French Style Furs

French Style Furs delve further into the soulful yet punk-inflected textures that define the primary bands of Nathan Willett and Matt Maust from Cold War Kids alongside We Barbarians’ Nathan Warkentin. The trio first linked up during a shared stretch in New York City, launching their joint sessions in early 2013 and borrowing the project’s moniker from a Greenpoint furrier. Basic tracks were shaped by Warkentin and Maust while Willett converted the verse of twentieth-century monk Thomas Merton—whose work confronted issues of social justice and spirituality—into song lyrics. Additional input from percussionist Stephen Hodges and Dirty Projectors’ Haley Dekle enabled the group to finish their debut full-length, Is Exotic Bait. Producer Nick Launay handled the mix, and the record reached listeners in July 2014.