Q: What a hard-hitting track! I love the alternative/pop-punk rock element to “The Kids Stay Home”; it really brings me back to the early 2000s. What was your favorite part in creating this track?
Fonzy & Company: Why thank you so much. The track was definitely a different approach for us. We do love a good simple 4/4 banger, but that opening riff in 6/4 just opened us up a little. It was the first track we started playing with Lauren Hannah (Lead guitar) and Sam Lane (Bass) so it was the first time we all gelled as a band. This song will always hold a special place for us in that respect.
Q: What are you hoping listeners take away from, “The Kids Stay Home”?
Fonzy & Company: Fonzy songs are written to be heard by the listener in their own way and hopefully find their own meaning. Writing is usually keep abstract which we think gives us that edge, we are never overly literal. This time around however it was a big middle finger to anyone who has ever belittled you or made you feel inadequate. But if it helps you through a messy breakup, an addiction, or if it makes you feel good, then we’ve done our job.
Q: What has been your favorite song to perform so far? Do you have any favorite venues or areas you love performing at?
Fonzy & Company: That changes maybe every show. It all depends on the crowd, the sound and the feel of the night. Performing all the tracks from the new EP ‘Touchè’ has definitely been rewarding to get all the reactions from fresh ears.
Q: How did the Covid-19 lockdown affect the way you guys created music? Did you have to do it virtually/separately and what did you guys learn from that experience?
Fonzy & Company: Fonzy (Guitar and Vocals) initially writes the tracks and the band blends it, what comes out is what you get from us. Lockdown we had a different line up at that point and a lot of it was spent writing our second EP ‘Is It Me?’ which was a matter of sending audio files to each other and adding our parts which we weren’t used to at all. Not looking to do that in a hurry again.
Q: If you could collaborate with any musician or band in the world, who would it be? I personally think you guys would be a great opening act for Green Day.
Fonzy & Company: Fonzy actually used to be in a Green Day tribute band and the comparisons, whether that be writing or stage performances, always get mentioned. Green Day has played a huge part in F&C’s persona and it’s nice to see that gets picked up upon. If Green Day ever asked us to support, I think we could die happy there and then. There are a lot of bands we would like to support on the bucket list, but we have a long way to go yet.
Q: Was there a pivotal moment in your guys’ life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?
Fonzy & Company: It’s been very different paths for all of us, it’s hard to think how any of us would have met in the first place without music. Some took the school route, but most of us just turned on the TV once and said ‘That’s what I want to do’. Fonzy and Sam Bennett (Drums) are definitely the veterans having toured most of Europe in previous bands with the likes of You Me At Six and Enter Shikari.
Q: The vocals, production, and overall vibe on “The Kids Stay Home” is near-flawless. Can you walk me through your creative process in making this track?
Fonzy & Company: Wish there was a more captivating story to tell here. Think Fonzy bought the track to the band and they jammed and here we are. Olivia Jury (Vocals) always has an amazing adaptation to the vocals and they always come out sounding so much better coming out than when they were written. We took a lot of influence from The Front Bottoms and Sports Team when writing the lyrics which is very unusual for us seeing as a lot of us are 90s kids and have stayed that way.
Q: What do you want to say to your fans out there?
Fonzy & Company: All you guys old and new, who travel round the UK too, To see us play and give your grace, It smokes a smile upon our face. And to those who want to see some more, June 17th the record hits stores, The podcast, the gigs, so much to come,
We love y’all, each and everyone.
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Photo credits: GLK Media
Interviewed by Melissa Cusano
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