F-105 strives to attract younger listeners with his new EP, F-105 III
Toronto, ON-based artist F-105 is back with a new EP titled F-105 III.
With the help of acclaimed producer Marc Meriläinen (aka Nadjiwan), F-105 III differs from his previous EP by incorporating pop-punk and ethereal sounds.
With the world in an unprecedented period of change, Din sought to explore what is left behind for younger generations, which is most evident in the groovy yet cerebral lead single “Toys.” This lead track is Din’s response to learning of experiments seeking to digitize human consciousness, to transfer it into a computer, and eventually a synthetic body.
“Not Special” is a comforting letter to a friend, which Din explains “is about someone I care about very much, also in the music industry, who once said she wasn’t special because she wasn’t famous. That broke my heart, and I put that feeling into a song. We are creating a world where young people value themselves based on how many likes or followers they have.”
The closing track, “Songs For Our Kids,” perfectly expresses the theme in the lyric, “All we gave them is the end of the world, they don’t want to sing our song no more.”
Listen to F-105 III below, and learn more about F-105 via our mini-interview.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi, I’m Din.
You have recently unveiled your EP, F-105 III. What was the writing process like for this release?
Ever since the debut self-titled F-105 album in 2018, I’ve had a lot of young people come up to me at shows, from Toronto to BC, to Orlando, to Paris, to London, to Liverpool, and to Dublin tell me that they really liked songs like “Rebel Girl.” Young people from, say, their mid-20s to mid-teens, and this was encouraging because I made “Rebel Girl” intending to try to get my (at the time) 11-year-old niece to like a song. From the beat to the fun chorus to the content, I put a lot of thought into connecting to the younger female audience – which was becoming a rising force in mainstream Sci-Fi / Fantasy geek culture.
Even recently, at Toronto ComiCon 2022, I put on an official panel and performance about this element of my songwriting, and when I was walking the main showroom floor, a couple of kids came up to tell me they liked my songs. I can’t tell you how much that means to me, rock n roll was what kept me alive as a teenager, and I still write songs with that psychology in mind. I don’t want to become an old, out-of-touch rocker.
Honestly, George Lucas is my model for this. He intended to understand the psychological underpinnings in all mythologies about the journey from adolescence to adulthood – and he was able to do this as an older man. So for the past decade, I’ve been consciously using these same underpinnings in my writing, and it has continued to work to connect my music to audiences both old and young. So that’s a really long-winded way of saying that all three songs on F-105 III are designed with this intention and this audience in mind!
You worked with Marc Meriläinen (aka Nadjiwan) on the release. How was that experience?
Well, Marc has been my producer since 2008, with my former project, The Soles, and he just gets me, so it’s always been a lot of fun to just go in and lay down my vocals and basic guitar, and the songs come back sounding so dope, or lit (or whatever the kids say).
For example, with F-105 III, I went into his studio for an hour and did one or two takes of each song (vocals and guitar at the same time). I just said I heard them as youthful, vibrant, minimal, modern, and fun. Fun is my favourite word. Then I left. The next thing I know, they come back to me sounding pretty much as you hear them now. In a word, recording with Marc is magic. Magic and fun. Ok, two words!
In accompaniment with the lead single, “Toys,” you shared a live video celebrating Star Wars Day 2022. What made you decide to promote the single in this way?
Well, in this case, promote is just a word for fun. I was asked to perform officially at the massive Star Wars Celebration festival in Anaheim, so I played the new lead single there. The day of the show I played at, ‘The Skywalking Network Variety Show,’ was also chosen as the day to release F-105 III.
I mean, yeah, that was a ‘promotion’ decision to tie those two things together, but really for me, it’s just fun. I get to go play new music, at the opposite corner of the continent, for an actual audience that wants to hear my new music. Art doesn’t exist without an audience. What could be more rewarding and fun than that? And in the warm Californian sun to boot. But I always film my shows and post them the following day, especially on tour.
What is next for you in 2022?
I just want to continue having a great time playing for audiences anywhere in the world. I just got back from my 10-day tour in California 3 days ago. I play with the band at Bob Acton Park in Toronto on June 25. Now we’re looking at getting out of town to play in places like Sudbury. I was surprised to get that official panel at Toronto ComiCon this March, so now I’ll apply to do the same at New York and San Diego ComiCons. I just want to live my life travelling the world to play music.