GO FORTH" this fall!


-Bret Nicely
Free Williamsburg.