Music

HEALTH can't imagine Iggy Pop checking his Facebook

by Anne T. Donahue

It goes without saying that the more time passes, the more relevant social media becomes, and unlike some bands who shy away from public interaction or tend to overexpose themselves, HEALTH has found a balance between the two: utilizing the world of new media through Twitter and their official website, but avoiding the oversaturation some bands become the victims of.

“In a perfect world, [because of the] bands that we’re into, you would figure [we] would cultivate an image of mystique,” bassist John Famiglietti explained to AUX. “But nowadays with technology, that’s almost impossible to believe.  You don’t want to think of whoever the hell you idolize – whether it be like, Jim Morrison or Iggy Pop – you don’t want to think of them as checking their Facebook, you know?  It just ruins it forever.  Once certain things get in the picture, it almost invalidates aspects of a musician’s image.”

“. . . [But now] it’s a different era.” He added.

Exemplifying the ever-lasting influence of new media, the LA band brought the blogosphere to its knees in August of last year when announcing a Willy Wonka-inspired golden ticket sweepstakes that involved 66 tickets being hidden in the first shipment of Get Color CDs.  Each ticket included a code that corresponded to various prizes with the grand prize being a “Los Angeles Adventure”: three days with the band that included a trip to Magic Mountain.

2009 also saw the group announce plans to delve into fashion, since their band merchandise has become highly sought after as a result of its visual aesthetic and fearless distinction.  However, because of increasingly busy schedules, a fashion line has yet to be officially launched.

“We have a little problem with announcing things way too early,” admitted Famiglietti. “Because of touring so much we haven’t really pulled off a lot of things we’ve been working on yet – but they’re coming.”

“We’ve just been very much into the band merchandise,” he continued.  “There’s a really stunning world of blogs and [people] doing amazing DIY fashion, and all these young designers and stuff, and it’s really cool. . . . We wanted to be a part of something that’s new and exciting that is possible because of technology and not expensive, and it’s not hard, so just do it.  It’s about not being just a relevant band, but there are things that are exciting specifically about being in a band now and most bands aren’t taking advantage of them and you can take advantage of anything, really.”