Fountaineer
“Still Life”
Greater City, Greater Love
This band from Bendigo, Australia, has just dropped a new single, which is one of the most interesting and hard hitting so far this year. “Still Life” sounds like it could be taken from the Joy Division catalog with vocals even more withdrawn than Ian Curtis’, which is part of what makes this band so interesting. Fountaineer is made up of Francis White (drums), Anthony White (lead vocals/guitar), Kieran Daly (guitar), and Brendan Smith (keyboards). According to the band, “Still Life”:
“is about small minds and small towns. It’s a comment on the apathy and indifference of friends and acquaintances; about people content watching life slip by, and about us reaching for something bigger than what seems to be on offer. It captures the restlessness many people feel living in a small place. We referenced Johnny Cash’s American albums when producing the track; aiming for an unsettling soundscape which spoke of hurt as well as hope and redemption. We also listened to Pheonix’s Wolfgang Amadeus album for some ideas.”
All I know is, Fountaineer has captured something of the isolation and despair that all of us feel, especially in a small towns with no escape. So many of us focus inside ourselves; Fountaineer has set that isolation to music. This is, for me, what made Joy Division so great, and what really makes Fountaineer the band to watch.