Three Legged Fox
Three Legged Fox Talk Spontaneity, Sushi, and Not Having a Sound
Three Legged Fox has been born again. Off the musical grid for more than three years, the Philly-based alt-rock reggae band returned in March with a new studio album, Watch the World. The album is their most uplifting and positive set of songs yet and reveals yet another face of the genre bending band, this time with strong country influences. Three Legged Fox’s drummer, Kory Kochersperger, spoke with Rawckus about the band’s rebirth, the new album, and the lessons of 11 years together.
Three Legged Fox
Rawckus: What made you—five guys from Philly—Three Legged Fox?
Kory Kochersperger: We actually had a fox with three legs that used to roam the suburbs outside of Philly, which is where we’re from. But really, our first ever performance was a “battle of the bands” about 40 miles south of Philly at University of Delaware, and we needed a name quick. We ended up winning, so it stuck.
It’s pretty rare to see an alt-rock reggae band branch into country, but a lot of this album feels that way. Can you tell me about those influences?
KK: If you go all the way back, we’ve always had a bit of twang in our music. I think it’s always had to do with our influences. We’re all into different music and, for better or worse, we’ve always allowed the influences in. We were just trying to write good songs, and never much cared for whether they fit a mold in terms of what they sounded like. Our five albums are all over the genre map—not country, not hard rock, not roots reggae, not surf rock, not pop— we’re just a little bit of all those things.
Are you guys looking to take Watch the World on the road soon?
KK: still up in the air. We’re going to see if these new songs find a home. As fun as touring is, it’s a lot more complicated now than it used to be. So not to sound snobbish, but it’d have to be worth it. Reaction has been really positive so far though, so I think it’s definitely possible. Maybe Fall 2017?
We actually had a fox with three legs that used to roam the suburbs outside of Philly,
Why do you think sushi is a scam, as the band recently tweeted ?
KK: Sushi is the only food you can spend $60 on and still leave hungry.
In your early days, you wrote the song “Move On” and premiered it the same night you won battle of the bands at the University of Delaware. Is that kind of spontaneity still important to you guys 11 years later?
KK: No. Not at all. I think we did that out of desperation. We needed material. If anything we’ve operated in the opposite way in our history. I like to be well rehearsed, tight, and to really put on a show. I never believed people come to a show to see you “wing it.”
You once said “After putting out some darker albums it was important to us to make a big sounding album that felt like a celebration of life. These are strange and chaotic times, but there’s a romance in living through that, and we wanted to make something you can dance and sing to.” What did you guys do to block out the chaos of the world and make something positive?
KK: It’s hard to do. I can say that much. For me, as a “songwriter,” I’ve never felt compelled to write when I felt happy or upbeat. I use music mostly as catharsis, not celebration. I suppose that could be why we have so many sad songs, because, to me, music is emotive. It’s how we speak to each other without actually talking. But I never want to regurgitate the same stuff, and at some point, you gotta flip the angle, and give people something to smile about.
If you guys could go back to when you first started in 2006 and tell yourself one thing, what would it be?
KK: Ummm, probably just to enjoy the ride more. Sounds cliché, but enjoy the beginning, when your equipment sucks, and your recordings are crappy, and you’re playing any place that will let you play. I know personally, early on I got too hung up on taking the next step and success, success, success that I sort of lost sight of the plot. Letting the cards fall how they may can be beneficial instead of obsessing over “are we getting bigger?”
