Having formed in 2000, Edmonton, AB's Faunts have been around for nearly a decade. On Feel. Love. Thinking. Of., their second full-length and fourth release in total, their maturity as a band truly shows. Prepared with a rich sonic palette that combines hushed production with a love of vintage dance pop, the album is unified by the band's careful attention to detail and top-notch songwriting. The self-titled opener kicks off with some ambient sounds that build to a rhythmic synth and drum machine ballad. Elsewhere, "It Hurts Me All The Time" uses its warbly synths to strengthen its sombre theme, while "Lights Are Always On" is all dreamy guitars and shuffling drums. The album is spaced with instrumentals like "Das Malefitz," built on echoing guitars and chiming synths. The real standout is "So Far Away," which uses thick layers of lush production to build a calm, serene atmosphere for its lonesome subject matter. As the album ebbs and flows, the band rarely move past a medium din, instead maintaining a quiet cool not unlike their Alberta home. By gracefully pairing '80s pop with a sense of soft sincerity, Faunts have raised the bar with Feel. Love. Thinking. Of.
As a band, do you feel connected to Edmonton?
Bassist Scott Gallant: Yeah, we have lived here our whole lives, sometimes it's a bit of a love-hate thing. Every winter we all wonder why we punish ourselves. But the spring/summers are amazing.
Would Faunts sound different if they were from a different city?
Probably, we might not write as much. The winter can force us inside, which causes us to create more, which wouldn't happen if we lived somewhere warm.
What's the strangest or most hilarious thing that's happened to you on tour?
We had a show in Vancouver that got shut down by the cops. We didn't do anything wrong; I am not sure of all the details but there was a partnership with another club that had gone sour days before we got there. One club heard that there was a show going on that night so they called the cops complaining that there were too many drunk people and that the club didn't have a liquor license. It actually really sucked because it was a sold-out show. The vibe was amazing, the band we played with were awesome and the DJ was getting everyone dancing.
(Friendly Fire)As a band, do you feel connected to Edmonton?
Bassist Scott Gallant: Yeah, we have lived here our whole lives, sometimes it's a bit of a love-hate thing. Every winter we all wonder why we punish ourselves. But the spring/summers are amazing.
Would Faunts sound different if they were from a different city?
Probably, we might not write as much. The winter can force us inside, which causes us to create more, which wouldn't happen if we lived somewhere warm.
What's the strangest or most hilarious thing that's happened to you on tour?
We had a show in Vancouver that got shut down by the cops. We didn't do anything wrong; I am not sure of all the details but there was a partnership with another club that had gone sour days before we got there. One club heard that there was a show going on that night so they called the cops complaining that there were too many drunk people and that the club didn't have a liquor license. It actually really sucked because it was a sold-out show. The vibe was amazing, the band we played with were awesome and the DJ was getting everyone dancing.
