Stereo Six: Foreign Fields File Through Some of Their All-Time Favourite Songs

After three full-length records and a series of EPs, Foreign Fields decided it was time to change. That’s why they took a vastly different approach to writing and recording their new album What It Cost. For their fourth full-length in total, the duo of Brian Holl and Eric Hillman reimagined their creative process. It’s the loosest, most free-spirited set of songs they’ve released, probably due largely to lightening up their process. Rather than just Holl and Hillman sitting together perfecting every little sequence, they were more open to the input of others. That’s why they brought in drummer Nate Babbs and guitarist Nick Morawiecki, both of whom Holl and Hillman have worked with.

Bringing in Babbs and Morawiecki helped create more of a live band sound for What It Cost. Rather than have a lot of it figured out beforehand, Foreign Fields went into the studio this time with more of an open mind. They shared ideas and sketches of songs in real time. That spontaneity helped liven up the songwriting process, with each song occupying its own space within the album’s scope. They didn’t intend to write an album about love, but that’s what What It Cost ended up being. They feel this is the most authentic set of songs they’ve ever released.

Eric Hillman joins us today for our latest Stereo Six. He shares with us six songs that were particularly inspirational in the recording of What It Cost.

“Hi, this is Eric from Foreign Fields. Thanks for having us! I want to talk about a few specific songs (and sounds) that we listed out big inspirations for us before we started our new record What It Cost.”

1. Rozi Plain – “Agreeing for Two” (2023, Memphis Industries)

“Sometimes a song just hits you like a ton of bricks, this was one such song for me. I think I picked this one up off a YouTube recommendation and proceeded to listen to it at least ten times in a row. There is so much here that was inspiring to me when going into making What It Cost. The overall simplicity of the song married with the intricacy of the elements of the arrangement. The general feeling and vibe that she achieves, light as air and warm as sunshine while also as deep and cool a clear northern lake.”

2. Hovvdy – “True Love” (2021, Grand Jury Music)

“Brian has been a big fan of Hovvdy for a while now and really wanted to bring some of this feeling into our creative process this time around. This general looseness and warm nostalgic feeling. We made a definite return to the acoustic guitar on this new record and I think that has a lot of that has to do with this feel from Hovvdy.”

Artwork for the singles Foreign Fields lists in this Stereo Six

3. Rostam – “4Runner” (2021, Matsor Projects)

“Both Brian and I are super big fans of Rostam’s production ideas. He always has something interesting to say with the way he handles his instruments, the way he affects his sounds, the sonic palette he works with. I remember this song was especially contentious in the process of making our record. Half the people in the room hated how it sounded, half loved it, but overall there was this general feeling of messiness that we wanted to embrace. I think in the past our music has at times fallen into a push towards perfection but this track helped to remind us that sometimes things can just be what they are.”

4. Big Thief – “Heavy Bend” (2022, 4AD)

“I feel like at times I’m more comfortable in an electronic realm than an acoustic one. Foreign Fields is seen primarily as a folk band but it is the electronic flourishes that have always felt a bit like our calling card in the past. With this record, we wanted to take a less calculated approach to those flourishes. Mixing the looser acoustic world with a more free-flowing electronic approach.

“This track really paved the way for us when we were approaching this problem. There is this natural warmth here and the left field touches are perfectly placed just to slightly twist the final form.”

5. Haim – “Gasoline” (2021, Columbia Records)

“Foreign Fields is no stranger to the typical band instruments you’ll find on this song: guitar, drums, bass, some clean piano, but very rarely have we ever just let that be the defining sound for our music. With this record, we set out to try and really just lean into that natural band feel. Just a few guitars and drums in a room playing together. This song fits perfectly in that feeling for us. It’s that laid-back, instruments in a room-sound that we were chasing. That relaxed vibe. The clean, tapey tones. The straightforward songcraft.”

6. [Curveball] Massive Attack – “Paradise Circus” (2010, Virgin Records)

“For longtime fans of Foreign Fields this might not be a huge curveball, but for new listeners, this may be somewhat unexpected. I consider this one of the most perfectly produced songs of all time and it continues to be a huge inspiration for me. The way that every single element in this track is perfectly separated in its own space. The layers of percussion, combined into this electro-acoustic gallop. The richness of the piano chords. Everything comes together to make such a compelling experience. Our next single ‘When You Are’ takes a lot of inspiration from this track specifically.”

Foreign Fields ‘What It Cost’ album artwork