For The Foxes

By Jenine Clancy

In the never-ending debate of nature versus nurture, it could be argued your surroundings make you who you are. The Jersey shore band For the Foxes, growing up with the cool breeze and sea air, the ambience is like the wind, blowing in and out of their music. Their two EP’s “Six Ways to Love,” released in 2008 and the self-titled in 2009 have catchy, carefree tunes about having fun and the trials and tribulations of the girls who inspire them. They are pure indie-pop, sometimes sounding having some rougher edges like on “Not Like I Like You” and circus-filled twee-pop in “I Know, You Know, I Know It’s True.” The band members agree that their unique sound could have come from their hometown of Barnegat, but not too keen on the idea that their was their main influence saying: “I'd imagine it has had some sort of influence on the music, any environment can.”

Lead singer Nick Dungo started the band in 2008 after recording demos and playing local shows. Guitarist Jimmy Brindley and drummer Danny Vassallo both joined in 2009. The name “For the Foxes” was derived from the title of Charles Burkowski’s poem. When reading the poem lines like : be sorry for the others who fidget, complain. who constantly
rearrange their lives like furniture. beware of them: one of their key words is"love." You could interpret these boys are cautiously optimistic about falling for the girls they sing about. It could also be interpreted that they show a sign of independence, not letting anything negative interfere with their positive aura.

Nick Dungo takes that independent attitude and strategically places it when determining how to write a hit. In past interviews he described how his band would sit and discuss what other bands were doing to make them so successful. They would take bits and pieces of others success, but then in-turn, make it their own. Their songs like their hit single “OMG” have appeared on MTV and “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” They just released their latest catchy single "Where the Heartache Is,” full of claps and danceable beats. A full EP is expected for 2011.

Having the ability to have hit songs also contributed to getting recently signed to Hopeless Records, the same record label that is trying to put Yellowcard back into the spotlight. With the positive attitude the band holds, they were again, cautiously optimistic about being the new kids on the block and being on a label with a band who had experienced the pitfalls on being on a major label: “Being signed to Hopeless is an incredible feeling. I remember buying my first Hopeless compilation at the Atlantic City boardwalk when I was just eleven years old. Now that we're signed to Hopeless we're ready and willing to work harder than we ever have before. I can't believe were on the same label as Yellowcard as well as bunch of other Hopeless bands. They've done amazing things as a band and hopefully someday we can have the same success that they've had. The music industry can be intimidating thing to get into, but we just try to stay focused on the goals we have for the band and try our best to achieve them.”

For the Foxes are playing at the Marlboro Rec Center on Friday January 14th, 2010.