Geese
Geese are weirdos, and we love weirdos.
How do I know this about them? I’ve spent some time with them. All it takes is five minutes one on one with them to realize they are absolutely and critically weird, or perhaps they are simply twenty one years old and in a band. It’s funny how easy it is to make that mistake. Lucky for them, they are also quite talented, and as you’ll discover in an extensive interview to appear this summer, Geese are really good at making music that is fun to listen to but with sinister secrets. A bit like Ocean Man by Ween. You’ll have to wait for that, though. In the mean time, this BYT profile should satiate you.
Who are you?
Foster.
What do you do?
I play guitar in Geese.
How long have you been doing that?
I joined Geese about five or six years ago, but I've been playing guitar for upwards of ten years.
What is your favourite song right now and why?
My Apple Music Replay says it's ‘None of Them Knew They Were Robots’ by Mr. Bungle, but I'm more inclined to say ‘Honky-Tonk’ by Miles Davis. I will never get tired of the groove on that song.
If you weren’t playing in a band, what would you be doing?
Writing poetry. Making no money. Actually pretty similar to what I'm doing now.
“Turning a positive situation into a reason to be depressed. I would say I’ve become pretty good at that by now.”
Some slang you catch yourself saying? (Ie. That slaps)
Let him cook. Somehow it makes me laugh every time.
What do you do outside of music and how does that thing influence or affect your craft?
I write poetry in my free time. I've found it's inspired me to approach what I play as an expression of an idea, or emotion, rather than a series of notes. Sort of like poetry without words.
The best/worst thing about the music industry?
The best thing is how deceptively small the industry is. The worst thing is being constantly aware of what/how other bands are doing.
Something you’re most proud of?
My bandmates. Don't tell them I said that.
Biggest lesson learned about your craft so far?
Sometimes the hardest thing is to not play the instrument that's right in front of you.
Something anyone can do today to make the world a better place?
Being polite on public transit.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome so far in your industry?
Tour was a real struggle for me the first couple times I went. I wouldn't say I've overcome it, but I'm much less of a mess on tour than I was before. Relatively.
What was surprisingly easy to do?
Answering these questions.
Image by Kyle Berger
What advice might you give to you from five years ago? Ten years ago?
Try not to compare yourself to other bands, especially bands that have been doing it for a lot longer than you have.
What is your hidden talent or thing you are good at that is completely unrelated to the thing we are interviewing you about?
Turning a positive situation into a reason to be depressed. I would say I've become pretty good at that by now.
Who do you think is doing it the best/coolest in your industry right now?
Oxbow are cooler than every other band playing right now. Ourselves included.
What is on your rider?
Ginger beer. Tequila. Pretzels.
Where is your least favorite place to tour in the summer?
Arizona. We played some shows with Spoon last summer and every day we were there it was 100 degrees. No joke.
What’s the most awkward show moment you've had?
Someone once came up to me and handed me a tie-die skirt to wear on stage, mistaking me for Gus, our non-binary guitar player. Very sweet, but running into him after the show, after we had both realized his mistake, was awkward to say the least.
When was the last time you saw a band and were completely blown away?
Both times I saw Caroline I almost cried. It's probably the best rock show I've seen in my life.
