Filligar Travels to Azerbaijan
If you have not been listening to Filligar, you have a lot of catching up to do. Since they released their last album “The Nerve” back in 2010, the Mathias brothers Pete ’09, Teddy ’09, and Johnny ’11, along with Hamilton College graduate Casey Gibson, have been bringing their much-loved live performances to venues across the country. Now that all four band members have graduated college, they have been spending most of their time touring. They have made stops in Canada and also toured in the United Kingdom in 2011. The band is set to release a new album later this year, which Gibson said was put together “piece-meal” in order to work around their full schedule of live shows.
“We’re excited to get it out there because it’s been a few years since we’ve actually released anything, so we’re really excited for people to hear where we’re at now,” Gibson said, adding that “three years is a very long time from a creative mindset.” Fans should expect some of the same sound that can be found on “The Nerve,” in addition to some new and different takes on the mix of classic and alt-rock sound that Filligar has become known for.
A new album is not all that is in store for fans, however. Filligar has been asked by the U.S. Department of State to travel to Azerbaijan this summer, from June 23rd to July 5th. Pete Mathias described the trip as “part of a developing relationship that [the band has] had with the U.S. Department of Cultural Affairs.” According to Mathias, this upcoming trip is a request from the U.S. embassy in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The band will perform in Azerbaijan, as well as participate in workshops and various media events. He added that one of the goals of the U.S. Department of Cultural Affairs is to send people from across the arts to other countries to represent Americans and their cultural values. “We were very humbled by [this request] and it’s definitely one of the more significant honors that we’ve had in the decade that we’ve been a band,” Mathias said.
Filligar’s international exposure is clearly a result of the band’s development and publicity through social media. Mathias cited an interview with a radio station based in Islamabad, using Pakistan as one example of their global outreach. “We’ve maintained a connection with that radio station through social media and as a result have opened up a wave of communication with a really cool and very distant and very different type of crowd than we’re usually engaging with,” Mathias said.
The Azerbaijan trip this summer will be no different in terms of promoting cultural connections. As for whether any songs will come out of the experience, the band clearly recognizes the inspiration that can spring from such a unique opportunity. “I don’t know how long the plane trip is over there but that’ll be a time to open up my laptop to start composing,” Gibson said. “From a creative standpoint it’s really, really exciting that we’re going to be doing this this summer.”