Divine Fits: Supergroup Formed From Handsome Furs and Spoon Enjoying Being a 'New' Band

A career in music is very susceptible to changes all the time. Bands change members, some go solo and often, entirely new projects start up. That was the case for Divine Fits' members Britt Daniel (Spoon), Dan Boeckner (Handsome Furs, Wolf Parade) and Sam Brown (New Bomb Turks). After spending years in various bands separately, the three members of this supergroup of sorts formed in Los Angeles and have now become a full-fledged project that is set to launch when their A Thing Called Divine Fits debut album comes out on August 28.

"I haven't started a new band in a really long time," Daniel, 41, tells Spinner. "The last time I started a new band was when I was about 22 years old, so it feels awesome for me."

Brown adds that it's "oddly no different than when I was 22, starting a band -- it's always exciting and fun to start a new band."

The mission plan for this new project is simple -- have fun. To them, it's not about dragging their past bands into this project, but projecting something entirely new to people.

"I don't feel pressure that people will be thinking about how much like Spoon or Handsome Furs or New Bomb Turks it's going to sound like," Boeckner says. "I just feel pressure to put on a good Divine Fits show.

"With the new band, the stakes are a little higher, especially playing shows before our record comes out and it doesn't matter what band you were in before, this band is either good or not. That pressure is energizing for me."

Although the band has completed a record and have grown fairly comfortable with each other, they're now facing the next step in developing a new band -- performing live. The band has begun a short tour of each member's hometown, as well as a couple of additional cities, which will test their dynamic onstage. With the addition of keyboardist Alex Fischel, the band is looking forward to stepping outside of the studio and actually testing out their songs in front of an audience.

"It'll be way more fun than being in the studio," says Boeckner. "It's exciting, and sometimes you need that kind of excitement."

For those wondering the fate of Spoon, Daniel assures that his attention is just with the Fits right now and that "everybody in the band is busy anyway; we're not doing anything until this record gets worked."

Boeckner, on the other hand, called it quits with his most recent band, Handsome Furs. This, despite their last album Sound Kapital being short-listed for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize. Furs mourners can expect at least an appearance by Boeckner at the September gala.

"I feel like we're definitely not going to win, but it's flattering and it's nice," Boeckner says. "I think it's safe to say that Polaris is more culturally and socially relevant than the Junos now and if I'm not playing a show, I'll be in Toronto because why not."