Liverpool four-piece F.O.E.S (Fall Of Every Sparrow) have just been announced as main support to Press To Meco on their UK tour next month. This is just one of many good things that is about to happen to the band, who have garnered an impressive amount of hype since forming last year. They’ve already got several tours under their belts, not to mention their impressive EP ‘Ophir’ that came out back in February. We talked to the guys to find out what’s been going on for them, and more importantly, what they’ve got coming up in the future.
F.O.E.S recently finished a run of dates across the UK with Glasgow band Atlas : Empire. How was it for them? “Despite a few gear issues at the start, it was a great run overall. Our touring buddies Atlas : Empire are some of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, and they absolutely smashed their set every night. A couple of them joined us onstage for the final song of the final night and it sounded fucking ace. We met some great people along the way as well.”
The tour followed up from the release of the aforementioned EP ‘Ophir’, which was hugely well-received. How have things been since the release? “It’s been constantly on the up and we’re really grateful for that. We’ve been sure to keep busy so as not to lose momentum from all the great reviews the first EP received. All the praise certainly gave us a sense of assurance when we went back into the studio this time round.”
After returning to the studio, the band’s initial plan was to release another EP later in the year. However, plans have changed slightly, although we’ll have to wait to hear what happens: “There was that provisional plan to take all the tracks we recorded this second time round and put them straight onto another EP, but there’s since been a few developments behind the scenes. We’re not sure how much we can reveal right away, but trust me when I say you’ll definitely hear new music this year.”
If you haven’t heard F.O.E.S yet, then first things first, you need to change that (see the video below as an example). They’re not an easy band to pigeonhole, but their music is melodic and frontman Chris Mackrill has some beautiful vocals, so they’re definitely worth checking out. As for their influences: “We all have a lot of similar influences, but then again, we all have some differing tastes as well. I think the culmination of that is what makes it work really. We don’t want to be a carbon copy of any one band in particular.”
The fact that they have a fairly unique sound means they’ve found themselves on various tours with bands that are a million miles away from each other. “We’ve supported heavier bands like Hacktivist and 36 Crazyfists, and then we’ve supported punkier bands like No Age and The Icarus Line. It seems to work across a number of live situations. There was a date of our February tour which was a really odd one. Apart from one exception, the promoter threw a load of horribly mismatched supports on the bill including a middle-aged trio who totally botched their set and seemed to abort it halfway through. It was interesting to say the least!”
And finally, what does the future have in store for F.O.E.S? Aside from their tour with Press To Meco next month, they’re fairly mysterious about their plans, but it’s clear to see the future is bright for them, and so it should be. “As mentioned, there’s plenty going on behind the scenes. We’re fairly certain all the details will be revealed soon. It’s an exciting time!”
FEATURE: Lais MW
INTERVIEW: Ben Tipple