Fotovat occasionally plays solo sets at Good Karma—where he sings—yet he always plays covers. He does not feel compelled to write lyrics for his own music.
“I can never commit myself to a sheet of lyrics that I didn’t feel at that point in time, but also if I really felt it in that point in time, I’m probably not going to feel the same way in a year, but I’m going to have to play that song every night,” Fotovat says.
Having a singer would not only constrict their songs’ meanings, it would shift their whole band dynamic. As it stands, all four of them play together as equal contributors with no distinct leader. The last thing they want is for their music to be background sounds to some other person’s words.
When they play live, they make a point to challenge their audience. They reach enormous volumes at key moments of the songs, something that is not apparent on the record. They are not a band people can talk to their friends during.
“The volume thing at least gets people to walk outside or to shut up. They have to choose,” Fotovat says.
Their greatest challenge to the audience is how they close otheir set. They end with several minutes of intensely loud white noise and feedback, which can be trying for not just the audience, but also for them. But it also can be rewarding.
“We try to sustain that for as long as possible. It shakes the audience members from where they are to a different place. If you can get people to forget where they are for a little bit, then you’ve reached them, at least for a moment,” Fotovat says.
Amonie performs at X Bar in Cupertino on Saturday, June 30 at 8pm; $8.
