Crooked Fingers, led by former Archers of Loaf lead singer Eric Bachmann, are in the midst of a nation-wide tour in support of the band’s recently released album Forfeit/Fortune. And while on tour, Culture Bully’s Chris DeLine was able to ask a few quick questions on Bachmann – touching on his decision to release Forfeit/Fortune without a label, what he learned while living in his van a few years back and who he’s most excited to play with as the tour rolls on.

Chris DeLine: With Forfeit/Fortune, you’ve decided to forgo a label and release and distribute the album yourself. What sort of feedback have you received in terms of sales thus far from the select indie record stores that were selected to sell the album?

Eric Bachmann: It’s a bit too soon to tell. At this point, because we’re on tour, I suspect the majority of sales are from shows. A few folks I know who work at record stores say that it’s selling well, but I haven’t seen numbers and won’t for a while…

CD: Are you more comfortable with the decision of not resigning to Merge now than six months ago?

EB: I’m rarely comfortable.

CD: “Your Control” has a bit of a soothing, almost-Brit-pop sound to it. The song also features the wonderful Neko Case. Have you two recorded together before? How did this collaboration come about?

EB: We’ve toured a lot together and I’ve sung back up on a short one off thing of hers before, but nothing before that. I wasn’t going to put “Your Control” on the album but as a shot in the dark I asked her to sing on it just to see what would happen… I kept reworking it and I asked Neko if she could give the song a try…

CD: What motivated you to live in your van a few years back? How did that time, and the songs you wrote during that period, affect your outlook on life? Music?

EB: I was between tours and didn’t want to find a place to live. I needed to get some work done and I wanted to be alone. In general, little changed in my outlook on life after that experience. Most likely the outlook on life that I have enables me to live like that. My main goal was just to learn and not drink. I did, however, realize fully that the more I drift away from what people want or expect from me the more creatively satisfied I am. People rejecting you becomes preferable. I want to make records that saturated people [I] don’t like.

CD: On your current tour you’re playing with a number of fantastic bands, Port O’Brien, The Uglysuit, Dust on the Breakers, Elin Palmer, Okkervil River, Black Joe Lewis and The Honey Bears. Prior to kicking things off who were you most excited to play with?

EB: Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears.

CD: You’ll be hitting the Twin Cities soon playing with the Turf Club on October 16 with The Uglysuit. What can you tell us about that band in preparation for the show?

EB: There are four of us: drums, violin/guitar, bass, and guitar. We all sing at some point. It’s a bit louder than recent tours.

Crooked Fingers “Phony Revolutions” (mp3)

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