I’m a big fan of Tim Fite. He’s quirky, fun, neat and eccentric as hell. Fair Ain’t Fair dropped this past May and it’s been on my regular rotation of chillaxin Sunday albums ever since. Fite will be once again gracing the stage at Chicago’s Lakeshore Theatre on July 17th, this time with the lovely Watson Twins. I was lucky enough to touch base with Fite to continue with our continuous 5 Questions with Muzzle of Bees feature to pick his brain a bit.

Could you lend some information on the recording process of Fair Ain’t Fair? Where and how was it recorded, and were there any lessons learned towards future recording sessions?

FAF was recorded in four main sections. First I went to my old high school with Rob Badenoch and Justin Riddle, and we recorded all kinds of crazy drums. Rob has more microphones than I do, and a really nice portable rig, so we set up at the school, and I had Justin let loose at a variety of tempos. These drums would be sample fodder for the rest of the record.

Second, I started stealing from other folks records the way that I always have. I would build new song structures out of old ones, and add on lots of other parts (this I did at home in my underwear).

Third, I went back to the high school with Rob and Justin and Doctor Leisure, and a long list of talented friends, and we added all of the instruments that I don’t have at home - like pianos and lap steels and mandolins and tympani drums. For these sessions, I would just have folks jam over the song. No one was allowed to stop if they made a mistake. We didn’t listen back at all.

Fourth, I went home, and cut and pasted and dismembered all of the material recorded in step 3. Then I did my singing.

Next time I record, I am going to put less pressure on myself.

Your live shows and album art boast some pretty crazy illustrations. How would you rate your knack for art versus that of creating music? Do you find that they go hand and hand–Several of your tracks almost echo musical collages with your various samples–where do you find the inspiration for these eccentricities?

I think that everything starts with making pictures. And it will end with making pictures as well. As much as it may seem that the music is a vehicle for the pictures, music is simply the spoon full of sugar. I do approach song making like it is picture making. I like to produce things that are striking and simple at first, but upon further inspection are worthy of further inspection.

What was your first album you ever owned? Is it one that you would still go back and listen to today?

Bobby McFerrin - “Spontaneous Inventions.” I listened to it last week.

The internet has dramatically altered the way artists can reach an audience. With things like blogs/MySpace/etc, what are your thoughts on the power of the internet in terms of helping (or hurting) your music?

I think that the internet is a double edged sword. One side makes it easier to get material out into the world, while the other side cuts the world to so many little bits that all its material slips slimy through the fingers.

We’re always looking to uncover new favorite artists, are there any band(s)/record(s) that you could recommend to our readers? If you were to play an entire set of someone else’s songs, whose material would you choose and/or enjoy playing the most?

Everyone should listen to Whitman. He is the new captain of death’s ship. If I were to play an entire set of someone else’s songs, I would play the songs of Body Count.

Myspace: Tim Fite
MP3: Tim Fite - “I Called For You”