The Foreign Exchange at the Listening Room (03/26/2011)

Sitting in as guests of the Red Bull Music Academy, Phonte (Little Brother) and Nicolay—collectively known as the Foreign Exchange—participated in a Q&A session at Nashville’s Listening Room Saturday afternoon. Discussing a variety of subjects with host Sean Maloney of the Nashville Scene, the floor was eventually opened up to the audience for questions. Alternating in answering, each artist revealed a variety of details about their upcoming affairs. Aside from commenting on their upcoming tour, their affinity for self-marketing and their rather liberal perspective on filesharing, when asked by a crowd member about how they’ve avoided such modern trends as using autotune or layering tracks with a slew of guest contributors, Phonte responded by making an important distinction. “Use technology as a tool—don’t use it as a crutch.” He continued, “If I can’t hit that note live I’m not gonna hit the autotune just for that.”

While Phonte and Nicolay went on to respectively participate in a songwriting class and production demo, perhaps the most intriguing information came during the Q&A. Nicolay explained that the duo were presently working toward the release of an “acoustic” album which would document a recent mini-concert that found the group swapping their typical production for such musical standards as a grand piano and acoustic guitars. Shortly after, Phonte went on to reveal (after a bit of prodding from Nicolay) that he would be dropping a solo release later this year. Tentatively set to hit retail shelves September 13, the album will not only serve as the veteran artist’s solo debut, but it will also mark the six year anniversary of the release of Little Brother’s highly acclaimed second studio album, The Minstrel Show.

The Foreign Exchange will kick off their upcoming tour on April 22. Additional dates are available here.