Guitarist/singer Linda Moody and bass player/vocalist Tori Fulkerson-Jones have played together in bands for almost a decade. They perform in Fleetwood Macramé doing covers of Fleetwood Mac tunes; in Proud Mary: A Creedence Queerwater Revival, presenting CCR’s hits; and Excuses for Skipping, a queer, post-punk band that released their final album last year.
When the Covid pandemic began, they had to stop performing. “Our drummer in Macramé has a house in Sonoma,” Moody said. During the lockdown, they formed a pod with their families, moved north and found themselves in a welcoming sanctuary.
“Since we couldn’t perform, we had time to write and jam together,” Moody said. “The idea was to improvise, have fun and make chaos. While other band members were enjoying the countryside, Tori and I played all the time. Sometimes I’d pop onto the drums and we’d jam. After some time, we came up with a few songs and a band name—Chaos Fiction.”
As the pandemic eased, the duo enlisted Steve Landey to play drums. They call their sound “noise pop,” since it weaves together rhythmic complexity, poetic lyrics and multilayered instrumental parts. Fulkerson-Jones, whose bass-playing heroes include Kim Deal (Pixies, the Breeders) and Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), added abstract sounds to the foundation, while Moody crafts lyrics that emerge from the music itself.
“As a three-piece, we can all explore our creative impulses,” Fulkerson-Jones said. “The arrangements have a lot of open space so there’s room for each of us to be expressive.”
Moody agreed: “In bands with more members, it’s about making space so everyone can have a voice in the music. In a three-piece, it’s: ‘How do I fill up more space?’”
As they played live shows, the arrangements evolved into the sounds on Steady Nerves, their self-produced debut album.
“The title points to that feeling of finding steadiness within yourself as you set out on something new, different, hard or exciting,” Fulkerson-Jones said. It’s a fitting description of their songwriting and their performances as a band.
They recorded, mixed and produced the album themselves. They began by laying down basic tracks in their rehearsal space at Secret Studios in San Francisco. They re-recorded Landey’s drums at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, then mixed it all at Fulkerson-Jones’ home studio.
“Tear Gas Hockey” uses a touch of ironic humor to describe the uncertainty people felt during the early days of the pandemic and the George Floyd demonstrations. Fulkerson-Jones lays down a rolling bass line, driven by Landey’s crackling backbeat. Moody’s shimmering lead guitar leads up to the hopeful message of the chorus: “Revolution’s on!”
The hesitation one feels at the beginning of a relationship is explored in “Duckweed Daydream.” Moody’s guitar fills and a jittery backbeat highlight a spoken telephone conversation as the singer asks: “Maybe we could get together?” The “sha la la’s” of the chorus give the tune a bright, pop feel.
A slow, soothing rhythm lays the foundation for “Space Cowboy,” a meditation on the end of earthly life, or perhaps the opening of the mind to a universe of limitless possibility. Images drawn from mythology, Moody’s atmospheric guitar lines and the slow pulse of the rhythm section support her soft crooning.
The album came out digitally, on the usual platforms, in April. They’ll celebrate the release of the album on vinyl with their upcoming show at the Ivy Room. “We made an LP because we wanted to have something physical,” Moody said. “A lot of music lovers like listening to their favorite bands on vinyl.
“Music at its best is a place you can go to find solace, feel connected with others, escape reality and expand your imagination. I’m excited to explore more punk rock and dancy vibes, but with an attitude! These are dark times, and people are angry. In fact, we are enraged. This will definitely affect what we write, going forward,” Moody continued.
“It’s an amazing gift to get to know someone so well through music,” Fulkerson-Jones said. “I’m stoked to keep learning and exploring with Linda. In our writing, I honor the power we all have to shift the systems and narratives that lie to us and keep us separate.”
Chaos Fiction will play Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. 510.470.2162. ivyroom.com. Listen to the band’s music at: chaosfiction.bandcamp.com/album/steady-nerves.
