Fake Fake came to my attention through my inbox. I was hooked on my first play, and I think you will be too.
The Victoria R&B duo first collaborated in late 2018 and something immediately gelled. The pair have become good friends and writings partners, and that's a great turn of events for us.
Their debut offering Goodnightmare is quickly getting international attention, and I wanted to put them on your radar. After listening to Fake Fake, I immediately felt a pull to listen to Marian Hill, but I'm not sure who I would try to compare them to. They're unique and deserve your attention.
" Their self-described Disposable Love approach to songwriting has been the result, with a focus on rich gospel arrangements, funk-drenched guitars, offset percussion reminiscent of the late J. Dilla, and a wry wit to Campbell's contemplative lyricism." - from their bio
Fake Fake is producer and instrumentalist Leith Hynds and Justin Campbell, vocalist and instrumentalist.
Thanks to Justin and Leith for taking time out of their schedule to answer our questions.
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5 Quick Questions with Fake Fake
Q1) If you're on a road trip, what's the one album you can listen to on repeat?
Justin) I luckily went on a month long road trip recently so have some road tested picks. One album on repeat for me was definitely The War On Drugs' 2016 release A Deeper Understanding. Amazing soundtrack to the road in general, but also some of the most interesting production on a folk/ rock record you can find, and probably the most emotional guitar work I've ever heard. When I first listened to "Pain" I almost broke down haha.
Leith) For a while it was the best of ZZ Top. No real reason other than it was the CD I left in the car. Because I use Spotify now I'd have to say the This is Vulfpeck or This is Prince playlist.
Q2) How are people responding to Goodnightmare?
Justin) People are absolutely loving this track, which has been a bit surprising for us overall. We spent the last few months before the release working very intently on getting the project ready for debut in general, and had Goodnightmare completed pretty early on. So once the responses started rolling in we were a bit caught off guard haha. It's like that with any release, but especially when debuting a new project. There's always this intense excitement and confidence behind a track, and then you get to release day and are thinking "I have absolutely no idea how i feel about this track anymore".
Leith) Checking our analytics every day has been like Christmas. Seeing the overwhelming positive reaction has been both mind-blowing and affirming.
Q3) What can fans expect from a live performance?
Leith) I think the audience wants to be engaged not just auditorily but visually, and through the atmosphere. Ensuring that all elements of the show are viscerally engaging and cohesive is essential to us.
Justin) The two of us - along with our session members - all come from pretty rock/ post-hardcore heavy backgrounds, so there is a lot of that live energy that translates to our performances. I grew up loving pop music but idolizing the raw live energy of bands like Alexisonfire and At The Drive-In so I've always wanted to channel that energy while keeping things pop-driven and easy to find yourself in.
Q4) Is there a band or artist you think people should be paying more attention to?
Justin) In the pop sphere particularly, I think there are a tonne of artists that get overlooked despite their mass success because they just simply don't have the numbers and exposure of the top 1% that people associate with being "successful pop artists". Although I'm sure they would never personally want the same exposure, artists like and Little Dragon are two acts that come to mind, who I took way too long to find out about! Also, special mention to an incredibly talented art-rock act from Saskatoon, Canada, Close Talker. They're catalogue is incredibly touching and energetic, and they have one of the most impressive live shows I've ever seen.
Leith) Kyle Dion. Why he isn't at the top of the charts is beyond me.
Q5) Tell us something about you, that even your fans wouldn't know.
Justin) I used to be a catholic altar boy for a short time when I was 10 years old. Shout out to Catholicism for... only that anecdote. That's where it ends for me haha.
Leith) I'm a giant nerd. I play D&D, watch tons of anime and sci fi, and read a truckload of comics.
BONUS QUESTION) Is there anything you want to share with our readers?
Fake Fake) We have a new single on the way very soon <3