"The Official" Fiction Plane thread

[Kuaizi]

I decided to do a Fiction Plane thread, as I don't think many people know of them and I feel it's such great music. I rarely go more than a few days without listening to a song or two. They are no doubt, my favorite band formed post 2000.

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Joe Sumner is the frontman/bassist for this band. As you may or may not know, he is Sting's son, and was only a baby when The Police released Outlandos d'Amour in 1978.

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As a child, Joe had little interest in music, but around the age of ten he started learning guitar and drums. When he was 14, he heard the Nirvana album "Nevermind," and was blown away. This ignited in him the passion for music and the desire to write his own.
Fiction Plane started forming around 1999, when Joe's friend and bass player Dan Brown joined him. It was around then that guitarist Seton Daunt was hired on as the primary guitarist. Around this time they were called "Santa's Boyfriend."
In 2001 they recorded a demo, and shortly after they were hired by MCA and changed their name to "Fiction Plane." They then released "Everything Will Never Be OK" in 2003...

 

[Kuaizi]

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I'm gonna follow Soot's format here, as I really like the detailed info!

Studio: Henson Studios, Hollywood CA and Steerpike Studios in Wilshire England
Time of Release: March 11th, 2003 (US)
Label: MCA Records
Band Members:
Joe Sumner -Vocals, Guitar, Additional Drums
Seton Daunt -Guitar
Dan Brown -Bass, Backing Vocals, and Keyboards
Abe Laboriel Jr. - Drums (session)
Official Released Singles: "Hate"

I first heard Fiction Plane back in 2007 when I saw The Police live for their reunion tour. Their songs were very catchy and ended up getting stuck in my head days after the concert. The first album I ended up picking up was their third, Left Side of the Brain, but shortly after I picked up this one, their debut. I feel I connect with some of the darker and cynical lyrics, but it's put to music that is catchy and very upbeat. One great example of this is their first single, "Hate"

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a clip of some lyrics:
"Just what's wrong with us is hard to explain, you know it's easier to kill than create. Building happiness it seems there's no time, we spend our days thinking love is a crime"

Another one of the great songs on this album is called "Real, Real," which I can't find any links to, and none for "Fallow" either, which shows a lighter side to their songwriting and their versatility. I like Joe's voice, and how it sounds like a cross between his father and Bono. I think after this album the addition of their current drummer, Pete Wilhoit, and then Dan Brown left the band and Joe took over the bass, really filled the puzzle pieces that this band needed to become really great.

Another good rocker, "Cigarette," an acoustic version:

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"Soldier Machismo" also the acoustic version:

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and one more (since these tracks are all so hard to find on youtube)
"Everything Will Never Be OK":

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Here is the only link I could find for previewing the album:
Everything Will Never Be OK by Fiction Plane - Rhapsody Music

 

[Kuaizi]

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Time of Release: July 11th, 2005
Label: Universal/Everybody's Records
Band Members:
Joe Sumner -Vocals, Guitar, Additional Drums
Seton Daunt -Guitar
Dan Brown -Bass, Backing Vocals, and Keyboards
Pete Wilhoit - Drums

Though this album only features four tracks from Fiction Plane, they pack a punch. The songs are a little more focused, and the song writing continues to improve. The addition of Pete Wilhoit on drums really makes a difference, as he adds a more powerful sound but doesn't play boring. The lyrics are well written and honest, and the songs can get stuck in your head for days but never get old. I know they haven't for me!

This is the main song from the album. A beautiful, but haunting sounding song, which gets played quite frequently in my rotation:

 

[LG]

Very nice Kuaizi, never heard of them until now.

I didn't even know Sting had a son, but like many others the gift for music seems to be passed on.

 

[METALPRIEST]

Yeah this is really good stuff...just got done listening to Hate (which IS catchy) and American Standard which is reall cool. Gonna spin the acoustic songs next. You need to turn me onto some more from these guys. I'll probably pick up a disc or two because I like Sting/Police anyway and I trust your taste.

Though they don't sound like the Police really buy you can hear a bit of dad in his voice as well as other 80's stylings like Bono Ect. Pretty deep melody on American Standard.

It's great to see a child of a rock star do so well with his (or her) band and not use the success of their parents as some sort of crutch. They seem to have stood out on their own and made it on their own merits which is fantastic.

GREAT THREAD too there Kuazi!! Looks slick!!

 

[Soot and Stars]

These guys are really cool! I hear Stings voice in their A LOT! The apple definitely didn't fall far from the tree there! I listened to all the songs and while their were none I disliked, American Standard was the highlight for me. Nice melodic band!

 

[METALPRIEST]

^^ I also think it's cool there Soot, that they are a three piece.....just as his dad's band was a three piece.

 

[Soot and Stars]

^^ I also think it's cool there Soot, that they are a three piece.....just as his dad's band was a three piece.

Good point!

 

[snakes&ladders]

Cool sound

 

[Kuaizi]

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Studio: Moles Studio, Bath, England
Time of Release: May 22, 2007 (US)
Label: Beiler Bros. Records
Band Members:
Joe Sumner -Vocals, Bass
Seton Daunt -Guitar
Pete Wilhoit - Drums
Official Released Singles: "Two Sisters" and "Death Machine"

Released in 2007, for me this when Fiction Plane finally found their official "niche." Dan Brown left the band, and they became a three piece, and Joe took over bass and vocals and now they resemble the same type of lineup as The Police. Wilhoit adds so much with his great drumming, and Daunt on the guitars at times uses effects much like Andy Summers does in addition to his modern rock style guitar sound.

This track is called "It's a Lie." I love this song! I like it so much it's listed in my top 20 songs.

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One of the singles from the album, "Two Sisters"

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The other, "Death Machine"

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A slower track from the album! "Drink"

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Sorry for the quality, another great song,"Presuppose"

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The next album Sparks just gets better by leaps and bounds in my opinion, which is great to see them growing and getting better with every step!