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The lights of the city come on one by one, forging their defences against the encroaching darkness. There’s a killer on the loose tonight, but it’s no werewolf – this time, what you fear is human. It might even be you.
To a band that studies the sinister side of human experience, the twilight, that moment of suspension between light and dark, holds endless fascination. Singer, songwriter, and founding member of Faker, Nathan Hudson, admits that it’s always been one of his nightmares. “I’ve had a fear of twilight ever since I was a kid,” he says. “Anything could happen.”
There comes a time when fears must be faced, sacrifices made, choices stated, hands forced. And for Hudson, that’s what the new record addresses. “The last record was caught in a place of nostalgia… essentially this record is about change – and making it happen.”
“Six to nine months before we made the record we had to figure out how to communicate again,” says Hudson. This was the moment of departure of Phil Downing on guitar, a close friend of Nathan’s who left to pursue other projects. With the tighter team of Hudson, Nic Munnings on bass, Paul Berryman on drums, and Stefan Gregory on guitar, Faker is closing in on its vision like a serial killer.
“The arrangements are more stripped back because we’re playing as a four piece and centralising one guitar,” he says. “Simplifying the roles allowed us to take more creative leaps in other ways.” And it has certainly allowed the band to face their demons.
Single, This Heart Attack, with its precarious intensity, (“I’m about to flat-line”) is a song about escaping dangerous situations – “acknowledging that your head’s about to explode,” as Hudson puts it. And then there’s Sleepwalking, a habit for which Hudson is infamous. This track is about “being on autopilot, feeling like you’re not in control… fighting relationships that don’t evolve.”
Faker have learned that once their fears are faced, the possibilities are endless – which is why, perhaps, BE THE TWILIGHT comes across as such a decisive statement. For all its fascination with the dark side of the human psyche, this record has a maturity and cohesiveness that are rare in the hedonistic world of rock n roll.
BE THE TWILIGHT is produced by Paul Fox, who has recorded such diverse bands as The Sugarcubes and They Might Be Giants. Hudson describes him as “a great equaliser” who facilitated the band’s vision rather than imposing his own. Fox has captured the essence of the Faker live experience, which often teeters on the brink of chaos. “Paul made a point of tracking everything as live as possible and you can feel that energy of the whole band interacting.”
Mixed by Mark Needham and engineered by Curt Schneider, the magic took place in Curt’s Garage in the heart of Los Angeles – an intense experience. “The studio itself is relatively small – it’s strange to be surrounded by a city where everything’s so huge and to be in a tiny box. But it kept the record intimate and kept us all close,” he says.
“We came over here with the idea of embracing a Barton Fink, film noir thing – this city has so much potential for destruction, things going wrong – or even right sometimes,” he adds wryly.
“The city has aspects of something bubbling under the surface, or something masked – and I think we landed on the good side of it.”
If the dark side has a good side, BE THE TWILIGHT is the soundtrack to finding it.
FAKER - BE THE TWILIGHT ALBUM TOUR
Sydney purveyors of melancholic pop rock FAKER are about to hit the road to celebrate the forthcoming release of their sophomore album BE THE TWILIGHT featuring the brand spanking new single This Heart Attack. With BE THE TWILIGHT set for release on November 17, FAKER will embark on their national album tour upon the release of the record.
FAKER say that something happens in the turning of day to night when things get lost and found in the light and on BE THE TWILIGHT, the band captures that fleeting time of day with a dynamic sound all of their own – eclectic chaotic danceability paired with a modern complexity. Frontman Nathan Hudson admits, “I’ve had a fear of twilight ever since I was a kid. Anything could happen.” And anything indeed could happen when FAKER take to the stage. Known for their energetic and enthralling live performances lead by wild on stage antics from Hudson, FAKER’s BE THE TWILIGHT, tour is not to be missed.
Presented by triple j, FAKER are psyched to announce their touring companions on the BE THE TWILIGHT, album tour will be Children Collide and E.L.F.
Melbourne’s Children Collide join the BE THE TWILIGHT, tour for their final live outing before they head indoors this Summer to record their debut album, due for release in the new year. Described as indescribable, Children Collide’s music is an edgy obscure form of rock and their high energy live sets are guaranteed to get audiences moving.
While E.L.F otherwise known as the new solo laptronic indie dance band from gerling’s Darren Cross will see this lone gent use laptop based samples as well as live vocals and mash-ups to bring an inspired, multi-layered party E.L.F. On the BE THE TWILIGHT, tour, punters will be treated to a double dose from E.L.F when Darren performs a live set to kick the night off as well as a DJ set to gear everyone up for the main event, FAKER!
