What the Folk!

Hello, I'm as new as you could get with the whole Flight of the Conchord situation! But, I'm a little confused about what the Black Seeds is? I know it's a band that Bret was in and perhaps is still in? But that's precisely what I'm wondering...is he still a part of the Black Seeds? Is that his main band and Flight of the Conchords is like his side project? Or is it the other way around? What is the story with the Black seeds?

Also, are Jemaine and Bret friends? I mean, they're not just like business partners, they're actual friends, right? It seems like they are in their performances, but I don't hear a lot about them being together or hanging out when they're not working. Idk, maybe just because I'm new to this whole scene I haven't heard a lot about it. But I was just wondering if they're best friends on and off work hours or if they're just business partners who get along well.

Thanks for all the help!

I don't think Bret is with The Black Seeds anymore. I think it used to be his main band and FOTC was kind of a side project, but that isn't true anymore. He does still play with the Wellington International Ukelele Orchestra from time to time. Have you heard of them? They're really fun, if not you should check them out.

It's funny you should ask this question about them being friends because I was just discussing this with someone else. You know they used to be roommates back in their college drop-out days, lol. I think that's when they first started writing songs together. I can't say for sure what their relationship is like these days because sadly I don't know them personally. My impression is that Jemaine and Bret have always had kind of a big brother/little brother situation - they basically like each other but they sometimes antagonize one another, lol. Too bad Sherry's not around anymore, she could probably give you better insights into this than I could.

Welcome to the board - it's nice to meet you! Did you get to see FOTC on tour this past spring? What part of the world are you in?

I'm in America and I didn't get to see them sadly! But I really do want to on their next tour. I know it's probably a bit too soon, but any word on when their next tour might be?

No word yet, but it's really too soon I think. Jemaine is gearing up to film Men in Black 3 and Bret is busy with the new Muppet movie right now, so I don't expect to hear anything about a tour for a while, unfortunately.

So how did you get into FOTC?

Welcome to the forum, Daaaraaa!

Bret is no longer part of The Black Seeds. Bret was part of FOTC and The Black Seeds which were both formed around 1998 and he was on keys for The Black Seeds for their first 3 studio albums (Keep On Pushing/Pushed, On The Sun, Into The Dojo) and officially left the band around 2007, I think. Bret sings lead vocals for the song One by One which you can watch and listen to here. If you haven't already, I highly recommend listening to their stuff on YouTube (they're also amazing live!) and if you'd like more information about the band, we also have a dedicated thread about The Black Seeds here so feel free to have a look around.

Hey thanks for the info and the welcome! I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions in the days to come about our 2 favorite Kiwi's. And I'm sure the black seeds were great, but I'm glad Bret is now a full time Conchordian, lol.

Hi Daaaraaa! I'd be more than happy to discuss any little thing about Bret! The Black Seeds ARE great! I caught them live in New York last fall.

It's true that Bret has left the band, but he and Jemaine are by no means full time Conchordians. I think I heard the boys say once that Flight of the Conchords is a hobby that got out of hand. They had a couple of intense years working on the HBO series. They decided against a third season, they really thought they had done all they could with it and were pleased with it. I think it left them little time to persue other things and that kind of work didn't really fit their lifestyle.

I think they are friends and have been for a long time. They are not however, attached at the hip like on the television show. They each have a seemingly bottomless wellspring of individual interests and talents. But when they come together, nobody can deny the brilliance of their collaborations. I think they will continue to work together on projects/tours, and I can hardly wait!

Have you explored Bret's work as Video Kid yet? Or Figwit?

Hey Daaaraaa!

The other folks have basically answered your questions, but we'd love to know more about you, so fill us in here:
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