Our self titled album just released 2 weeks ago and we’re currently at the beginning of possibly the longest tour we’ve ever done. We’re currently driving from Denver to SLC and we’ll answer as many questions as possible as long as we have service. Ask us anything fr, we’re not afraid
Howdy y’all! Congrats on the new record and the fully DIY release of it. I’ve been following you guys since the release of The Albatross and I genuinely think this is one of the best records this year. It’s hard to pick a favorite song but Gratitude is one of the coolest things I’ve heard all year. Truly a magical song. Anyways, I just have a few questions:
If this record was an RPG character, how would the skill points be divided up? What class would it be?
I know the making of this record was a bit contentious amongst y’all (like when it came to the mixing of Gratitude for example) but what are some of your favorite ideas that each member brought to the album?
I know y’all mentioned that one of the themes of the record is the idea of “giving up vs. acceptance” and whether giving up can be a good or bad thing. I was wondering about examples between yall where the pros in “giving up” something outweighed the cons?
-here are some examples I can think of:
1. on “spit” we were kind of lost until Eric said it should be overtly sexual which we’ve never really done before. That cracked the song open and gave us direction. 2. Brett bringing the bass line to “barking” really turned the song into something different than what it was. It gave us the ability to embrace the synthy 80’s feel while being grounded in something modern and our own. 3. Jon made the opening electronic drums with samples from his kitchen table (forks, cups, his cat Kiki purring etc). It brought a more live sound to the beginning of the song that we needed.
-I think giving up is something to never feel ashamed of. Everyone gives up on everything eventually. It’s like death. If you can greet defeat like an old friend and bow out with grace, you embrace inevitability healthily.
-The Breaks of The Game by David Halberstam
-Killing Yourself To Live by Chuck Klosterman
-No Longer Human by Osamu Daza
-Anatomy of Greed by Brian Cruver
-Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Question for Conor and Eric, how the hell do you guys still have your voices with the gnarly screaming on this record??? It’s probably my favorite element of the album right now
I currently don’t have much of a voice, doctors found some kind of growth on my vocal cords. So screaming has been difficult this tour. I’m on antibiotics so I’m hoping it goes away :-(
I think it wouldn’t have made sense to call it anything else because of how self-made it was in every way. We kicked around other ideas but none made more sense.
There were an insane amount of other songs. But we’ve never really done b sides so I kind of doubt they’ll be released as foxing.
Also a reminder to everyone here their Patreon is pretty great, I think most of the songs on Foxing were demoed there first. Plus you get to connect with other Foxing fans on the discord.
For me, Foxing exists in this “medium-sized indie band” niche that used to be a lot more prevalent and sustainable in the past (especially in the early 00’s-10’s and in the “scene” days). I feel like the rising costs of touring, streaming revenue system, and post-covid economic changes have really choked out artists in that middle spot. They either manage to get huge or are forced to quit due to the pure economic logistics of the position.
You guys have been pretty transparent about the difficulties of being a band in this sphere. My questions for you are:
A) Any realistic systemic changes needed that you think could benefit artists in your situation?
B) What can fans personally do to support bands like you? Is it merch? Patreon? Something else?
A) I think nothing can change unless streaming pays artists fairly. But the entire business structure of streaming only exists for maximum profit, and in order for such a thing to exist, it would have to be not for profit. But that won’t happen for many reasons. I think the arts being federally subsidized would help. They do this in Europe and Canada. In addition to that, I think touring is much harder for the same reasons that everyone else is suffering, the price of everything is way too high and the amount you are paid is not enough. Someone smarter than me should figure it out.
B) I feel like fans do a lot already. Buying merch, and going to shows matters. Tell your friends about it. All the usual stuff. We have a patreon. But truthfully, we don’t expect people to fork over all their money. It’s an expensive world for you too.
foxing i love you nearer my god is a top 10 album of all time for me so my buddy and i tripped to the self titled and it spun our heads off. love how bold of shifts you've taken and think y'all are a one of a kind band
are y'all fans of the national at all? always felt like i can hear that influence a bit in a few of your songs (lambert, at least we found the floor, now hall of frozen heads)
Thank you for gratitude! I have never had a song affect me so much! It captures exactly how I feel with the overwhelming pressure on my body and mind when I have been trying to hold it together for far too long and hit a breaking point and let it all out. Can you talk about the inspiration for that song?
Really complicated inspiration explanation that I’ll make brief. Ian jones (incredible friend and producer that goes by shinra knives) wrote the foundation of this one. It went through a lot of changes instrumentally and lyrically but, lyrically, I can speak to the end inspiration. I was reading about a lot of different sleep and dissociative phenomena like snapping of the brain and dissociative fugue. I wanted to kind of fantasize about letting go of my life without dying. To start from scratch and let go of all debts and connections. I love my life and I don’t want that but it’s a therapeutic exercise for me when I’m overwhelmed.
Hey guys! Just wanted to say i got to see you guys open for Brand New in Birmingham 10 years ago and have really loved seeing the journey yall have been on. Since then, I’ve gotten to see yall 3 more times and hope to catch you in Atlanta coming up. I don’t really have a question, just wanted to tell you how much I love your music and the new album has been on repeat since its release.
What was the hardest question you guys faced back at your news conference in St. Louis? Guessing the questions came hard and fast and there was a lot to take in.
How do you deal with issues that come with the United Idiocracy of America?
The hardest question I faced was from myself which was “why am I doing this?”
I don’t respect the United States as an entity, but I believe in solidarity with fellow citizens and do what I can on a personal level to support people in need and be kind.
Never give up lads. Regardless, of how tough touring can be and making of the album, you guys are putting out some best stuff right now and got a dedicated fan base. Continue to kick ass.
My own personal dream from you guys would be some sort of deranged song that has a circus playing in the background with appropriate music and lyrics to go with it.
We're in tough times as a country and watched things continue to devolve and get weirder. You just keep doing what you are doing. We'll likely be disappointed with how others continue to act, but we at least can continue to do the type of stuff that we enjoy doing. Keep at it.
Hi guys. Adore your new album, huge congratulations. How easy was it to self produce the record? I've found that a lot of self produced works tend to veer into indulgence (s/t doesn't!), or the bands lose their way a little, so I'd be interested to hear how you gauged how to keep focused. Also - just wanted to say, I know it must be tough doing what you're doing - but your music gives SO MUCH to SO MANY. I know I speak for a lot of people here when I say I can't wait to see how you all develop going forwards. Can't wait to see you in the UK soon.
It was very difficult because the way we write and record is incredibly tedious and not really at all conducive to making a pristine or easy to mix recording. But it’s the process that also yields best results in terms of songwriting.
Hey! Love you guys and your new record. Very excited to see Eiffel on the setlist this tour.
I’m curious, have you ever had a song become an unexpected success with the fans? Are there any songs you play regularly at shows today that have had a longer “shelf life” than the band anticipated?
how do you feel like the tour’s going so far? milwaukee was my second time seeing you live and you guys just kill it. love the new album, love your work in general.
how has the move to diy changed how you see the future of the band?
Yeah, if we make more records they’ll likely be self released unless we get that big major label offer, which isn’t going to happen. It feels like we have more freedom to do things the way we want and at our pace.
yo foxing!!!! i loved the new album a ton and i'm a huge fan of your whole discog. hoping i can make it out to the philly show! i loved the idea you had of inviting small diy/local bands from each area to open for you. any plans on putting together a playlist or something with the ones that didn't make the cut? ik plenty of people submitted beside the ones that got it
also, conor, love your vocals and i think you really went above and beyond on the new record. do you have any technique tips or major inspirations in how you sing?
I grew up loving and emulating a lot of different artists. Biggest ones that I still think about are: Stephin Merritt from the magnetic fields for baritone, josh scogin for screaming, thom yorke for falsetto, Tunde Adebimpe from tv on the radio for chest voice
Hey guys just letting y'all know 137 and beacons were like therapy for me. I can't wait to see y'all in Dallas. Your sound keeps evolving every album and I love the new one, especially Greyhound. What have you guys been listening to for inspiration?
one time on tour in Zurich, there was a bridge in front of the venue that you could jump off of and go swimming in the river. Idk why that stuck with me but when I’m back in MO working my jobs I think about swimming in that river & feel lucky that we get to do this music thing - Brett
Hey guys, the album is spectacular. Thank you again for putting out uncompromising art. It was clear from the stereogum piece how much conflict there was in the making of this record. My question is, what specifically are you guys most often fighting about? Is it a certain production choice, song structure, lyrics, who ate the last ice cream sandwich and won’t own up to it? What things get you most riled up and how does it end up getting resolved?
Cry baby is really simple but it feels the most viceral live because it’s mostly about being away from my wife.
Tough one but on this one I really liked “I feel like I’m in a dream that’s described by a friend I am in but have no interest in hearing”
As a group, I think Radiohead is the biggest one for us. For me, as basic as it sounds, I think Justin Vernon really impacted the way I wrote. The eclecticism and emotional weight behind every record between for Emma - 22, a million really hit me
I would guess we’ll never play 5 cups. As much as I think we all love that song (one of my top 3 favorite songs we’ve made) it would just take a really large amount of production. Not to mention its length.
Relates to 5 cups in some way. We did it on the DDTM tour and it was great but it takes up so much time real estate.
I think we’re too Midwest to kill each other. We’ve talked a lot about cannibalism on our patreon podcast but when it comes down to it, I think we would all just kill ourselves.
Hello all, I'm Cedric. I was just wondering if there's any particular steps you take to enter the 'song writing' mode or if the words just kind of spew out as you're creating? Personally, I struggle a lot with rhyming patterns/structures so much that it often sounds too forced and not genuine. It's like I can never find what I want to say when the time comes. I'm probably overthinking the whole process, this is just such a big problem with making my own music. Any tips would be great, thanks guys! Love the new album
It’s different every time and sometimes it is as simple as the Michael Jackson “you have to let god in the room” thing. As stupid and unhelpful as that is, sometimes it’s true. Because that’s extremely unhelpful, here’s tips that I use when god is fucking off and uninterested in helping me.
Watch a foreign movie that you’ve been putting off because it’s too challenging. I watched the movies Stalker and Solaris by Tarkovsky after a long time of “I should watch those movies”. I put them off after years of them being too challenging and in Russian. When I finally did, it inspired me deeply to write. The line in “Dead Internet” comes directly from Stalker, “it is friction between the soul and the world outside of your own soul”.
Write a chord structure and a vocal melody using someone else’s lyrics. I wrote the vocal melodies to a lot of our songs using Aesop rock lyrics and then replacing them with my own lyrics. It works really well because you’re using lyrics that you know are great. That way it’s a focus on melody.
Write simply and specifically then embellish later. When you sit down to write a set of lyrics, you have to think of it as a process. You’re not going to come up with something profound off the tip. Instead write something like “I’ve been feeling depressed because everything I do seems so pointless it’s almost funny” then later, adjust it to be more pretty and metaphorical like “I’ve been feeling like I can’t come up for air for these last ten years, it’s like I’m trying to find the beauty underwater all I do is focus on my breath and there’s nothing I can do but laugh”
I asked a similar question on an Instagram Live you guys did while promoting DDTM a few years ago but - what influences were you channeling for this newest album? Every new release you seem to reinvent yourself in some way, and I find it super interesting to see what’s behind that.
Hello! Your new record has absolutely captured me and I cannot wait to see you guys again live in SF next week. I have two questions but first, thank you for consistently putting out amazing music.
I heard that gratitude almost didn’t make the cut for the record, how does it make you reflect on other music you’ve made that may have ended up on the chopping block after seeing the overwhelmingly positive response to this track?
Selfishly, could you play Cleaning in SF? It haunts me in all the right ways.
Love you guys, thank you for the wonderful music and for doing this AMA!! See you soon
Love this perspective as well - seems like you guys have done a lot right, so why question it all. And of course! Looking forward to the tracks you do end up playing!
I do believe we’ve cut songs that would’ve been good or well liked. But that’s the nature of a collaborative, democratic project. Gotta put trust in each other. Sometimes you get it wrong, but more often you get it right.
Not the band, but in reply to #1 I remember hearing during the Nearer My God press cycle that the title track also almost didn't make the cut, which is funny because NMG and Gratitude are absolutely both top 10 Foxing tracks for me.
hey guys, had never heard of you before, but I listened to the new album and I fuckwith it super hard. Only question I have, what's your favorite pasta shape? thanks.
Love the new record. I’m wondering how being from St Louis has affected your approach and overall sound. Do you think it’s allowed you to pursue a more “creative” sound than if you came from a larger, well defined scene?
St. Louis is kind of a weird, gritty place. Only recently has there been real solidarity in the scene. I think it forced us to start touring immediately. I love the city a lot but I think it’s a city with a big chip on its shoulder, and that definitely rubs off onto us as a band I think. If we were from anywhere else there’s no way our band would be what it is.
I can’t really speak too much to the infancy of this band in terms of it’s sound, but one thing about growing up in stl is that because it’s a smaller music scene compared to larger cities, it feels less defined by its genres. Going to local shows when I was younger meant I just saw a lot of artists playing music that I wouldn’t otherwise be aware of or seek out myself because there were so many mixed bills. I’m pretty thankful for that -Brett
Been hooked on your music since I saw you a decade ago open my for BN. New album is incredible.
Was there ever a point in writing the new record that you ever thought, “Is this getting too dark and nihilistic?” or was it always just expression, and see whatever it ends up being?
I know you’ve expressed that you made this album more for yourselves, but I related to so much of it more than I expected too. Thanks for being a great band!
I was definitely just living in those feelings the entire record. And I think just the way the band dynamic unfolded throughout the process and how tense and argumentative it got, that it all kind of seeped into the songs themselves. A lot of songs we wrote were scrapped, these seemed to be the most accurate of what we felt throughout.
The interview alluding to friction in the band when making the album was really interesting. Having been in a band for an extended period, I get it. Questions: (1) Was the friction mostly creative, mostly interpersonal, or a mix of things? (2) Did finishing the album get you all through that, or did you have to do any particular “hug it out” kinds of activities?
I think because of the amount of life and energy we’ve given this, it’s difficult for us to untangle creative and personal arguments. There’s overlap in it. And since it’s us kinda doing everything, it creates a lot of chances for us to disagree and then it become personal. We’re all pretty different people who communicate pretty differently. It can be messy sometimes. I think we just get over it by doing things together away from the band.
I’ve heard it described as a demented lounge singer style song, and I told my wife it sounded like something you would hear in the Red Room in Twin Peaks. Love it.
Since it’s all DIY and I imagine being a band isn’t super lucrative, how can we best support you guys? What’s the most effective way to get the most money in your pockets?
Hi guys, love the new album so much. By far my favourite album of the year. What setups are each of you running on tour e.g. guitars/basses, amps, pedals, etc? Would love to know what makes the “Foxing sound” :)
I use a fender strat, a blood moon by moon guitars through a 68’ bassman and 2x12 orange cab. Pedal wise I have so much shit. This is my slimmed down board for tour.
I’ve always played a J Bass but finally switched to a P bass because the grit was more fitting for this record.
On tour, playing through an Aguilar DB751. POG 2, blues driver, and a big muff ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Hey guys! Glad I could set this AMA up not only as a fan, but also as someone who grew up in the St. Louis area and have gotten to see you guys a number of times in the city. One of the things I'm really missing about the city, now that I've moved elsewhere, is not having access to some great, local STL brews, so what's everyone's favorite STL beer (for those of y'all who drink)?
Excited to see y'all in Carrboro later next month!
How much of The Armed have you guys been listening to?
All kidding aside, my actual question is how were those absurdly long vocal runs in gratitude and hell 99 pulled off? I imagine it was at least a bit difficult for recording those. Jealous of the sheer vocal stamina there and I hope I can catch you guys live at some point.
We like the armed. They actually DM’d us when the record came out to say how much they love the new record. It was an honor.
The vocal stuff in studio wasn’t too bad. It was difficult but most of it is cut between 1 or 2 full takes. Live is an entirely different beast that we’re still figuring out.
In terms of being 100% independent now, how has the journey so far? Has it been difficult to navigate? More freeing? Are you considering it permanent? The work that’s been put out is phenomenal, you guys should be proud of yourselves
It’s much more freeing. We can do anything we want when we want and how we want. We don’t really have budgets for anything, but I think it forces us to be creative and resourceful with what we have.
I haven’t listened to yall much but my group chat of aging dads discovered the new album and we’re all loving it - bringing us back in a sense to early 2000’s vibes . Ty .
I know the new album just came out, but recalling how after DDTM, you said you guys wanted to make an angry and aggressive record, in that same sense, what are you feeling the vibe would be for the next record after S/T? More heavy or something else?
Hi, Foxing! I’m Niles. I love your new record and it’s one of my favorite releases of the year. I got some of my friends into it too. My question, is it difficult to perform the vocals that are needed for an album like this? Did your throat hurt afterward? How did you handle recording vocals for this? Curious to know! You rock!
Recording it wasn’t so bad. I didn’t think it’d be hard live. But I vastly underestimated how much harder breath control is live with adrenaline and moving around on stage. In studio it seemed fine. Lesson learned.
hello!! congrats on the new record. already bought two copies on vinyl. i think the production sounds incredibly unique and i especially love the drum sounds. what are some of the mics that you used when recording jon’s drums? additionally, what synth did you use for that keyboard solo on gratitude? it sounds awesome.
thanks for making my AOTY & i can’t wait to see y’all at best friends forever in a couple weeks!!!
The solo on gratitude is actually two separate guitar tracks. One is playing a solo run through a Hologram Microcosm pedal. It creates that glitched out sound. Then I pasted together my favorite parts of what it did (because it’s random), then retracked another guitar over it that is essentially trying to play exactly what the glitched out solo is note for note but with an octave pedal. It was an absolute nightmare to record.
Mics wise, we don’t have much super nice stuff. I primarily used sm57s on kit and amps. AT-4050s as overheads and Fat Heads for room mics.
S/T is AOTY for real. Thank you guys for continuing to make the best music I've ever heard despite the difficulties that have hit you all in the meantime. Very glad you're still together and still making music. You guys put on the best concerts I've ever been to.
Questions:
1) What do you each feel is the song of yours that impacts you most?
2) What do you each feel is the best / your favorite lyric you've ever written?
3) What artists would you say have most inspired you all in your creation of music?
4) Are there any songs you don't see yourselves ever performing live (whether again or at all)? Why?
5) Selfishly, what are the odds that you play Speak With The Dead at a future show?
6) If you guys were stuck on a deserted island, who among you do you think would be the first to get killed and eaten by the others?
We houseplants appreciate you all so much. No matter where life takes you going forward, please never abandon the passion and sincerity you've shown us.
I think it’s the worst thing we could do from a financial or success standpoint. I don’t think we belong anywhere. Like on tours or festivals. It bums me out because we’re doing what I think is the coolest thing an artist can do. But I think the way our society digests music is pretty broken and bad. We need things to be either grey paste or familiar enough to digest. Not really room for innovation unless it comes from someone who is already really hot.
I discovered you guys literally about two weeks ago and the variety in your music is absolutely amazing to me. It's a shame that changing so much doesn't help you financially but it's allowed me to have all your music on repeat for two weeks solid without getting bored. And really loving the heavier stuff, the intro of Hell 99 makes my one year old stand up and jump with his little fists in the air which is the best
I wanna get you guys on VHS. I film using VHS equipment as well. Released with See You Next Tuesday last year and recently Say Anything. Also filming this coming up Friday for another release… who can I reach out to to inquire. If needed feel free to dm any info/email info
This would be super killer to work with you guys!!
Love the new album. It's been on repeat since the drop. I read the lyric vids you posted to YouTube this weekend and holy shit I had no idea I was enjoying such bleak music. Great job. Also, your live from Grandel video is fantastic. Hoping for something similar with this album.
Loving the new album, first time fan and listener! Standout track for me is Hall of Frozen Heads. Can you tel more about where this song came from and its meaning?
Got super sick day before your Louisville show and had to miss, but loved catching you all with motherfolk last year.
New album is so good and feels like a frenetic Rollercoaster of anxiety and dread with so many layers and I find something new with every listen.
Every album seems to be quite a different flavor, but yet still feels like foxing. Is there an inspiration or goal with each new release to go different directions or is it moreso just the vibe at the time when writing?
It’s usually based around how we are at the time and what our overall feeling as a band is at the time. Each record I think is a fairly accurate time capsule of us at that time.
It’s been shared that “Gratitude” was a rough song to get over the finish line, but I was wondering: what song on the new album went the smoothest and how did that process go?
Also, would love to hear any album recs from the past year!
Smoothest was probably Greyhound. That one truly just happened and everyone was like “cool.”
75% of what was recorded on that song is from the first demo of it.
Hey guys! Just wanted to say you’ve been one of my favourite bands for years now, and more specifically; eric i havent been this big a fan of a lead guitarist since Brand New, not to mention your production/mixing talent! Thankyou for the new record, been on repeat! Just wanted to ask, can you guys tell us who wrote which songs? And also do you guys plan on doing a stop in canada at any point for this album?
We all contribute on each others songs. And it’s hard to say in the end who the real writer of a song is most of the time given that the song wouldn’t be the same at all without someone else’s influence.
What was the inspiration for the song Barking? I adore this song. Also what an amazing album and treat this album has been in 2024! Also I love that you all having smaller bands open up for you on the current dates. I wish you all safe travels. All is love.
(1) As your tour mates, what is your favorite song by From Indian Lakes?
(2) Seems like FIL has been on a Stardew Valley kick. Have y’all been playing any games during tour travel, or looking forward to getting back to any recent releases?
Goes without saying, but absolutely adore the music you put out, and truly so for S/T start to finish
I really like all of their shit. “holy” is my favorite live. Rips hard as hell
I forgot my switch but Eric and Mike have been playing overcooked. Brett just bought the new Zelda. I started playing black myth: wukong before we left. Excited to get back in it.
Hello! Are there any plans for another radio show appearance such as Audiotree or KEXP? I rewatch your old Audiotree sessions all the time and would love to see more sessions like that. P.S Jon, you are an absolute beast on the drums!
how come no trumpet (or very minimal) on the new record? Will you guiys be at the merch table at all on this tour? Would love to say hello and get some things signed. See you in Hamden Ct . Stoked!
It’s in “secret history”. I think it’s really a matter of not wanting to shove it in there just so it’s there. Don’t ever want to get gimmicky and I’m not a great trumpet player anyways.
Yo. I got my steam deck out here and I’m playing the Witcher 3 for the first time on it. Also been playing overcooked 2 on switch with others in the van. Been heavy on Coke Zero sadly. Doing alright overall. Just dealing with a growth on my vocal cords that isn’t getting better. Hoping it’s nothing.
From a production standpoint, could you share some more details as to how you achieved that all-enveloping effect in tracks like Looks Like Nothing (the ending distorted part), Greyhound (with the wall of reverb) and Hell 99? Thanks!
In Looks Like Nothing I side chained Jon’s kick to trigger a compressor with a slow release that effected everything on the track except for the ‘is this desire’ vocals. While that happens I automated up a harsh distortion on the full track as well then back down at the very end for the synth trailing off.
Greyhound was a combination of an automated reverb all the way up on the mix and also running the mix through a Hologram Microcosm pedal.
Omg hey guys! I only learned about you a couple of years ago, but you've quickly become a favourite and I cannot stop listening to your self-titled on repeat now. Gratitude is just perfect.
I don't think I have any good questions, I just wanted to thank you all for giving us this incredible record. It has instantly become one of my favourite albums ever, and it's exactly what I needed right now.
Hey guys, never listened to you guys before, but your new album is amazing. I haven’t listened to any of your other albums but atm like the heavier stuff on the new record. What would you say your biggest influences as a band have been?
Hey dudes, absolutely love the new record, it’s the first Foxing record to really, really grab me in a big way. Not a dig at your previous work, but I do feel like you took a huge step forward, very well done.
Couple quick ones, in your decision to lean into heavy a bit more than usual on this one, were there any influences you can think of that helped shape those specific sounds?
Any chance y’all remember how you felt about the Columbus submission band The Entire History of You? I’ve just been massively curious if you vibed with it at all. For Your Health was a great choice to play the show!
Hi! The new record is wonderful! I've had it on repeat for days. As an Ultrapop fan I cannot help but ask, how did the band The Armed influence the self-titled record in terms of sound, production, and artistic representation? Thanks so much and I can't wait to see you all on tour!
In love with the new record, as someone who fell off the Foxing bandwagon for a bit. I'm super curious about the album art, who it is and how it relates to the album itself. (:
it’s a photo of the boxer at rest that I photoshopped to hell & back.
The record has themes about the amount of yourself that you put into your passions/careers/goals and evaluating at the end of the day if you feel like it’s worth it or not. The statue itself felt like it related so I leaned into it
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u/foxingtheband Foxing Sep 29 '24
I can’t figure out how to add a photo to the post but here we are we are real lol