I’ve been to my fair share of concerts, but I must say I have the most fun when I go see The Foreign Exchange. I recall their first visit to Indianapolis. It was a summer evening and fans filled the Athenaeum Theatre, anxiously waiting to hear one of the best groups many have not heard of.
The Foreign Exchange, which consists of rapper and singer, Phonte and producer Nicolay, have returned to the Circle City a couple of times since their Indy debut and with every appearance, big or small, their show gets better and better. They will be back at the Athenaeum Theatre, 401 E. Michigan St. on May 6 for the Authenticity Tour.
The duo puts on a great show saturated with relatable humor, a bangin’ band (or Nicolay on the 1s and 2s), and music you can play on repeat. What makes them so interesting is how they were formed.
Phonte, originally from Raleigh, N.C., and Nicolay, a native of Holland, came together via the online hip-hop community Okayplayer.com in 2002. A long distance friendship was spawned and the two began “exchanging” music online. They released their first album “Connected” in 2004. In case you’re wondering if this intercontinental, long-distance relationship continued, it didn’t. Nicolay eventually moved to the United States.
The Foreign Exchange may not have a mainstream following, but the music industry movers and shakers have certainly kept their eye on the group. In 2010, The Foreign Exchange was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song “Daykeeper.” Not only have The Foreign Exchange released their third album together, but their fan base continues to grow.
The Recorder recently spoke with Phonte and Nicolay to talk about their newest album “Authenticity” and what keeps them coming back to Indianapolis.
Recorder: Phonte and Nicolay, you two have been making music since 2002. Do you ever stop and think “we met online and look where we are today?”
Phonte: All the time. It’s a “truth is stranger than fiction” sort of thing. You couldn’t have scripted this. And to take it where we have taken this, this is something I keep in my mind. It’s an incredible story and something I’m really proud of.
Nicolay: We’ve really come a long way in general. Our beginnings are really humble and if you look at the path that we’ve taken, it’s incredible to look back and see how far we’ve come. It’s not just our success. We’ve been able to have the freedom to take control of our success.
Your first album “Connected” seemed really eclectic and spanned different genres of music. Then “Leave it all Behind” was soulful but had elements of modern hip-hop. How would you describe “Authenticity”?
Phonte: I think this is our most stripped down record to date. This album is really raw emotionally and production wise. It’s our least produced album…it’s our most simple record.
Nicolay: This one is an album where we were more concerned with the song and performance first, and the production second. I think “Authenticity” is our most honest album, more than anything we’ve done before. There’s definitely many layers there, but we tried to keep it stripped down.
When you two come together to make music, is that your purpose, to delve musically into unknown places?
Phonte: Definitely, we just always want to keep pushing each other to get better and expand in our craft and not get bored with it. What seems to keep us going is that passion to always want to out-do ourselves and find new imagery that we haven’t tapped into before. That’s what keeps it interesting.
On the “Authenticity” album…I can’t really decide what song is my favorite! How do you choose which songs will create a fluid album, especially when you have so much great stuff?
Phonte: For me, from a lyrical stand point, every song has to tell a story and every song has to convey a certain mood. When you’re putting a body of work together, you have to look at it like a movie. You have the beginning, the climax and the ending. When I put it together, I want to express a complete idea. I try to tell one big story over the course of the album.
The Foreign Exchange has also created a little camp with singers and musicians like YahZarah and Zo!. Why is it important to build off of what you have created?
Nicolay: I think it’s important to not just have us out there spearheading the movement. We really wanted to be successful, not just with our material, but through the success of others in our extended family. We basically wanted to give people a chance to put something out there that showcases their work. We, over the years, have built a machine as far as putting music out there and marketing it ourselves. The idea was to put some muscle behind some projects that otherwise might not come out.
Phonte: For me, I look for someone to make me better. You gotta’ look for people who are gonna’ keep you sharp. It starts with people who I’m genuinely a fan of and then it goes into a working relationship.
You will be doing a show in Indianapolis May 6. For those who have never been to a Foreign Exchange show, what are they missing?
Nicolay: They miss an incredibly fun and energetic night. For us it’s important that when they leave our show they feel better than when they came in. We want to offer people an escape and a feel good time.
Indianapolis seems to be a place you’ve begun to visit often. What is it that keeps you coming back?
Phonte: They’re just a real appreciative crowd. It’s a lot of energy and a lot of fun. Folks are really receptive. I’m always willing to work with a crowd that’s giving you energy. A performance is very much an interactive experience. You can be up there playing your heart out but if the crowd ain’t feeling it or making some kind of effort, it makes for a whack show. Indy is one of those crowds that always shows us love. They get into the songs, they’ll sing along. They have a good time.
Is there anything you want to say to your fans?
Niclolay: We thank them for their ongoing support and we couldn’t do this without you. We’re looking forward to coming back and playing at the Athenaeum. We’re gonna’ have a blast!
For more information, visit www.theforeignexchangemusic.com.
