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The South End Online: Eric Balfour talks Fredalba

10/15/2003

Eric Balfour talks Fredalba

Courtesy of Fredalba.com

Fredalba's latest is currently available.

By Larissa Barlow

Staff Writer

When you're the star of a highly anticipated horror film, it should be the only thing on your mind.

But Eric Balfour, who plays Kemper in the upcoming remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," couldn't be more excited about his L.A. based band, Fredalba.

The soulful rhythmic sounds produced by this six member band, which Balfour fronts as lead singer, combine everything from hip hop to electronica to funk on their album "Uptown Music for Downtown Kids." The mélange of musical genres is as unique as the origin of the band's name.

"There was this girl that we met in Paris, and her name was Fredalba. And yes, we believe she was a prostitute. We don't know for sure, but all we do know is that she stole a bunch of money from us," Balfour says with a laugh by telephone from Los Angeles. With only French Francs and unable to pay for a cab back to the hotel, they handed the woman $100 in exchange for 100 Francs.

Not paying any attention, no one realized that with the exchange rate, they'd only received $20 in return.

"We still didn't have enough money for the cab."

Their encounter with a slick Frenchwoman wasn't the only influence on the band's name though.

"Me and Tiffin, the guitar player, go snowboarding in Big Bear and there's a street up there called Fredalba Road and it was just sort of a funny coincidence. We just put the two together and said, 'that's the name.'"

When the name came together everything else seemed to follow.

The striking sounds are a diversified mixture of everything right with music today.

"Our sound is an amalgamation of the city we grew up in. Los Angeles is our home and it has influences in every type of music. It's just L.A. This is our barrio."

Fredalba said The Red Hot Chili Peppers was as a major influence on him.

"For us, they're the classic L.A band. We grew up in the same town as they did."

With Balfour on vocals, Tiffin Roley on guitars, Charmian Callon on flute and keyboards, Paul Trutner on bass, Mario Da Damio on drums and Miles Guarneri on turntables, Fredalba completes a soul jarring sound of positive music fed by the diversity of Los Angeles.

Balfour and Roley had been writing songs together for a long time before the Fredalba roster came together.

Meeting through mutual friends, their love of diverse sounds brought them together. The most unconventional aspect of the band in Callon on the flute, an instrument not often heard outside classical works. Balfour said the addition of a flutist to his love of hip hop music and that specific sound he wanted the band to have.

But hearing Balfour's sound in connection with his acting isn't a top priority.

While Fredalba tunes have been featured on "The Dead Zone," Balfour says, "There's a part of me that likes to keep it a little separate. I'm starting to produce a film on my own now and that would be more of an arena I'd be interested in putting one of my own songs, because it's mine, my project. I'd be a little more personal."

The multi talented artist does makes distinctions between his two passions because, "music is my first love and sort of always will be. Acting is amazing and I like it a lot, but it doesn't have the same, for me, artistic gratification."

"I'm always focused on music, but you know, acting pays the bills."

Balfour isn't worried about any clichés that surround the actor musician.

He said he began as a musician and fell into acting, but uses both as a creative outlet for expression as most artists do. "I just think artists strive to create in whatever medium that inspires them. There was a time when there wasn't a distinction. Entertainers were entertainers."

And entertaining is what the band intends to do. While Balfour says the band loves to play live, he is pumped to get in the studio and record a follow up to "Uptown Music for Downtown Kids."

The ever busy Balfour will have to squeeze in some time between promoting his film and working on a new TV series for The WB but remains ever committed to making music.

The band is still in talks over a tour that would take them outside the L.A area, but until then, fans of music that takes hip hop to new heights with funk, soul and rhythm infused sounds can check out fredalbamusic.com and pick up "Uptown Music for Downtown Kids" for a mere $10.

The 12 intense tracks are a testament to the passion Balfour puts into his songwriting and vocals. With skilled musicians backing up his powerful flowing voice and an entire city to inspire them, Fredalba comes off as a treasured jewel in the crowded L.A music scene.       

http://www.southend.wayne.edu/days/2003/October/10152003/ae/balfour/balfour.html

 

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Wednesday October 15, 2003

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