Swim aside, Baby Shark – there’s a new fish in town creating catchy, irresistible music called Fake Shark. The self-proclaimed “freaky indie pop band” have made a splash over the years with hits like “Save Me” and “Cheap Thrills,” racking in over 4 million streams and 2 million views on YouTube. All numbers aside, Fake Shark’s music has made notable inclusion on Spotify playlists like Indie All Stars, It’s a Bop, and Fresh Finds; been featured in Apple commercials and Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts; and has helped set the mood in popular shows like Catfish, Love Island, and Pretty Little Things. With praise from coveted outlets like Billboard and EARMILK, Fake Shark is not going to flounder any time soon. Each release sets them up for more success and recognition, which we are sure to find with their new album Afterglow. Before heading out on tour with fellow alt-rock band Hotel Mira, Kevin or “Kevvy” from Fark Shark took the time to chat about Afterglow and what to expect on the tour.
Hey there! Thanks for taking time out of your day to talk and answer these questions. How has 2024 been treating you so far?
It’s been full! We’re preparing for this big tour with Hotel Mira, and I’ve been writing songs with them too. This is gonna be a very special tour because it’s all friends. In Vancouver, a new artist named Holy Felix will be opening, which is really exciting because Mike from Mira and I produced his album. For one night only, a group of friends takes over the legendary commodore ballroom in Vancouver.
So, you’re excited to hit the road with them?
I am. We’re close. I run a comedy label called Comedy Here Often, and Mike from Mira works on projects there with me.
What can fans expect at these shows?
A machine gun set list full of tricks and treats.
Congratulations on your new album Afterglow! Each track offers something different, whether it’s lyrically, musically, emotionally… Do you have any personal favorites?
I love the whole record; it was cool to have my friend Densil from The OBGMs sing on “Kinda Like It” and Rizz from VOWWS sing on “Middle of the Night” because I’m obsessed with both their bands, and they’re such great people. Listen to their bands.
For this album, you approached the writing and recording process a little differently. Instead of getting together after the songs were written and going into a studio, you rented a waterfront mansion (no big deal) and went into it fresh without any material. What were some pros and cons of this process? Would you do it again?
Hell yeah, I would! I wouldn’t say there were any cons at all; we are really lucky our amazing record label let us do that. Pressure was on meter, write the lyrics for a one song a day situation. I do like that kind of pressure.
I read about the one song a day thing, so how long did it take to make the album from start to finish?
We didn’t write the entire record there, just four songs, and two of them made it onto the album – “Bummer Summer” and “Want Me.” The rest of the album was written here for about a year and a half. I actually wrote and finished the lyrics for a lot of the songs when I went backpacking by myself in Vietnam. There’s an area called the Old Quarter, which is really hectic, and there’s no traffic laws and police. That’s where I finished the lyrics to “Exactly What I Thought You Were,” “Fake Friends,” and “So Strange.”
Do you remember the first song written? The last?
First song was “Bummer Summer” and the last was “Fake Friends.”
The interludes work really well and give listeners a chance to regroup. What kinds of feelings are you capturing on them, or what are you trying to make listeners think about?
Those are a reference to Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys and “Porno Creep” by Korn. Just vibey tracks to break up the monotony of songs with lyrics and singing. I also started learning to scratch this year, and that’s the first time I recorded it!
Overall, there are a lot of genres and sounds going on in the album – were you influenced by any songs or artists in particular?
Listened to a lot of Sir Chloe, Placebo, and Wet Leg during the writing. I was in a Japanese airport and heard Sir Chloe playing in a restaurant and fell in love with their stuff.
There are times when it feels like you’re calling out specific people on the album – if so, do these people know you made songs about them?
I’m comfortable with them knowing the songs are about them as I’m comfortable saying these things to their face if I ever see them again.
The album title captures the concept of going through a hard time and making it out, which is what the project is about. Did you have this title in mind in the beginning or did it come somewhere in the middle of making the album, after…?
That’s exactly right. We lost people whilst making this record. It was painful. I came up with it once I got the masters.
Overall, how does 2024 look for Fake Shark?
Busy. We’re gluttons and we want more.
Thank you again for your time. Do you have any final thoughts or comments?
We just want to thank all your readers for realizing through the reading of this article that they now love us, but now we must hit the road. Come to a show and say hi!
You can listen to Afterglow on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
Grab tickets to see Fake Shark on tour with Hotel Mira here.
Keep up with Fake Shark: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // TikTok // YouTube // Website
