Biography
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Members
- Johnny Fade
The Fades is an unrelenting post-punk garage rock four piece from South West London. Combining a tongue in cheek sense of humour, songs of love and loss, anxiety and introspection with fierce and energetic raw energy, they create a scintillating mix of post-punk indie and garage rock.
"It’s like someone fired a surf-punk into the sun at warp speed while a heavenly choir rejoices in the shredding with their beatific 'aaaaahs'.” Fresh on the Net
HISTORY
The Fades are London based brothers Dave (vox, guitar) and James Lightfoot (bass), lifetime school friend Jonny Barnard (guitar) and Alastair “Flash” Thorpe (drums).
With a true punk DIY aesthetic, the band recorded their debut single in a flat above a chip shop on the Staines Rd. It was picked up by national radio in the UK and quickly generated a buzz around the band.
Following some explosive gigs in London and a tour of the UK with Art Brut, the Fades garnered a reputation for blistering live shows and mayhem, including a penchant for multi-band clothes swapping on stage. This coincided with a couple more successful singles and a mini album, which were all regularly playlisted on radio and featured in TV shows and publications across the world.
After eventful raucous live shows around the UK, Ireland and Italy and a big festival in Tbilisi, US indie label Cranky Girl Records discovered the band and The Fades went out to New York and the East Coast to tour, release some records in the USA and hone their already renowned live set with a whirlwind of gigs, parties and scintillating scotoma.
In 2020 the band released their album Ragnarok (Deluxe Edition) as a limited vinyl and played one of the only socially distanced live shows in December of that year. Selling out the gig and the record.
Buoyed by this new found enthusiasm The Fades recently spent a weekend in Brixton Hill Studios using classic analogue equipment to try and capture a new record as true to their live sound as possible. The record was written periodically over the past year, grabbing time around lockdowns, and the new reality of working from home.
Night Terrors is the result of these sessions, featuring all the thoughts, fears and anxieties that have crept in due to such turbulent times. Lead singer Dave regularly found himself wide awake at 3am thinking about everything all at once. A lot of introspection, dwelling on regrets and times gone by, but also hopes and change for the future. Inspired to try and make more music and live life to the full.
“It is arguably the best garage rock album since Songs for the Deaf. It is arguably the most entertaining guitar album since Mclusky Do Dallas and, in this writer's opinion, it is only rivalled by Future of the Left’s new effort for the accolade of album of the decade… so far." Louder Than War.
Websites:
https://www.facebook.com/TheFadesBand
http://www.thefades.net
Discography:
Singles
"You Say/1995", 2003, Genepool Records
"Life Support/Blade/Another Song About Motorbikes", 2003, Genepool Records
"Caca/Fruit Machine", 2006, Genepool Records
EP
"Social Misfits", 2004, Genepool Records
"The Split EP", 2008, Cranky Girl Records
Compilation Tracks
"Life Support", 2003, V.A. - XRAY CD #08
"Life Support", 2005, V.A. - Buffalo Bar Presents Sound Issues Volume 1
Album
"The Fades", 2007, Dirrty Records
"Muvva, I'm a Drunk (Live album)", 2010 Cranky Girl Records
"Ragnarok", 2012, Genepool Records
"Ragnarok: Deluxe Edition" 2020 Genepool Records
"Night Terrors" 2022 Bark Like a Dog Records
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