There’s a moment in FAEDA’s new single ‘Look Me In The Eye’ when everything clicks: the tension peaks, the guitars surge, and frontman Robbie McNicol delivers a line that feels more like a confession than a lyric. It’s the sound of a band not just finding their voice, but refusing to dilute it.
Emerging from Thurso in the far north of Scotland, FAEDA are proving that distance is no barrier to momentum. With their blend of emotionally raw songwriting, anthemic hooks, and a live show that’s already earned nods from The Great Escape, AIM Awards, and supports alongside Sam Fender and The View, they’re carving their name into the UK indie-rock landscape with growing urgency.
‘Look Me In The Eye’ is their most assured step yet, a bold, hook-heavy release that explores the emotional fallout of self-sacrifice and the liberating clarity of walking away. With nods to Fontaines D.C. and the scale of Biffy Clyro, FAEDA manage to sound both thunderously familiar and unmistakably their own.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Like any other 13 year old, I fell in love with the Guitar, but I was obsessed.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
When I started becoming aware of what music was and how it made me feel, I was listening to Jimmy Hendrix, Royal Blood, Jake Bugg, Blink 182, Two Door Cinema Club, Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes. Quite a mix but I got something a little different from each of those bands that really made sense to me.
What was the first album you remember owning?
My first album was Jimmy Hendrix Electric Ladyland, I remember stealing it from my dads car.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
For me its got to be “Loose Change” by Royal Blood, its perfect.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
My natural habit for writing music revolves around my living in my flat. It's just my space, I can write in my own time, with my own thoughts, it's bliss. That and a concern about coffee.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
At the moment my no skips on are Boston Manor, Fontaine’s D.C and No Cigar.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
It’s got to be Biffy Clyro and that’ll never change. Mon The Biff!
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
To me it's all in the live shows. I feel almost every single emotion there is when touring, every single night. I come away from every show with bruises and a sore neck because of the energy we put in. When you’ve created something very personal and raw but people around the world can still connect with, no matter how niche you feel it is, it really gets me.
And what is the most frustrating part?
When growing up the most frustrating part I found was feeling overlooked by industry because of where we grew up, in the most rural part of the Scottish highlands (Thurso). It was also pretty hard because we are 6 hours north of even Glasgow, but the more work we put in and the more miles we drove the more we chipped away at that and now we have fans all over the UK and Europe.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
The best advice I’ve ever received was “2 steps forward, 1 step back” which to me meant progress isn’t always straight forward, you can’t look at single situations and let that break you down, you’ve got to look at it in perspective, 2 steps forward but 1 step back is still in the right direction.
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FAEDA's new single 'Look Me In The Eye' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.