Hailing from our very own York, the guitar driven ensemble Fawn Spots are successfully going their own way, creating a distinctive brand of punchy noise rock. Their music has a contemporary flare and feel. It reflects trends in modern society and has a pronounced identity that leaves its mark on you, especailly after repeated listen. Known both for their wild live shows and melodic, well written songs, they have gained acclaim in both the local and wider national scene. They’ve widely toured the US alongside fellow noise rockers Cumstain, with whom they recently released the raucous joint album Wedding Party.
Their distinctively raw style is not just manufactured kitsch, or merely an imitation of their influences, but an organic progression based on what was available to them in their formative period: “We never actually made a choice to make the type of music we made, it’s just us doing our thing with what we had at the time.” It seems to be a product of necessity rather than invention and it is all the better for it, something the band seems to understand explicitly: “I like hearing something in its natural state, whether it’s a well-developed or produced sound or a borderline mess. I think there is always a capacity to enjoy something in there.”
Drummer Sean had only been playing drums for two weeks before performing live, and the band had only had a few rehearsals prior to their first gig. In Pixies-esque fashion, this absence of technical skill has made their sound. They are not however, a band solely motivated by noise and aggression. There is a depth and a complexity that is sometimes not found in other bands of their ilk. They show appreciation for quality song writing and melodies. “I guess most music we like could be called ‘pop’ – it has a relatively melodic focus. I mean Big Star and Sloan are power pop sounding but not popular so I don’t know.” They cite ‘I Breathe Again’ by Adam Rickett as an inspiration in their song writing, in the same breath as hard-core bands like Black Flag, Fugazi and Rites of Spring.
The trio also look back fondly to the original driving force of the punk movement for inspiration “If you look at the history of music it has always been pushed forward by youthful revolt in some form.” However, there are certain doubts as to whether its values can remain in anyway relevant today; something that they lament: “To say that it wouldn’t still be relevant is nonsense, but I don’t think it is the same and it never will be.” Although avoiding the full scale pessimism of analogue purists, a certain ambivalence concerning the modern world permeates the interview. “The good side is that now anyone can contact anyone and the possibilities are incredible, however the real context of everything seems to be a bit scattered. Being involved might have meant you stood together for something once. I think that the depth has gone out the window and on the whole it is in danger of just really becoming another surface value trend.”
The music scene in York is a topic that they remain undecided upon, particularly when they compare it to larger more nationally important scenes such as those in Bristol and Manchester: “There isn’t really a scene – yet. For the people who live here there isn’t much but what there is has a lot of support. There are a few interesting bands.”
For all of York’s flaws, most notably the closing of Stereo, Fawn Spots collectively feel that imperfection can in many ways be a positive creative force. “The alienation from everything else can create something special. A lot of people use that to create their own thing or use it as a drive to escape whatever they have in the places they live.” York’s relative distance from the countries creative spotlight may in fact work in its favour. “When you’re completely removed from a scene it’s easier to focus on your own thing, rather than what other people are doing.”
A couple of local bands do catch the Fawn Spots eye: The Franceans doing “totally raw garage punk”; Neuschlaufen who make “damaged and damaging kraut stuff”; and Luke Saxton, whom they present as a “one man Beach Boys” and an “incredible songwriter.”
They are forever forward thinking in their outlook. When asked about their favourite material from what they’ve recorded it’s not Wedding Dress that induces the most pride, but their new album.
“Everything else recorded and released so far was really transitional from the two piece to the three piece – the album is us now. It has been a real labour to write and record, and we really hope that it comes across that way. It’s not something we’ve just shit out and hoped for the best.”
America seems to have welcomed them with open arms, playing LA in particular clearly meaning a lot to the band. “Just playing in LA is a really mind blowing experience – countless bands that have inspired us are part of that city’s history. People are incredibly friendly, want to talk about the music afterwards and seem down to have a good time at a show, which really is what it’s all about. I guess with all the sun and food over there they will never be as miserable as people at shows here.” Whether or not we should take take note of our cousins across the pond, Fawn Spots are a band who will continue to not take things too seriously. When asked for a wild anecdote, they merely reply “This one time Sean fell asleep in a car. That was pretty wild.” However, they are worth serious attention, and are a shining example of a quality and individual voice in the York music scene. Burning their own unique trajectory as a band, in a town where too many bands who value Facebook likes over enthusiasm and inspiration, I’m very happy to have the Fawn Spots around, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon.