Fake Lips is the latest band to hit the Scottish music scene by storm with the release of their debut single, ‘Fame Whore’. The new project creates a mix of rock, punk and indie all rolled into one created by none other than the musical talents of Gary Mclean (vocals and guitar) and Michael Cameron (drums) previously known as members in Blues/ Rock band, Palmiros.
When asked about the rebranding phase of the project, Michael stated that ‘after five years of Palmiros, we’d cut our teeth doing everything the hard way, and it was time to move on creatively and as people. None of the old songs suited the two-piece format we are aiming for with Fake Lips. We came up with a new name relatively easily, it’s catchy but also holds connotations of the post-truth era we seem to live in currently, Fake Lips sounds like Fake News, but also references the false instagram image that we all cultivate and present to the world. The music is designed to be honest and gritty, whilst still trying to create something enjoyable and fun.’
‘Fame Whore’ is due to be released next week on all major platforms was recorded and mixed in Rocket Science Studios of Glasgow’s West End by Ross Hamilton. Previous clients of Ross’ include: Seafret, SAINT PHNX, Dredd (Movie Soundtrack), Belle and Sebastian, Texas, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain! When asked why ‘Fame Whore’ was picked specifically as their debut release, Michael expressed that, ‘from the inception of the idea of Fake Lips, it’s been about 18 months of rehearsal, recording and songwriting to get to this point. I admit I’ve held onto this for longer than I would have liked to, but working full time day jobs, and funding everything ourselves, it’s been a long journey to be able to work with the right people, and be fully happy with what we’re putting out. Fame Whore was ready first, and serves as a strong introduction of intent, we plan to meet the industry head on and look forward to building momentum as we go.’
‘Fame Whore‘ instantly reels listeners in with the quirky guitar hooks and rapid drum beats followed by the quick introduction of Gary’s strong soulful vocals. His voice creates a sense of familiarity that would usually be found in a more indie styled song … bands such as The Fratellis and Kaiser Chiefs come to mind when I hear Gary’s voice yet Fake Lips’ style couldn’t be more different. The band embrace an element of rock music that we aren’t used to hearing in the modern day music scene emphasising the uniqueness Fake Lips have which inevitably leaves us wanting more. It shows not only the creativity within the band but also brings sheer excitement to listeners while they wait in anticipation to see what else the band have planned.
The song itself intrigued me to know more about the band’s songwriting techniques… is it something that comes naturally to Michael and Gary as musicians or do they have a particular process? ‘I tend to write all the songs myself at home, then bring them in to Mike and watch them evolve, but there are a couple songs we do that I just started playing some random chords in rehearsals and Mike joined in and we created them there and then. I definitely go through phases where I am writing a song near enough everyday, but then I can go months without writing anything. I try not to chase them, cause they tend to end up being utter shit!!‘, Gary confirms.
If you’ve read any of my previous articles then you’ll know my love for lyrics. In ‘Fame Whore‘, there are a particular wave of lyrics that stand out for me: ‘You wanna go my way, gonna bring you back down to earth and that’s where you’ll stay’ when asked about the influence behind the song, Gary explains that, ‘it’s really just a fictional story about someone who has a big ego and wants to be the centre of attention. Using being in a band as an example, me and Mike both feel we are doing it for the right reason, which is the love of music. Getting a pat on the back and having people come see us is amazing and we know we have to try and make some money so that we can progress and continue but it all starts with the love of what we are doing.’
The video for ‘Fame Whore’ was released yesterday focusing on the duo playing over Drag Queens fighting to the death in the woods. The accompanying video is a Tarantino/Coen Brothers Homage, directed by Glasgow Music scene mainstay, Stuart Breadner whose previous clients include: Universal Music, Sony BMG, Mercury Records, Gerry Cinnamon, Eagles Of Death Metal, Seafret, SAINT PHNX and Bowling For Soup! When asked where the story-line and idea initially stemmed from, Gary answered: ‘So we met with a guy named Stuart Breadner who is a great film-maker based in Glasgow. Me and Mike knew we wanted to have the drag queens (Lacy Rain and Dharma Geddon, follow them on Insta, Twitter ect…) involved in the video, then with Stuart we came up with the idea of a Tarantino/ Cohen brothers western style shoot. We all liked the idea of playing it completely straight but having these amazingly designed drag outfits, which Lacy and Dharma designed and created themselves! We hope everyone has as much fun watching it as we did making it.’ Be sure to check out the incredible video below now…
Finally Michael sheds some light on what they rock duo have planned for Fake Lips over the next year: ‘We plan to release another two singles at least this year, and we want to attract the attention of good management, booking agents and promotion etc. It’s important that we can find our audience, which we are confident is out there and waiting for a band like us. At the same time, we want to value ourselves appropriately, and we’ll only take steps that we are ready for, where we know that we can be the driving force behind our own work.’
It’s great to discover a hot new band who have no trouble standing out with their individual styles and creatively in song-writing… both of these qualities will make them key players in the industry.
CHECK OUT FAKE LIPS ON THEIR SOCIALS NOW
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/fakelipsuk
TWITTER: @FAKELIPSUK
INSTAGRAM: FAKE_LIPS_BAND
The Music Files 