FAUX FEROCIOUS

Faux ferocious hail from the great state of Tennessee. The land of ‘Moonshine and Country music’. The land of the ‘Mighty’ Mississippi River and the ‘Great Smokey Mountains’.

‘It is easy to notice how many folks from Nashville are coming from NYC.’

Faux Ferocious are another landmark of Tennessee creating tight, rock and roll combined with blistering punk-rock simplicity, Spector-worthy hooks, and a whatever-it-takes production approach to create songs that are short, infectious, and razor sharp.

With vocal and guitar duties split between dueling frontmen Jonathan Phillips and Terry Kane, and a rhythm section held down by bassist Dylan Palmer and drummer Reid Cummings, Faux Ferocious creates an infectious brand of mock-punk both on stage and in the studio.

‘We loved each other very much. Still do.’

The disheveled anarchy of their live shows leaves an immediate impression as a blink-and-it’s-over run of songs form perfectly mismatched waves of precision and drunken confusion. Faux Ferocious is an inspiring fuzz-driven alt-pop group while expertly walking the tightrope between noise and beauty.

In what ways do you feel guitar music is alive?

“It never went anywhere. If it did it wasn’t gone that long. You just have to look between the crack of your bed and the wall.”

Guitar music can take many forms. It’s a shapeshifter and has no terminus.

Tell me about the NYC groove compared to Tennessee? What inspired the move?

“Well we are based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Our city is becoming quite popular and is growing very fast. It is easy to notice how many folks from Nashville are coming from NYC. For the most part, when you look at people in Williamsburg and people in East Nashville you wouldn’t be able to tell a difference. They both look the same and act the same. It’s kind of boring I wish there was some more dimorphism between the two. Nashville has trees though, NYC doesn’t have that. Trees trump concrete any day. NYC also has Trump. We just have some guy named Rich who built a really ugly house on top of a hill. “

Nashville is a little like brown sauce and new york is probably more like red sauce, ya know?

Can you tell me about the background of the band?

“All of us hail from the great state of Tennessee. The land of Moonshine and Country music. The land of the Mighty Mississippi River and the Great Smokey Mountains. The land where butter is king and olive oil is in the dungeon. The land of bright orange and the yell of the Titan. This is where we met and this is where it started.”

We loved each other very much. Still do.

How do you relate to human kind?

“I believe that all humans mean well for the most part. I think we can move to a darker side of things sometimes and that’s why it is good to have our Reptillian rulers advise us and move us back to the light. Human music is much better than Reptillian music though. Us humans have the upper hand on that for sure”

It is very important to be kind and listen and be patient.

How does it feel to be young, hip and, in a band?

“My left hip hurts everyday and there is also a pain that runs down my left leg and circulates on the outer part of my knee. I think it’s from damaged nerves but I haven’t been to the doctor to get it checked yet. It wakes me up at night and I’ll sometimes have to take 8.5 mg of tylenol and wait twenty minutes before I can fall back asleep. It’s been getting better though and so has my posture.”

I am not that young but being in a band is currently fun and sometimes self important although I haven’t mastered the latter

What is the meaning behind, ‘Faux Ferocious’?

“I wish we had a good answer for you on this one.”

If you were to share on song with a potential fan what would you select?

“Oh man, I would feel much more comfortable if a potential fan finds us on their own terms.”

Not sure. Probably make it sound like reggaeton. Like Ben Franklin if he was recording in San Juan in 1994. That’d be the fan I’d want to get to know

Tell me about the recording process behind ‘Cloning the Rubicon’? -Fly name by the way!

“Cloning the Rubicon was recorded at multiple different places, multiple different ways, and all through the beginning part of Faux Ferocious. We recorded everything ourselves without the help of any third party engineers. It was a lot of discovery for us on how to master the sounds that we wanted at the time. In a sense Cloning the Rubicon is a compilation of all our recordings that were released on various tapes, 7”s etc over the beginning portions of our touring.”

All slightly broken Tascam recording devices from the glory days of home recording. Making it work the best way we could figure out. I like how it ended up

What is the concept behind the art sleeve?

“The art sleeve was designed by the good people at Striped Light. They are a printing press company as well as a record label. They designed the sleeve for us. Check them out they make all kinds of great things”

Bryan and his mind and dexterity and technical prowess. It was perfect. Everyone involved with Striped Light is doing the lords work. Also putting out great music from the criminally underrated city of Knoxville, TN. It’s more than the vols, you should know that.

Any tips for bands you are digging right now?

“Tour and record and repeat and repeat. It’s a long grind from what I can tell.”

Don’t drink and drive stay away from the hard stuff.

What equipment do you use ie Guitars, ETC?

“Oh, are you trying to discover our sweet sweet tones?? It is true we have mastered the art of tone. Tube amps and to be specific Music Man. Oh and we have this sweet sweet bass. It’s an SG knock off with a little pinch of it’s intonation being out of sync. It’s the color of a ruby red Fender Stratocaster that has faded with age. It truly is a fine Carmenre of guitars. Thought to be extinct but then re discovered in the depths of a cold Nashville warehouse.”

We use fenders and Epiphones and music man amps and cool old Ibanez pedal boards and pearl drums with assported cymbals.

Do you think that is is important for bands to have cool clothes and hair?

“Be an individual and don’t get caught up in fads. Dress the way that makes you happy not the way the others say is cool.”

Don’t try to hard. Being disingenuous is not how you make friends

Could you exist without social media, on a personal level?

“Yes, without a doubt.”

I might get a fever for a few days but i’d be fine

Hopes for 2018?

“We are going to release a new record. It is recorded and getting ready. It’s going to be the best thing we’ve done to date. It’s going to really impact the community we play for and the people that listen to us will be forever changed. It is something truly unique.”