New year looks promising for young Furvis

If rock 'n' roll is a young person's party, local indie rock quartet Furvis couldn't be better suited to shake things down. Several members aren't yet old enough to drink at the bars where they play, but they've already been writing songs and performing for four years.

They've recently recorded 10 new tracks of bright, loosey-goosey indie rock with Ed Valauskas of The Gentlemen and Dave Minehan of The Neighborhoods at the helm. And these respected local music figures are just two of many who have taken up the band's cause. Add upcoming high-profile gigs at First Night 2006, followed by two shows at The Paradise -- Hot Stove Cool Music (Jan. 8) and opening for Aberdeen City (Jan. 20) -- and these guys have good reason to expect a bounteous new year.

Charismatic frontman Mike Cummings took a break from his job maintaining the bowling lanes at Jillian's Boston to discuss how he and bandmates, drummer Noah Rubin, guitarist Matt Borg, and bassist Todd Dahlhoff, came to get so far so young.

Q. Was there a music scene in Newton when you started the band four years ago?

A. It's funny, because we get asked this question, and we kind of don't want to sound too arrogant. But I think we kind of -- us and a few other bands -- started like a music scene in Newton, which is kind of crazy, because now there's like a scene, and they put on their own shows at rec halls. And it's cool. It's like a real thing. But when we were doing it, there wasn't anything going on. People didn't rent out halls. And you were pretty much acting as your own promoter for high school kids.

Q. Did you come into Boston back then, too?

A. Totally. We've all been going to shows as early as we could ride the train. We'd go to Sunday all-ages shows at Bill's Bar, and see like Piebald. We were playing and sneaking into clubs when we were 16. I think the first show we played was when we were 16, at the Middle East Downstairs.

Q. How did you land that show?

A. [WBCN-FM DJ] Mark Hamilton, actually, this is the first time I can give him a credit on record. He lived next door to us in Newton, well, right next door to me. He lived in the barn house of this friend of mine, Clementine, and she told him, if you need an opener, just let this band do it. So, we did it, and then, it gave us a little leverage for the [Middle East] Upstairs. And we started playing Tuesday nights, Monday nights, and now we're playing good shows.

Q. What made you so confident at such a young age?

A. I don't think we were confident at all . . . We just kind of understood how it worked and knew you didn't necessarily have to be good . . . I kind of feel bad for people who've seen us when we were really young, like we've totally skewed their view of what kind of a band we are.

Q. How did you come up with the name Furvis?

A. Every time I'm asked this question, I'm supposed to make something new up, so I'll say that Furvis is some Latin word that Matt found in the dictionary. And we needed it for a show, and it just kind of stuck. I think it means, really, really nervous, or something. We Googled it, and that's what it told us.

Q. Do you think so many well established Boston musicians have taken such a shine to you because you're more focused than other bands your age?

A. I hope it's just because they like the tunes. I mean, ultimately, that's all we really care about. And, if it was up to us, we'd make a record every month, and I think we could. No, maybe every two months; a month's really pushing it. I'm not that prolific. I'm not like Bright Eyes.

Q. What drives you to write so many songs?

A. I just want to get better. I think it's totally natural. I don't think there's ever like a time when you can say you have your style developed, because I don't think I have. I mean, what I'm doing is a good representation of where I am now, but I'd hope that in five years, I'd be in a completely different place.

Q. I get the impression from your band photos and seeing you guys play live that you get up to some serious shenanigans?

A. Shenanigans, like what? Like running our car on vegetable oil?

Q. When did you convert your van to run on vegetable oil?

A. I think like four months ago, and we've been driving around on oil since, and it's great. It's free. I recommend it.

Q. Are the rumors true, that there are labels showing interest in the band?

A. I haven't heard anything, to be honest. That's really cool, that there's rumors and stuff, and maybe I should perpetuate them by saying that there's a million labels that are into us. I mean, yeah, I'll say, sure, we're hoping that a label will like us enough to give us some money to put this thing out.