A kiddie secret police. Zombie love stories. Being a Berliner. Are these themes part of a collection of silly stories or just a busy imagination? For members of Chapel Hill’s Supreme Fiction, it’s the process of lyrical shenanigans resulting from sincere creativity that forms their latest release, “Berliners”.
From their time at UNC-CH and before, the members of the quintet have been playing music together on and off since their teens. Avery residence hall was once home to the occasional band practice. When Swan Quarter, Daniel Lawrence and Kemp Watson-Ormond’s previous band, broke up, they wanted to continue the same musical idea — thus, Supreme Fiction was formed.
Two years later, “Berliners” features upbeat songs with variations of energetic guitar, keyboard and rhythm. Drawing sound and style from influences like Elvis Costello and The National, Supreme Fiction brings a refreshing spirit of daftness to the scene.
The pop tendencies are infectious; through kooky allusions and referential album art, “Berliners” remains a clever record that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
“I wanted to kind of convey that silliness and playful quality that I think our music has without giving it a title that sounds like Scooby Doo,” said Lawrence, the band’s lyricist. “‘Berliners’, like the doughnuts or German pastries, seemed like a fun way to say ‘Here are some modest, enjoyable pop tunes.’”
With song titles such as “Me and the Kiddie KGB” and “Zombie Bride,” the band uses nonsense to describe real relationships and emotions. Multi-instrumentalist Tim Fenwick says the language is understandable, but the underlying theme is hilarious. Lawrence agrees.
“I wouldn’t say that all our lyrics are just silly, but something I discovered around the time we started this band was maybe a sense of humor with writing songs,” Lawrence said. “And that was really liberating.”
Lawrence and Watson-Ormond were joined by friends and fellow alumni Kenny Jones and Bryan Reklis in 2009, and when Fenwick came onboard in late 2010, Supreme Fiction was fully operational. According to Watson-Ormond, adding Tim Fenwick, a N.C. State University graduate, as the fifth wheel helped fill out ideas and make songs more distinct.
The goofy dynamic between members of Supreme Fiction manifests itself in its live performances. They take their time swapping instruments on stage, leaving room for interaction and conversation with their audience, usually in the form of witty retorts or explanatory small talk. The informal stage presence and chatty between-song banter make the band’s shows approachable and energetic.