LA alt/pop-punk duo Fake Stacys have released their debut EP Another Kid in America, available to stream now on all DSPs worldwide. The EP is a critique on the idea of America becoming more and more realized in your teenage years. The release features four angsty and hard hitting songs, and encapsulates everything you loved about the Myspace & Purevolume eras, while also maintaining an entirely refreshing vibe that fits beautifully into the current rock landscape.
“America is a caricature of itself, and in that regard, everything with life within this country can sometimes feel like a game – the rat race to succeed, the cultural norms, the pressures from family, friends and society as a whole,” the band explains on the EP.
With little else to do as civilization ground to a screeching halt in 2020, James Mason and Ethan Kaufmann sat around with Ethan’s pet chickens behind his house in the Angeles National Forest, drinking and writing music. These sessions would produce the songs which would eventually become Fake Stacys’ debut release. The result is an EP that recalls the aggression of MySpace – era emo bands layered behind a wall of raw, power – pop guitars reminiscent of bands like The Strokes and Weezer. Mason’s powerful voice is the perfect vessel, delivering songs brimming with the residual teenage angst of the millennial generation juxtaposed against self – effacing awareness. The aggressive, guitar – driven wall of sound Kaufmann has sculpted for Fake Stacys will likely elicit feelings of nostalgia for your old CD collection and the early days of finding bands online before social media took over the world. Yet, the band’s raw, powerful stylings, poignant lyrics and undeniably catchy melodies feel perfectly at home in the sonic landscape of 2021.
What’s the story of Fake Stacys?
James –
Fake Stacys is a calling from our past influences brought to life by the uncertainty of today. I feel like it was the first time we wrote songs scared of the world. Not necessarily defined by the pandemic but a product of an oddly opportunistic time. Ethan and I met years ago in 2014 and I’ve always known him as a working producer and of course a friend but with the sessions in 2020 completely cancelled his studio became a hideaway. We took to writing and producing the first four songs thinking little about starting a band but soon after the first mixes came back we were pretty positive about music. All of the bullshit kind of melted away at that point and it became abundantly clear we needed to make a serious record. From the beginning of 2021 until now we’ve finished a full length album, shot a badass video and started rehearsing as a four piece band.
What do you want your music to communicate?
James –
We want to communicate hard hitting raw emotion in a stylistic fashion with bold and surprising lyrics and melodies. We write about the human condition, what it means to be an individual searching along their path and the angst and uncertainty that it brings.
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
James –
Steven Jenkins and 3EB. Elvis Presley, The Cure, Marilyn Manson… I feel like there’s only funny answers to this question because my favorite band as a kid was Aqua.
Tell us about “Halloween” and how it came about.
James –
Mid-session one day we started playing around on the acoustic guitar at Ethan’s studio and managed to stumble onto Halloween. As usual – nothing ever goes as planned but – sometimes that’s a great thing. At this point we had pretty much finished all the music for the record so having one more gem came as a fun surprise. It’s hard to pass on Halloween themed music although the song itself has nothing to do with Halloween, it’s just a metaphor for ghosts in real life.
What inspires Fake Stacys sound?
Ethan –
I always loved bands like Television and Thin Lizzy… obviously that made me love The Strokes as well. I think it’s just rad to have guitars bass and drums banging away with cool melodies. James is a great singer and lyricist, so the whole thing just felt right. It was too easy for us to just hang out and combine both our musical styles into Fake Stacys.
What are some things you really want to accomplish as a band?
Ethan –
Honestly – we have no expectations. Just kinda doing this because we think the stuff is really cool and we hope other people like it! But we will obviously sell out Madison Square Garden in the next 3 – 4 months.
Favorite lyric you ever wrote?
James –
“That’s a lie cause I’ve been drinking, I’ve been dreaming through the ceiling…”
Ethan –
I second James on that… it’s a very pointed lyric to both of our lives during the pandemic.
Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?
Ethan –
Odd question – not necessarily “giving up”, but there have certainly been moments where you get your ass beat in music. That’s life though! If it wasn’t music, it would be something else. There are great times and then there are bad times – figuring out a way to be positive while dangling in the middle is tough sometimes… If you can figure it out – you got something special.
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
James –
Be about it, don’t talk about it.
Ethan –
It can always be worse.
Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment landscape?
Ethan –
Man that’s a tough one… I honestly have no idea. If I knew – I’d go back in time and invest in that instead of Bitcoin. JUST KIDDING. But seriously – no idea! Entertainment is always a tough thing to predict… I’m just happy getting to be a part of it for the moment.
