The Fakes (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Fakes


Img_capt = The Fakes performing at Club Nemesis Melbourne, July 2007
Img_size =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|Australia Melbourne, Australia
Genre = Shoegaze Dream pop
Years_active = 2003 - present
Label = Sublime Exile / Hive Projects / MGM Australia
Associated_acts =
URL =
Current_members = Juliarna Cleal (vocals) Jase McCormick (guitar) Pete Bouwman (bass) Dave Cox (drums) Caz Gannell (cello) | Past_members =
URL = [http://www.myspace.com/thefakes1/ Official Myspace]

The Fakes are an shoegaze band based in Melbourne, Australia.

Biography

What would eventually become The Fakes was the meeting of Jase McCormick and Juliarna Cleal during a summer camp in Connecticut, where drawing upon a wide variety of musical influences they began to record demos. The duo spent time in Manchester recording more demos to send off to labels such as RCA before returning to their hometown of Melbourne, Australia in 2003. A new batch of songs were then written and a permanent line-up put together. It was at this time that drummer Dave Cox, bassist Peter Bouwman and cellist Caz Gannell along with singer Juliarna Cleal and guitarist Jase McCormick became The Fakes.

torm in a Teacup and Little Deaths

Early in 2004, The Fakes completed a 7-track demo with fellow producer Robbie Rowlands who had worked with prominent Australian bands such as Frente, 1200 Techniques and Morning After Girls. This resulted in a ‘Music for the Future’ grant to record their debut EP Storm in a Tea Cup. It was released in September 2005 through MGM in Australia; with the band launching the CD at The Empress Hotel in Melbourne. The EP received radio airplay in Australia since it’s release, with the band being featured as national radio station Triple J’s ‘Exposed Artist of the Week’.

The band returned to the studio to record the follow up EP Little Deaths which was sonically a leap forward; full of angelic vocals and layered reverb soaked guitar lines. This second outing revealed indeed a darker side of the band both lyrically and compositionally with some listeners describing a borderline gothic feel to the music edging on dark wave. The EP got some good, by the numbers reviews but eventually the genre, namely shoegaze lived up to it’s reputation of not being radio friendly and hence not commercially accessible by a wider community of listeners.

I Know You Are Smiling Because You Are Asleep

In early 2007, with two EP’s under their belt, the Fakes embarked on creating their debut album with long-time producer Robbie Rowlands, owner and operator of Hive Projects. The album's title was originally to be "Roseblood" but an eleventh hour title change was agreed upon to I Know You Are Smiling Because You Are Asleep. Following several delays due to perfectionist nature of the band, the debut album is due for release in June 2008. The first single from the album Interlude (Are you going to fly) features beats, samples and programming contributions by Glenn Rogers. Glen, who goes by the moniker "Blueprint" has previously worked with bands including The Crystal Method.

Musical style

The Fakes build their sonic landscape upon layers of guitar drenched in distortion and signature delay with dreamy ethereal female vocals floating ever so gently above a swirling wall of sound. Guitarist and songwriter Jase McCormick has described the Fakes as a fundamentally live band with many comparing their sound to that of Sigur Ros. The soundscape seems to hover between the noisier psychedelic sound of shoegaze and the more subdued and passive signatures of dream pop.

Lyrics and themes

Themes embedded in the lyrics primarily relate to interpersonal emotions, especially that of love and loss, heartbreak and disillusionment but also hope and unrelenting optimism. Instrumental interludes are also featured.

Influences

Guitarist and primary songwriter Jase McCormick cites influences such as Mazzy Star, My Bloody Valentine, Cowboy Junkies and The Paradise Motel. On more recent work, influences have ranged from Concretes and Innocence Mission to Trespassers William and Blonde Redhead. The Fakes have also worked and/or had influential relationships with other Australian artists including Sixteen Millimeter and Morning After Girls.

Discography

Albums

ingles

ee also

*Music of Australia
*List of shoegaze musicians

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/thefakes1 The Fakes official MySpace]
* [http://www.hiveprojects.com.au/artist_page.php?id=2 The Fakes biography at Hive Projects]