I started FutureShine Radio in 2023 for several reasons I am a visual artist and I spend a lot of time painting in my studio listening to music . My painting studio also doubles as my office / music recording studio so everything is in reach and I thought to myself wouldn't it be great to share some of the playlists I create when an artist or song really tugs at emotional heartstring or the beat has me dancing and painting at the same time . I also wanted to be able to make it more like a radio format than just sharing a playlist because I enjoy being able to share any cool things I learn about the recording or the artist and I am lucky enough to have many as friends here in Wilmington NC I started doing research for platforms that would allow this type of format and it looked like my friend and mentor Patrick Ogelvie from Flux AV had already figured it out with his Mixcloud show @Planet Elsewhere (go check out his many great shows) He was happy to help as always and here we are 2 years later
All this is to say that I am incredibly honored each and every time I reach out to musicians whos music fill my work space and leave me looking for more and more of their works . This Leads me to Stanley Brinks and Freschard
I think the first song I heard of Stanley's was Orange Juice which I loved for many different reasons mainly the tongue and cheek nature of the song and of course the unique arrangement . As I started exploring his catalog mainly on Youtube Music I began to appreciate his style more and more and that is where I learned of his music collaborator Freschard who I also immediately wanted to hear more of and I learned they had their whole catalog for sale on bandcamp as well
I was a happy camper to have such a vast amount of music to dip into while I drew painted and built puppets. something about the vibe reminded me a bit of playlist I might have heard @ Fermental and Steve Gibbs let me know he was quite familiar with them as I suspected
I decided to reach out with a few questions and was delighted to get a playful inciteful interview from the two creatives residing in Berlin Germany
After reading please consider supporting and sharing their work on Bandcamp and tell them Futureshine Radio sent you !
Hi Mark
Thanks for writing.
We had a conversation after reading your e-mail, kind of interviewed each other
Here's the transcript
1. Dream Shows
Freschard - I'd love to tour the US. So many beautiful people I'd like to see again, and certainly more i have yet to meet. I would like to get to Mexico too, I've never been there, and I really love tequila.
Stan - I like the excitement of a full house, which makes me like small venues the best. I could dream of playing a laundromat or a small chapel.
Freschard - You've done that before.
Stan - True. Then I could dream of playing a laundromat in Albania.
2. Daily life
Freschard - I'm getting ready to record new albums in Berlin, writing in a café, enjoying the daily hour of sunlight coming through the window.
Stan - Right now you're not writing a song.
Freschard - Right, doing this instead. I guess that means one less song.
3. Platforms.
Stan - I like Band Camp, because it makes me think of Bar Cafeteria, the Spanish sign they hang by the door in Spain.
Freschard - Why?
Stan - Just the initials, I guess.
Freschard - Bandcamp is much better then the others. You can put whole albums up, and the listeners are more active, they choose what they want to hear.
Stan - You're more in contact with your audience.
Freschard = Yes, and the money goes to the artists, which makes a big difference too. Personally i don't listen to music through the Internet though. I like my records, tapes and 78's.
Stan - I like turning the web-TV on at the hotel and listening to whatever the previous guest has put on before leaving. That's a good way to hear new stuff.
Freschard - Like New Punjabi?
Stan - Like New Punjabi.
4. Favorite artists and influences.
Freschard - Yes, New Punjabi these days. Calypso from Trinidad always. The music from Isan that we danced to on the streets when we were playing shows in Thailand.
Stan - That's a big influence for me. All of Happy New Year is directly inspired by those street parties, the water-guns, the cowbell, the suspended pentatonic mode. As big as going to a Velvet Underground show.
5. Career highlights.
Stan - Can't think of anything right now.
Freschard - I normally enjoy smaller stages better, but when I sang Tweet Tweet at Green Man Festival it was fun. I waved at an old friend in the audience, and the whole crowd started waving back in rhythm. It went on for the six minutes of the song, it was like we were coming up with a new dance all together.
6.What keeps you writing.
Stan - I have no choice but to keep writing and playing, I'm pretty useless at anything else. I've tried a lot of other things, even windsurfing.
Freschard - Love makes me wanna write songs. Love with a big L. And then it's also fun, I'm having fun when I'm writing.
7. Songwriting process.
Stan - It changes all the time. Most of the time I just feel like there's something i wanna say and i have to find words and music just to do that. Other times I just stumble upon some cool idea for a chorus, and it expands by itself.
Freschard - I like a pencil and a piece of paper.
That was that. All the best,
Stan