FOES are set to release their debut album The Summit Lies Skyward via Basick Records on 7th October. The band’s ability to make complex ideas accessible and create hooks out of the unexpected has been further refined on this release. Big riffs and intelligent rhythmic arrangements are present but unimposing, providing an intricate base for the atmospheric backdrop and emotive vocals at the forefront. From the opening intricate guitar work in The Choir Invisible to the metallic stomp on Young Sovereign and the infectious chorus in Sworn Host, The Summit Lies Skyward has huge musical diversity, yet somehow FOES unify these extremes into a sound that is completely unique to themselves. You can listen to Young Sovereign from the upcoming debut album below.
We managed to catch up with FOES about the recent single, the upcoming debut album, fans and more!
How has the release of Young Sovereign gone?
The release has gone really well thanks! When we wrote it we thought it was probably a track we’d put out in the run up to the album being released, as I guess it’s more of a traditional single (which isn’t the most natural thing for us to write) so releasing it after Beautiful Fiction and The Everest seemed like a logical step for us.
How proud are you of the release of The Summit Lies Skyward next month?
I think I speak for all four of us when I say we couldn’t be prouder of this record. It’s been a long time coming for me personally, as I’ve never had the opportunity to write and record an album before, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. I think it shows a wide spectrum of what you get musically with FOES, from our heaviest through to our most delicate moments – and from a lyrical perspective, I am immensely proud of the record too. The others in the band have always been particularly trusting when it comes to letting me write the lyrics, and I hope the honesty and relation to the songs themselves comes through.
Is this any different to any of your other releases?
It’s been a hugely different process to how our other releases came about. We’ve done 2 EP’s previously, the first was us definitely finding our feet with each other as we’d only been together a matter of months, and the second we pushed more towards the sound we have now. But both those records were just a collection of songs we’d happened to have written at the time, with a loose theme connecting them. The Summit Lies Skyward has been carefully put together so that it all connects. We wanted something that flowed musically, lyrically and thematically – and hopefully we’ve achieved that!
Will there be a tour for the release?
We’ll be touring the album towards the end of October – and we can’t wait! Gigging has always been a particular favourite for us as a band, and we’re heading out with the brilliant Siamese from Denmark. It’s going to be a lot of fun playing the new album tracks live!
How much does your fans mean to you guys?
It means the world to us that people connect to what we’re doing and travel to support us – it’s a real reminder of why we’re doing FOES. I think if it wasn’t for the fans we have, there wouldn’t be much point continuing to be honest – the people we’ve met along the way in the last three years have been the fuel that keeps us going.
You’ve been about for three years now, what has been your best moment to date?
A real highlight was this summer and closing the PX3 stage at ArcTanGent. It’s such a great festival and we were so shocked to see so many people come see us – especially as American Football we’re headlining at the same time. It was so rewarding to see people singing along, and having the chance to play to so many new faces. That’ll stick with us for long time I’m sure!
If you could tour with any band/artist or work with them, who would it be and why?
If we could tour with anyone, I think it would have to be Karnivool. They’ve been such a huge influence on us collectively that it would be rude to pick anyone else, and there live show is second to none, so watching them every night would be class. It would be so difficult to pick just one band to work with, but seeing as my love for The Seldom Seen Kid has been re-ignited of late, at the moment I’d go with Elbow. Lyrically, Guy Garvey is the man, and I don’t think many bands out there can arrange a song as well as them. I think working with them would be such a contrast in terms of our music, it would make it a lot of fun.