Page France
5 Questions to Micheal S.Nau

The album I've listened to the most this year is undoubtedly "Come, I'm A Lion" by Page France: I'm not going to ramble on about it, but I can't help but recommend it to anyone who loves the Beatles, Belle and Sebastian, Badly Drawn Boy, Iron And Wine, and Kings Of Convenience. Great band. Great sound. The band hails from (the damn) Maryland and with its romantic emo-acoustic mix, it has strongly bent my ears towards the most beautiful indie pop from the United States. Produced by Fall Records, an interesting independent label from Baltimore run by a guy named Chris who, if he hears my name pronounced again, would have a heart attack and die on the spot, a few months ago, Page France was preparing to release "Hello, Dear Wind," a very honest follow-up to their debut masterpiece. Alright, I'm going on too long... anyway, the fact is that it was raining outside and I told myself, "why not go back and bother Micheal Nau?". And Micheal Nau very kindly replied "why are you bothering me, dude?" but then he knows I care about him, and I know he cares about me too, especially considering that if a few people know them in Italy, it's certainly not thanks to Fall Records (when it's deserved, it's deserved!), so with a smile on his face, he began pressing the buttons of his keyboard randomly. So the brain, the voice, and the guitar of the band, gathered like the Trinity in one body, satisfied me.

1. Hi Mike, thanks for answering the questions... So tell us, what's the best thing that has happened to you (or has happened to your band) recently?

Well, right after the release of "Hello, Dear Wind," things have gone great, and we're all quite happy that the album is doing well, that it's been appreciated around, and that people like our music... so... let's say there's not just one beautiful thing that happened to us. I'd say it's more a combination of many small things and feelings that continue to arise every day.

2. Today I was watching the news-fiction we have here in Italy, and at one point they announced that Bush has been pursuing a project for a lunar military base for years in case of an interspatial war against aliens. I'm not joking. I'm serious. Now, what do you think is that man's biggest problem? I mean, really, what disturbs him?

Mmmh... I'd say I'm still thinking about this one, seriously. For quite some time...

3. "Come, I'm a Lion" was acclaimed at its time by the public and critics as a masterpiece. What can you tell me about "Hello, Dear Wind"? I mean, what are the best episodes of the tour, or the pleasant life situations that this second album has brought to you?

"Hello, Dear Wind" was warmly received by critics and fans. I have to be honest, I am really happy with the album. What I like most is that you can clearly hear in the music the heart we put into it, and obviously, I don't care at all if this time we are aided by a bigger "push" from the record label or advertising in general. We have the opportunity to be "on the road" from January to April without issues, so... we are happy to keep busy in this way at the moment, and that's the most important thing.

4. What are the bands and albums you like the most right now (this time you can't just say "mmmmh I dunno...")?

Alright, I admit it: I am literally obsessed with the albums "There's a Riot Going On," "Fresh," and "Small Talk" by Sly & Family Stone! Whitney also recently introduced me to listening to Janis Joplin.

5. Finally, here's the intelligent question of the interview, the one all the DeUsers were eagerly waiting for. Where and what will you eat for dinner tonight? What and where would you like to eat if you had the opportunity?

I think I'll eat peanut butter and a jelly sandwich ["bravo" I allow myself to add shamelessly] here at home, and then I'll go to Bryan's photogallery where I'll stuff myself with plenty of crackers, pretzels, and wine. Generally, I don't care at all about what I eat [it wasn't noticeable at all, dear Mike, I dare to add again], I'm usually fine with ice cream and (here the translation became challenging, to put it simply, I have no idea what the heck Micheal Nau eats... but there was still the word "butter" in it, so we can assume it doesn't stray too far from the above-mentioned junk...).

In the end, I forgot to say goodbye after sending him the questions, but it doesn't matter because he knows I'll go back to bothering him in two months...