The Hi-Fives in BAM '98

FEATURE: THE HI-FIVES - Party of Fives

by Lisa Klein

(First appeared in BAM magazine, 9/25/98)

The Hi-Fives are pretty sure they're a punk band. Sort of. Kind of. OK, yes, definitely. Gathered around a pile of burritos in a crowded taqueria, songwriting partners John Denery and Chris Imlay, bassist Steve Faine and drummer Gary Gutfeld debate what they are as a band. With their third album on Lookout! Records due out in October, the members are poised for another punk-style run of things: touring, touring, touring.

The band's new release Get Down is low-fi rock 'n' roll, with a snappy beat. Denery, responding to the punk question, says, "I think we are. We're all rooted in punk nostalgia or ethics." Imlay immediately concurs: "I would say yes. The Beatles, they're punk."

Incredibly, the rest of the musicians take this in stride, unblinking. "That's where we get into a disagreement," Imlay notes, realizing the oddness of his proclamation. "I don't think we're a punk band really, but I do, because that's what we came out of. But it's not like a sound. The scene that nurtured us, and allowed us to thrive was punk ... because they would allow people who couldn't play to play, which is what we were. So yes, I'd say in that sense, we're a punk band." Ultimately, it all comes down to their fans, and Faine deftly concludes the discussion: "Maybe we're punk more for the sake of our audience. Our audience is more non-mainstream, more punk."

Despite the fact that they sound decidedly dissimilar to their labelmates, the band have successfully established themselves on the punk circuit, with multiple national tours under their belts, a Japanese tour with Mr. T Experience and several arena dates with Green Day (Of all the opening bands, "we got the least amount of stuff thrown at us," says Imlay). They play largely all-ages show, as is the punk edict, although they're not disinclined to do an occasional 21-plus show or even a three-set snow resort gig. Or an emo-core show. "We played with June of 44 one night," Imlay recalls. "It went over well but it was like a whole sea of 300 faces gawking, just staring the whole time." Denery laughs. "I looked at Chris and he's sweating profusely. Then you look out in the crowd and it's just the most peaceful scene."

Then there's the notorious suits that the band have worn onstage since 1991 (Not the same suits, Imlay assures). With their clean-cut wholesomeness, the band indeed looks mop-topish. "I like the suits for a very simple reason," Faine says. "I went to Catholic schools all the time so I knew what I was going to be wearing."

"You can't take the stage for granted," Denery says of their fashion. "If you're going to take the stage, take the stage. You respect your audience." With surprising adeptness, Gutfeld, the newest member of the band, jumps into the conversation, surprising his bandmates, as if he's just made a sudden appearance. "For years they were known as the suit guys."

Even though the group appeals to a largely younger audience who prefer their music on the loud indie side, the Hi-Five's style and heart truly beckons back to the mid '60s sensibility, and to specific artists from which many contemporary bands find their inspiration. "It's really complex why people keep going back to the Beatles and the Kinks," Imlay says. "It has to do with the culture, the time. It seems so obvious to me why the Beatles hold up so well. My God. Then, they also were a huge cultural phenomenon."

Imlay also agrees that most bands today don't bother exploring later decades, even those acts that had a huge influence in their time. "When you put the Bee Gees next to the Beatles, there's a huge sincerity gap. When I see interviews with the Beatles when they first arrived [to America], they seemed incredibly themselves and sincere, not like fake and showy. Maybe that sincerity is what the '70s kind of lacks in the huge popular culture."

The Hi-Fives have found fulfillment in the present, as well as the past. Content and happy, the members feel successful in their own right. "I've never been in a band that's been offered a floor to sleep on every night," Faine delights. "Everyone always comes up and says, 'Hey, you want to stay at our house? I asked my mom and she said it's OK.'"

Denery cuts to the chase: "We never fooled ourselves into thinking that this would be a money-making project. It's a labor of love. We put in so much more money and time than we'll ever be paid back."

"It's the worst gambling effort," Imlay moans. "It's worse than the lottery. You can go to Vegas with better odds at making a living than you could at being in a band and do less work."

Recorded with Craig Silvey at Toast Studios in San Francisco, the band had the honor of having the album mixed in London at Konk Studios ("home of the Kinks," as it boasts in their press release). In mid-October, the four will embark on their initial tour in support of Get Down, part of the year they intend to dedicate solely to the band. This is their version of buying a lottery ticket. Imlay and Denery have quit their jobs and Faine will leave behind a baby daughter and wife for life on the road. A European tour is being planned for next year and for Imlay, if not the whole band, unexplored territory is like hitting the jackpot. "Before I quit being in this band, I want to go to Europe," he says. "Better to fail now happily with a chance of success."

© 1998 Lisa Klein