Words: Dana Kats / @danakats13
As the world is slowly healing, gigs as we knew them are almost within arm’s reach, and we are all rushing to get back to “normal life”. Adding on to the air of positivity and limitless potential that appears to be surrounding all of us despite this awful weather we are currently having (what summer?), FUR have returned with a bang and many more announcements!
Following their signing to boy pablo’s label ‘777 Music’, FUR have recently released the single ‘The Fine Line of a Quiet Life’. Before you get ready to make this your coming-out-of-the-pandemic anthem, FUR have yet another surprise. It is the upcoming announcement of their debut album – dates to be released soon! I know right?! What a treat – FUR have brought with them the energy we have all been craving for after more than a year in quarantine.
‘The Fine Line of a Quiet Life’ is a song which lyrically combines all the sentiments of falling into hardships and growing from it whilst musically maintaining the infectiously upbeat atmosphere FUR have always spoilt us with. A true tribute to growing, outgrowing, and adapting to heartbreak – who knew self-reflection could sound so good?
Although we cannot offer you the date of their album release yet – we have the next best thing. We were lucky enough to have FUR answer some of our questions about their latest release, live shows and their upcoming album.
For optimum pleasure go stream ‘The Fine Line of a Quiet Life’ now whilst you read the interview below.
I promise you’ll love it.
Pre-pandemic you have always spoilt us with your incredibly energetic live shows. Does this single express your eagerness to play live again? Do you think it is a reflection of your feelings as artists emerging from the pandemic?
Yeah, the main inspiration for the sound was Lou Reed’s ‘Hangin’ ‘Round’ – I would always play it in the car when going somewhere and it just felt like such a good driving song. I wanted ‘The Fine Line of a Quiet Life’ to be one of those ‘turn it up to 11’ types. I guess that goes hand-in-hand with the same feeling of playing it or watching it live.
Do you have any live shows planned for the summer?
We are going out to Norway in August to meet the label and hang out at the studio that the boy pablo boys have there. We’ll play a few shows and just soak up being in a new country. Will be so nice to travel again after so long!
There is a major contrast between the hopefulness of your music and the themes you explore lyrically. Were these coming-of-age songs for you? How would you describe the process of writing them?
I think they came from reflection and having just passed that coming-of-age stage in our lives. They’re for us but also for people who are going through it and might resonate with them despite not knowing exactly how it all feels yet.
What inspirations have you drawn on to come up with this release? What are your biggest inspirations when making music together?
I listened to a lot of records from my teens during lockdown; from Arctic Monkeys to The Strokes, The Vaccines to The Small Faces. These didn’t all have strong influence on the sound but more so lyrically and also what they meant to me. Josh’s songs all resonate with me a huge deal and I think them being songs I wish I’d written and us working on arrangements together during lockdowns has really made them feel like ‘our’ own.
Would you describe this pandemic as a journey of self exploration for you? Both musically and lyrically, and even personally?
I’d have to say yes I think the mixtape was a really key thing for us. It allowed us to feel like we could make whatever we wanted in whatever way we wanted. It got some ideas out of the way but also notched up the FUR sound to a point where the album seems like a natural progression. Personally I didn’t do too much ‘exploration’ but I realised I do love (and am really good at!) sitting on the sofa doing nothing for days on end.
Should we expect a similar mood for your upcoming album? Would you be exploring similar themes to this release? Should your listeners expect any surprises in your upcoming LP?
I think the album has a great pace. The track listing is done in a way that feels like a journey; emotional ups and downs and as a whole it feels really like a really complete selection of songs. There’s maybe one or two surprises but nothing that doesn’t sound like us.
Tell us a bit about 777 MUSIC. How did you end up signing and collaborating with the Norwegian label?
We were aware of them through them being boy pablo’s label and they had expressed interest. They have the most amazing personnel and really strive to achieve artists’ visions and help them be super hands-on with the whole process. They really are the perfect label for us – it shouldn’t be about the big name labels, it should be about who the people are and whether they offer what’s right for you and ‘do they care about you?’.
What are FUR’s plans for the rest of 2021?
We have new music coming out soon along with other things to announce, a tour across the UK and a bit of Europe with boy pablo in September and a headline tour across the UK in November.