What are your names?
Justin Campbell & Charlotte Hynds
What is the band’s name?
Fake Fake
How did you come up with the band’s names?
As with every band ever, we had a list of potential names with one of them originating from an obscure song by an obscure band, which made us initially think “Well this is definitely already a band name that is out there”. Apparently, it wasn’t, and the name stuck for a number of personal and aesthetic reasons. I think everyone, especially those in music and entertainment can relate to faking a portion of their life for their work or vice versa, and we liked the idea of embracing being “fake” to the point of finding something real.
What is your genre of music?
Sub genres get pretty whacky these days, so we consider ourselves R&B/ Soul with whatever else people feel like adding for themselves.
Give us a little bio about you.
With a love affair for artists that meet their audience beyond slick production and hooks alone, reaching out is R&B duo Fake Fake. An array of influences between them, Victoria (Canada) based artists Charlotte Hynds and Justin Campbell made their genre-bending debut in May 2019 with single “Goodnightmare”: quickly landing the duo an international audience in the tens of thousands, and performance spots with a variety of established acts. Their tender sophomore single “Pretty Black Balloons” was released October 7th 2019.
What made you go into music?
Sometimes I don’t even really know haha. We’ve both been making music in a variety of genres for so long that it almost feels like it didn’t start anywhere in particular. For me (Justin – Vocals) it was definitely dancing to music videos as a kid in the early 2000’s and being so enamoured with everything about the groups I was seeing and the feeling of connecting with that music in so many ways.
Are you a signed?
We are unsigned.
You released your new single ‘Pretty Black Balloons’, tell us more about the single.
“Pretty Black Balloons” is bit of a contrast to our first single. We wanted to introduce the tender, more cinematic side of our song writing. The song’s track length is just 2 minutes and 20 seconds, so we’re really leaving no pause and letting nothing repeat, which we hope prompts listeners to revisit each second on their own terms instead of being guided through a more classic verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure.
What is the meaning behind the single?
Ultimately “Pretty Black Balloons” is a bit of a short story of someone struggling with life changes but also finding acceptance. Like a short story, everything that is purposefully left out has equal importance to what is kept in. We wanted it to possess those key elements that make listeners crave revisiting a song and engaging with the sounds and lyrics more intimately after the first listen. The same way we often return as listeners to a certain hook, tone, or one-time sound that is never repeated again in the same way throughout some of our favourite pieces
Describe the track in two words.
Dark n’ tender
What was the writing process like?
The vocal idea that initially inspired ”PBB” was only ever a single verse and chorus, and stayed in that format for a long time. When we started approaching the song as a duo and began to expand and lengthen parts, it never quite held the same magic of that first demo. The lyrical content is heavily steeped in themes of self-discovery and acceptance, so it felt right completing the song using that initial form and feel.
What was the recording process like?
All produced, recorded, mixed and mastered in Charlotte’s room. DIY baby!
You also released a video, tell us more about the making and creating process.
We didn’t want to be too on the nose with the visuals, but the title “Pretty Black Balloons” always had such a strong visual for us so we wanted to keep it simple and not lose that image to different visuals. We’ve yet to do a full length video, but like how the grainy camcorder style visuals fit the song’s feel and pacing.
Will we see a EP or Album this year, if so what can we expect?
We have another single on the way soon. Expect to dance and cry at the same time.
Do you have any shows coming up?
November 6th at Vinyl Envy Records in Victoria, Canada
December 17th at Fox Cabaret in Vancouver, Canada
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
Always! We’re a pretty new project so have been primarily focused on our first few releases and getting our content to those who might feel what we’ve been doing, but we are very excited to collaborate with other artists in the future.
Do you play any instruments?
Collectively we play keys, drums, guitar, vocals, and talk box
Who are your influences?
We’re influenced by a tonne of different artists across genres and generations. It always boils down to good song writing and pop sensibilities with a deeper purpose. Among others, Tears For Fears and Blood Orange really have that nailed I think. Really catchy and melody driven writing but with deep lyricism and imagery that goes beyond most mainstream music.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
We both let inspiration come and go when it’s right. Sometimes it’s inner thoughts, sometimes relationships and experiences, and sometimes a character that represents all of those.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Doing this project full time!
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
Endlessly searching for the best food, cocktails, films, and memes.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Believe in what you’re doing, but also know your worth and where that can take you. Everyone is releasing amazing music independently but knowing that you have good content is only part of the equation. It’s taking that content and bringing it to the right people. That took a longer time to learn as an artist than you’d think!
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
The Butterfly Gardens. It’s this weird jungle oasis in the middle of nowhere with all kinds of tropical animals and butterflies.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? Home if I don’t get FOMO and end up at another show.
2/ Who do you see first? My partner and house plants. Maybe just the house plants…
3/What do you eat first? Fake Fake’s signature homemade pasta
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Earplugs, the band’s stage presence, their cover choice, what weird merch they might have, the drink features.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Youtube
