Following on from a flurry of bold and exciting releases throughout the last year, London-based outfit The Fades have returned once again to unleash their explosive new single 'You Follow Me Around'.
Channelling another heady dose of blistering indie-rock riffs throughout, 'You Follow Me Around' makes for a brilliantly impactful listen from the group. Jam-packed with vibrant hooks, a pulsing groove, and some catchy vocals layered from start to finish, these guys are certainly looking to turn some heads with this one.
So with the new single doing the rounds, we sat down with the band's Dave Lightfoot to find out more about his origins and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Growing up I was always fascinated with the electric guitar. I also had a keen interest in synths. My Dad was into a lot of cool 80s synth tracks and used to play stuff from bands like Kraftwerk, Sparks and Human League. I think he always wanted to be a keyboard player in a band, sort of aloof and moody like Ron Mael (of Sparks). I think a bit of that rubbed off on me too. There was always a lot of music at home as he had a massive record collection and I’d love listening to the Clash and the Stones etc. Then seeing bands play on Top of the Pops and the way they would throw their guitars around while playing was so inspiring, plus things like Michael J Fox at the end of Back to the Future. The electric guitar was like Excalibur to me. Then of course Nirvana came along and Kurt Cobain was just so effortlessly cool, I was massively into the 90s grunge scene.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
As mentioned above, luckily I had quite an eclectic taste and was exposed to lots of stuff. I always leaned into the rockier side of things though. Nirvana was a big influence, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer etc, plus I was listening to loads of Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Cream and other 60s stuff. Then on top of that all the 80s synth artists and getting into blues guys like Charley Patton and Howlin’ Wolf. Jonny Fade (one of my best mates since school) and I would play Led Zeppelin riffs and James Fade (my brother) would get me into Faith No More and Chili Peppers.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I think the first album I bought myself was the Californian Raisins! It was full of these great cover versions of Wilson Pickett songs and Motown classics. My Brother and I would usually get an album at Christmas - Michael Jackson or something like that too. First CD album I bought was Axis Bold as Love by the Jimi Hendrix experience.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
In My Life by the Beatles. It’s just such an evocative and beautifully timeless song!
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Not really. A lot of the time I will just get a feeling about something and I’ll start writing a riff on the guitar and sing some nonsense words over it for the melody, which I’ll then develop as it opens out when I play it over and over. When we get in the studio as a band, it’s a similar situation - James might come up with a nice bass riff or I’ll have a few chords and we start jamming over it, having a laugh - which then eventually turns into a song that we can refine and complete.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I recently discovered Kayne Strang and have been enjoying his latest record. Also got into Porridge Radio recently, which I like too.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
That’s a tough one…. It would be amazing to support the Stones or Chili Peppers and play to their huge crowds, but maybe Faith No More or Weezer would be cool too - could go on one of the Weezer cruises!
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I love it when this seed of an idea, whatever it may be - a lyric, melody or riff, grows into a full-blown song with layered parts and a story or message. The fact that this song can achieve so much & can be heard by people on the other side of the world is a beautiful thing!
And what is the most frustrating part?
Nowadays in particular, the most frustrating part is the prohibitive costs of being creative. It’s very expensive to make this art if you want to try and get it out there properly and it’s hard to get people to listen to it. There’s so much stuff sucking at your attention, like social media crap pestering you constantly. Music and art gets dropped down the list for a lot of people…
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I think a lot of the advice I’ve received over the years from so-called experts and professionals has actually been pretty bad - therefore, I’ll give you a little bit of mine… have patience and make sure that what you’re putting out there is what you want it to be. Don’t rush anything and don’t compromise if you can help it.
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The Fades' new single 'You Follow Me Around' is available to stream now. Check out the new video for it in the player below.