Fake Fake
Canadian r&b duo Fake Fake revealed their debut single “Goodnightmare” on May 10th.
Formed by Justin Campbell (lead vocals) and Leith Hynds (producer & instrumentalist), the self-produced debut single is an ode to the friendships and romances where you find yourself deeply relying on someone else.
Influenced by various musical genres such as r&b, soul, funk, electronic and math rock, Campbell and Hynds are combining their strengths to create an original and notable sound.
“Goodnightmare” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Blair Hansen Photography
Introduce yourselves - where are you from?
We're are Justin & Leith, an R&B duo based in Victoria (BC) Canada ("The City of Flowers").
What's the band's story? How did you meet?
We had known one another through social media for a few years before meeting in the physical world, which seems to be a common experience for people across local music scenes haha. The projects we used to play in booked a show together in the Summer of 2018 and we casually hung out to discuss music a few months later. We come from pretty different musical backgrounds but soon discovered that we not only wanted to make the same kind of music, but that we both needed the other's talents to do so. Soon after, our respective projects started to dissipate and we decided to roll with it. Fake Fake was born!
At what point did you realize you had to form a band?
When I realized that Leith (producer & instrumentalist) and I were both effectively the mothers of each past project we were in, and that two band moms would make for a pretty productive and driven partnership! I was trying to play hard to get and told him I wasn't into having two projects on the go at first, but I think we both saw through that haha.
How would you describe Fake Fake, artistically?
The plan from day one was to very intently create music as a duo, and lean into that aesthetically and creatively. We both felt very confident in our personal writing abilities and saw the potential for where those abilities could cross over. We have a pretty wide range of shared influences across R&B, soul, funk, electronic, and heavier genres like post-hardcore and math rock as well, so artistically the project has been unfolding pretty naturally with a strong R&B/ soul influence with our sensibilities for the energy of heavier music. If one of us doesn't have a clear idea of where a song idea should go, usually the other does, and we've been loving the result.
"Goodnightmare” is your debut single. How does it feel like to release music as a band?
It feels a bit surreal! We're no strangers to releasing music, but this project has been a very intensive effort for the two of us over the past 6 months so it feels a bit strange to have a release in our midst when it feels like we only just met haha. Let alone, have the song and our live show be so well received right away.
What's the story behind the single?
'Goodnightmare' is an ode to the friendships and romances where you find yourself deeply relying on someone else. How that dependency is a freeing and also paralyzing place to find yourself in. There are some very personal elements to it, but also a wider commentary on that idea of dependency. Lines like "talk me out of all these bad cliches" and "all of us need a crutch for a lover" really speak to that on a personal and societal level.
Could you describe us the songwriting/production process for "Goodnightmare"?
The track was produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Leith, with the two of us assisting certain aspects. We had talked about outsourcing parts of the mixing and mastering process but when it came time, it felt right to self produce and have our debut single really reflect ourselves and our personal stake in creating this track. We also self-produced the visuals for 'Goodnightmare'.
What do you like the most about this song?
My favourite aspect of the track is its dynamic push and pull sonically and lyrically. I think that aspect of being in love with and terrified of dependency really comes across in the production and lyrics.
What made you want to release "Goodnightmare" as your debut single?
'Goodnightmare' had so many unintentional, almost cliche, single elements even in it's early demo stages, that we consistently joked about having no other choice but to release it as our first single! Aspects like a short intro, a lot of chorus repetition, 3 minute 30 second track length, and shorter second verse, are all universal checklists for a single, and 'Goodnightmare' had all those elements without us even being aware until it was practically finished. It's a bit of a parody of itself in that way haha.
What can you tell us about the artwork and visuals for this single?
The artwork and visuals were produced by the two of us with Leith taking lead on design and editing. This song was very much a personal endeavour for us.
What do you want to accomplish as a band?
My main goal has always been to create a sustainable music career, where I can create what I want to create and make it accessible to those who might connect with it in some way. That's what keeps me creating despite the current social/ political landscapes and various factors that make artistic expression difficult for any artist.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
I think a greater appreciation for diversity is what would, and is, making the world a better place. And certainly in music. There are so many more people not only feeling greater freedom to express their individuality and differences, but actually thriving in that expression and being celebrated for it.
What biggest lessons have you learnt as human beings?
Embrace the cliches in life and continually surround yourself with the people, places, food, dumb jokes and whatever else it is that you love.
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