Dare You to Vanish: A Chat with Blake Smith (Fig Dish/Caviar)

Fig Dish Discography:

That’s What Love Songs Often Do (Atlas/Polygram, 1995)

When Shove Goes Back to Push (Polydor, 1997)

Popular Tracks: Seeds, When Shirts Get Tight

Fig Dish were one of the bands able to take advantage of the rush to sign anything rock related out of Chicago. Poppy with a heavy rock edge the band were able to stand out from the rest of the pack by being a bit out there. While their sales didn’t match those of others like Liz Phair, the band made their name known with their stubbornness and fans and critics latched onto that. Frontman Blake Smith went on to form Caviar who were best known for having a song on the 2000 Charlie’s Angels soundtrack and while they didn’t last long either, his knack for writing hooks ensures that both bands will be remembered for at least something cool. This was another interview for the book of interviews of '90s alt rock bands that never happened so enjoy.

Pete Crigler: When did you get interested in music?

Blake Smith: I don't even remember. My parents were really into The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and, er, Blood, Sweat and Tears when I was a wee sprout. It's hard to admit, but maybe it was the song Spinning Wheel that did it. The overwrought arrangement and bludgeoning vocal performance appealed to me. There, I said it. I feel cleansed.

Pete: How did Fig Dish come together?

Blake: We were High School friends that wanted girls to like us. Rick was in the cool band in school. I liked good music so he asked me to join. I didn't tell him I didn't play guitar. I bought a book of The Who tablature and spent a week with it and my sister's nylon string guitar. 

Pete: What was the scene in Chicago like at the time?

Blake: Dead as fuck. Then suddenly very lively.

Pete: When did Polygram come into the picture and how do you feel about it now?

Blake: We started a fake bidding war for ourselves. Telling labels, we were about to secretly sign with DGC so if they wanted a shot with us, they had better hurry. DGC had not made us an offer of course. They had no idea who we were. That was one of many tactics we used. The record industry is full of mountebanks and scoundrels. We just beat them at their own bullshit. At least for a time.

Pete: What was it like recording the first album?

Blake: We were staying in a furnished rental unit. The apartment next door was being used to film Japanese porn. We were very drunk most of the time. We didn't think we deserved to be playing in the majors, so we didn't take it very seriously. Lou Giordano is a prince for dealing with us.

Pete: What was ‘success’ like and how did everyone feel about it?

Blake: Success? Pfffffffffffft.

Pete: What caused Andy’s departure and how was Bill brought in?

Blake: Andy kept going into diabetic shock on the road. Given our poor lifestyle choices, he would have died had he continued with us. Bill was a friend we knew from the scene. Phenomenal drummer, but Andy had a very unique style that no one could really duplicate. He was like a punk Stewart Copeland.

Pete: Was there any pressure when it came to recording the second album?

Blake: Yes. We knew if we fucked it up, we would get dropped. We fucked it up anyway. Although I would argue a few of the songs are pretty good.

Pete:  Any interesting stories about the Shirts Get Tight video?

Blake: Porn stars, Rottweilers, a rented donkey... where do I start? I still think it stands up to Goddard's best work. A musical roman a clef.

Pete: Was the band dropped or chose to leave the label on their own?

Blake: Dropped.

Pete: What caused the breakup?

Blake: We never broke up. We just stopped playing and recording. 

Pete: How quickly did Caviar come together?

Blake: Very quickly. Mike and I wrote a record and got a band together in a few weeks.

Pete: What was it like signing with Island?

Blake: Exciting. I felt like it was going to happen finally. They sent limos and shit to pick us up from the airport.

Pete: What caused that project to end?

Blake: The second record sold less than the first. Why make a third? 

Pete: Tell me a bit about The Prairie Cartel and Forgotten Species.

Blake: Prairie Cartel was me and Mike and Scott drinking, eating pizza, and fucking around on samplers in Mike's walk-in closet. It turned into a double album. Our live show was a lot of fun. Then Mike moved to Portland two weeks after we put the record out and it fizzled.

Forgotten Species is really low key and on no timeline. We play a few shows a year and put out EPs when we feel like it. I like our sound: messy and melodic.

Pete: What are you currently up to? How about everyone else?

Blake: Jobs. Life. The usual death knells for rock and roll.

Pete: Do you all keep in touch? Any chance for a Fig Dish reunion?

Blake: We are still all good friends. Mike and I have been writing for a Fig Dish record this year. Not sure if it will happen or not.

Pete: What do you think of the explosion of alt rock in the ‘90s?

Blake: Hair metal needed to die. So did the pop on the radio at the time. But I listen to 90s music now and it sounds so dated. 

Pete: What do you hope Fig Dish and Caviar’s legacies will be?

Blake: We quietly put the Caviar stuff up on Spotify a year ago. Zero promotion. Tangerine Speedo got 100,000 plays in a few weeks. So, somebody out there gives a shit. That's good enough for me.