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Interviews

Fan Girl are killing it, and their latest single Talk says it all

They’ve just released a new single Talk and their music video for the track absolutely killed it; we sat down with Melbourne band Fan Girl to chat through the ridiculous clip, what it was like touring with Catfish and The Bottlemen, and who they themselves would fan girl for.

We chat to Melbourne indie rockers Fan Girl about their ridiculous video for new single Talk, playing with Catfish and The Bottleman and The Vines, and who they would fan girl for.

Talk is said to be about ‘careless people’, but when I probed deeper for the story the boys were pretty good mates in saving that tale for another time “Oh boy, there sure is. There always is. Noah is a bit of a diva, and might get upset if we divulge though. So we might have to keep our lips sealed.”

So how did these guys meet and what’s the story behind Fan Girl? “The formation of this band, from the birth of the concept and music with Jack & Vince, to the awkward online courting of Noah, and the fruitful initial writing sessions, to the full live unit today, is super tedious and really boring.

Cold and calculated and lacking any romantic narrative (but we are grossly close friends now so it’s totally alright). So let’s just say we all met at the premiere screening of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2?”

And already they’ve been hit with some massive opportunities supporting acts from Catfish and The Bottleman and The Vines – huge bands for a group still so young. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to get the details on how these shows came about.

“We have had the pleasure of playing with some insanely awesome acts, and couldn’t have really asked for a better start to the band’s career. Playing the Enmore Theatre in Sydney with Catfish and The Bottlemen was totally surreal and amazing, such a well oiled and considered unit, and such an incredibly receptive and supportive audience. Supporting The Vines was a very real childhood dream come true, an honour to play alongside them, and to witness how generous Craig and the band were with their time, hanging out, chatting, taking pictures and signing autographs for hours after the show. Sharing the stage with Ecca Vandal seriously makes you question your own ability. One of the best in the business, and a total powerhouse. It’s been a real privilege to play with such brilliant acts, to a bunch of potential new fans and to be greeted with such warmth and love.”

The video for Talk is packed full of fun with a daring narrative, but there are plenty of turns that you just don’t expect, I was keen to get in the head of the band when they were coming up with the concept.

“It was super enjoyable to make! All of the crowd extras in the video were dear friends of ours, so it was a pretty hilarious set. We wanted to make a video that showcased some of the ridiculousness of our live show, but we also really wanted to turn that basic rock and roll video thing on its head.

So we thought, what better way to defuse any cliche rock tropes than to go nuts and play to an incredibly apathetic, uninterested and bored crowd. Then, in true Fan Girl style, we went all out in terms of absolute silliness and thought, ‘what if we get shown up by a bunch of kids at the end’. Definitely the most fun we have ever had on a video set.”

But has that ever happened before? Any up and coming act will attest to the fact that a lot of the time the crowd can be pretty thin on the ground, and not everyone is going to love it. “We’ve been super lucky in Fan Girl, we haven’t really played a show where the crowd hasn’t been incredibly supportive and responsive (touch wood).

We all have our own horror stories from other bands past and present though, playing train-wreck gigs to empty rooms, gear breakdowns (and mental breakdowns) galore. It’s character building at its most public.”

But in the clip the evening is in fact saved by a bunch of children. Who were they are how did Fan Girl manage to convince their parents it was ok?

They were legitimately the best bunch of people we have ever worked with! Super talented, super fun kids. They are all from Kensington, Melbourne, and call themselves ‘Kool Skool’. They are totally going places, setting the Nu-Grass scene (Bluegrass x Nu-Metal) alight. Expect a Kool Skool x FG collab record next year.”

So living in Melbourne they have a seriously huge amount of talent around them and no shortage of inspiration. The boys revealed who they are digging at the moment in the local scene and what they value the most writing and recording in their city.

“Press Club, Ecca Vandal and Arbes. All champions in their field. In no particular order, while recording we value: good food, cigarette breaks, having fun, watching Vince constantly fuck up, being honest with each other, leaving personal egos aside, ramen, banh mi, Vince’s dog ‘Bowie’, and being able to do what we want.”

So who would Fan Girl fan girl for?

Krish: Kevin Parker.
Luke: Johann Ponniah.
Dom: Tom Hanks.
Vince: John Safran or Lianne La Havas.
Jack: My mum, and God.
Noah: Sofia Coppola.

So if you’re not already intrigued we suggest you head over to check out Fan Girl and what they are sure to bring in the coming months. With word of an album in the pipeline, this is not the last you’ve seen of them.