Fake Flowers

Atlanta based Fake Flowers isn’t exactly new to the scene, releasing their debut EP Opaque Pop in 2014 and most recent EP Wonder Wave in March of 2015. Over the two EPs and singles released along the way, you can hear a band really growing and finding itself. While Opaque Pop was more jangle pop, Wonder Wave seemed to be the band growing into who it wants to be with a more dream pop/shoegaze sound. It’s with that fuzzed out shoegaze of Wonder Wave that has created such a buzz in their homes of Atlanta/Athens and around the Southeast. Tracks like “Don’t Cry, Kiddo (Spectacle Surrel)” and stand alone single “Synchronized Sinking” show just how far this band can rise up. This month the band introduced a new stand along single “Marie” as part of Dancing, Exhumed in the Night :: Spring 2017 Sampler by MARCHING BANANA RECORDS. The track shows more woozy dream pop with soaring harmonies that leave you in an alternative trance. Fake Flowers is a band that has shown loads of potential, and now that the band has really found itself, the once trio, is expanding into a quintet as they prep the release of their debut full length Fantasy Violence. The five piece lineup is expected to help the band recreate live what the band was able to do on the recording of the album. This should hopefully mean more lush, propulsive pop songs from the band that should be full of more psychedelia and fuzzy rock. We are expecting a dreamy debut full length from Fake Flowers. - OpenEars Music

It’s been nearly two years since Atlanta’s Fake Flowers regaled us with their blend of lush dream pop and fuzzed-out shoegaze, so say we’re ready to get our hands on Fantasy Violence would be an understatement. The foursome’s upcoming LP is due out this April. - Immersive Atlanta

When the question of “Where was ‘Wonder Wave’ recorded?” comes up, the three members of Fake Flowers look at each other and chuckle. “Here and there,” says drummer Andy Barton. “Everywhere,” adds bassist and vocalist Jack Wucher. Either answer is acceptable considering recordings for the group’s second EP took place in garages, bedrooms and even guitarist and vocalist Jake Chisenhall’s parked car.

It’s a much different approach than was used for “Opaque Pop,” the band’s first release. Prior to Barton’s arrival in Fake Flowers, the group’s recording regimen was at the mercy of their former drummer’s engineering schedule at Studio 1093.

“We were sneaking into the studio at night or whenever there was free time to record because we couldn’t afford to pay the really expensive studio bills,” says Chisenhall. “He was working there so we just kind of slipped in when we could, but that wasn’t good for our process.”

The conditions resulted in a grueling year-long procedure, which must have felt like an eternity when compared to “Wonder Wave’s” just six-month recording time. It was an exhausting method and looking back, “Opaque Pop” simply took too long to make.

“We had outgrown it before we even finished recording it, before we mixed it, anything,” says Wucher. And when the two releases are put next to each other, it’s easy to see why he would say that.

The straight-ahead twee approach of “Opaque Pop” was pleasant enough and a decent first attempt, but when put up against the lush, shoegaze-y production and more varied songwriting found in “Wonder Wave”, there isn’t much of a competition.

And while this could be attributed to general artistic growth, another important aspect of this improvement is the change in method. Rather than having to uncomfortably squeeze in recording time at a foreign location, the group decided to turn their home demos into the recordings that would come to make up “Wonder Wave.”

“[We] really just kind of learned to love the sounds that we were making on our own,” says Chisenhall. “Because, you know, with unlimited time and the ability to just kind of throw things and take things out at will, it just created a much more peaceful and creative headstate for me than working at 1093.”

This improvement could also be caused by the reliance the group had on “Wonder Wave.” Chisenhall is quick to note the difference in his own mindset between the band’s two releases, with the former being the “happiest I’ve ever been” and the latter being a time when “a lot of other things were falling apart in my life.”

This comes across vividly between the two EPs’ emotional palettes. “Opaque Pop” was bright and cheery to the point of feeling somewhat forced, while “Wonder Wave’s” melancholic tinge goes down much smoother. Considering it was the easier of the two to record, one has to wonder if it’s the rough patch the members of Fake Flowers hit that allowed them to create a more potent sound.

“That was a baby that we could put our energy towards when other things might have been going wrong,” says Barton of “Wonder Wave.” And for Barton, things were going wrong. Within the creative period for his first release with the group, Barton lost both his job and the lease to his Athens residency in a relatively short amount of time. It’s these experiences that inspired his uplifting spoken word poetry tag to “Don’t Cry Kiddo: Spectacle Surreal,” the emotional anchor of “Wonder Wave.”

And though this is Barton’s first time playing drums for a band, his addition to the Fake Flowers lineup between releases goes far beyond just keeping the beat—his bandmates are quick to make that point clear.

“Jake and I will go off of each other and get to a certain point, but Andy will kind of look at things way differently than Jake and I can,” says Wucher.

Whatever caused it, be it the band’s growing experience, newfound comfort in recording its own material, emotional dependency on “Wonder Wave” or the introduction of a new voice into the mix, Fake Flowers underwent a vivid rebirth during the making of their second release.

Fake Flowers even looks like a different group since the album artwork for “Wonder Wave” was created in close collaboration with the band, better reflecting its sound. Brittany Wages, who the group refers to as its “visual guru,” along with Wucher created a dreamy cover and booklet that fully embodies the hazy music it’s intended to represent. You get a good idea of what the record sounds like just by looking at its visual accompaniment—something the commissioned artwork of “Opaque Pop” can’t boast.

In fact, every single aspect of “Wonder Wave,” apart from the mixing and mastering, was done entirely by the group itself.

“We’ve kind of gotten to the point when we know what we’re good at individually and we’ve gotten really tired of relying on other people to do stuff for us,” says Wucher. “So ‘Wonder Wave’ was like our chance to do what we wanted and just have complete control.”

Fake Flowers could be content to ride the wave they’ve created with their new EP for about another year or so, but it seems as though that just won’t do for these budding musicians. Within a month of their second release, Fake Flowers already have a concept and recording plans for what will be their debut album. And if their confidence reigns true, it could be another dramatic reinvention.

“We’ve progressed just as far as we had after Opaque Pop now,” says Wucher. “I’d say even now we’re way past ‘Wonder Wave.’” - Ampersand Magazine

Athens/Atlanta dream-pop trio Fake Flowers (full disclosure: Andy Barton, the band's drummer, is an occasional Flagpole contributor) have tooled around the scene for some time, releasing the five-song Opaque Pop EP last summer, a slick set of jangly, melodic tunes that referenced Kevin Shields, Teenage Fanclub and The Feelies in equal measure.

From the sounds of the group's new single, "Don't Cry, Kiddo," which Flagpole is pleased to premiere today, Fake Flowers has gone full shoegaze, abandoning the power-pop tendencies of Opaque Pop in favor of an A Sunny Day In Glasgow-style blanket of psychedelic keyboard swirls and washed-out waves of surfy guitar.

"Don't Cry, Kiddo" appears on Fake Flowers' upcoming Wonder Wave EP, out Mar. 24. Stream the song below: - Flagpole Magazine

This week, Fake Flowers rolled out the first video from its latest EP, Wonder Wave. The Atlanta/Athens-based trio crafts a rich, melodic sound steeped in deep, slurred atmosphere. Touches of the Beach Boys circa Smiley Smile (1967) through Sun Flower ('70) color the group's approach to both arrangement and production, albeit grafted to an early '90s indie pop context (think My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, the Cure, et al). Still, sonic depth is one of Fake Flowers' many strong suits. The six songs that make up Wonder Wave aren't suffering for hooks either, as songs such as "The Age of Us," "7th Star," and "Don't Cry Kiddo: Spectacle Surreal" skirt the edges of gloomy goth stylings, but keep a firm hold on blasts of blissful and surreal guitar pop resonance. - Creative Loafing Atlanta

There’s more room for failure when you mess with a formula. People might not like it. Why change what still works?

The members of Atlanta act Fake Flowers know the answer to that question. The band’s new album “Wonder Wave” is a brave stylistic change for a band with a style that already works well.

There’s an ethereal quality to the album, departing from the straightforward stylings of the last Fake Flowers release, “Opaque Pop.” Opening track “The Age of Us” sets the tone for the new album, drifting into existence with distant vocals and muted drums. From there, the album falls into place, each song well layered and well polished.

The upbeat sound of “Opaque Pop” is still present on “Wonder Wave,” but it’s layered in fuzz and the ‘60s backing vocals that permeated that release have turned to ghostly backing choirs. The album is packed with emotion, particularly on songs such as “Anna” and “Valerie.”

While the band’s new sound is great, the group should not forego everything on “Opaque Pop” and go straight for shoegaze. The group’s previous album was full of well structured pop songs with choruses that stuck in your head and some solid vocal work. On “Wonder Wave,” frontman Jake Chisenhall’s vocals are layered down, which while typical of shoegaze, may not be the best direction for the band.

When Chisenhall’s lyrics can be discerned above the album’s soundscapes, they stick out as particularly memorable moments. Chisenhall has already proven himself as a solid songwriter, so while the dream-like atmosphere worked, I was left wondering what lyrics were underneath.

The style shift reminds me of last year’s “Beautiful” from local favorite Brothers, taking a band with a formula that could easily be mined without much derision into new territory. Both albums represent steps in the right directions for the bands, but “Wonder Wave” changes up Fake Flowers in an almost jarring way.

However, as a whole, “Wonder Wave” is a great improvement from the band’s last album, so maybe the band needed that jump. If the band can find a sound that blends the first former’s tight pop songs with the latter’s dreamy catharsis, Fake Flowers may hit a home run.
The album’s last song, “Summer Comes Crashing In,” feels like a step in that direction. Chisenhall’s vocals are misty but discernable, and the band builds around playful guitar work. The song moves to a climax where the building soundscape of “Wonder Wave” has finally been set into motion, driven forward by whirling synths and Jack Wucher’s steady bassline.

Change isn’t easy, but good artists seek it out. Like the cathartic release of the album’s closing track, Fake Flowers feels as though it’s driving forward toward something great. That’s an exciting prospect. - The Red & Black

A little fuzz can go a long way. In 2014, Fake Flowers released Opaque Pop, a decent if unmemorable jangle-pop EP. Almost a year later, Wonder Wave flipped the script, pushing Fake Flowers into shoegaze and dream-pop territory. Though the basic pop song structure is the same, the extra layers of noise and vocal distortion add a unique sense of character. With this hard left turn into a new sound, Fake Flowers has realized the potential that the band’s first EP only hinted at. - Flagpole Magazine

It's so easy for a band to become lost in their influences, especially if they're looking to bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Teenage Fanclub for inspiration. This sort of hazy dream pop aesthetic is open to dramatic interpretation and can often be misappropriated by musicians who only hear what they can take from these progenitor bands. But for Athens/Atlanta trio Fake Flowers, the urge to take the sounds of these bands and completely rearrange them allows for a refreshingly unique take on a well-worn series of rhythms. There's no imitation here, just swirls of psychedelic guitars, keyboards and shivering percussion that give the band its own individuality, even among these familiar sounds.

On their latest EP, "Wonder Wave," the trio (composed of Jake Chisenhall, Andy Barton and Jack Wucher) has created a series of vibrant pop songs that burst with shoegaze tendencies and impressionistic dream pop rhythms. You would think that among all these heady influences the band's identity would become washed out, but they quickly and easily dismantle these sounds and assemble them in distinct and original ways. It's equal parts Big Star power pop and My Bloody Valentine-style rock density—but there's also a weightlessness that keeps the song from becoming bogged down in its influences. It maintains a full head of steam, churning along, bringing everyone along in its ecstatic pop wake. - Nooga.com

The weather is finally starting to heat up, and the line between spring and summer is becoming blurrier and blurrier. It’s a time of year that creates a tension between the part of me that’s trying to buckle down and finish this semester as I should and the part of me that’s ready to shed myself of the responsibility I associate with winter and spring. The possibility for what’s to come in the waking season is an exciting distraction. And yet, this approaching summer also means the yearly departure of many graduating friends is nearing.

This bittersweet feeling is comparable to the aura created on “7th Star,” the second track from Fake Flowers’ new EP, “Wonder Wave.”
It’s a song with two edges. In a certain light, the sunburnt twang of the guitars and echoing tambourine create a feeling of cheery anticipation. It’s an unashamedly peppy tone reminiscent of the group’s previous release, “Opaque Pop,” and New York group The Pains of Being Pure At Heart’s early discography. On the other hand, “7th Star” could be used as a catalyst for melancholic reflection. Vocalist Jake Flowers’ dreamy vocals carefully lie on the pillow of soft distortion from the rhythm guitar.

When it’s all mashed together, the track impressively feels cohesive musically and emotionally. Not once does the song threaten to lose itself in its own blanket of sound — and considering how layered the instrumentation is, this wouldn’t have been very hard to do.
This glossy track is the musical equivalent to the feeling of that half-dreaming haze you feel immediately following a much needed afternoon nap—that edge between consciousness and unconsciousness. Fake Flowers have always had a bright sound about them, but the shoegazey “7th Star” is clear indication of a band with its sights on more than twee-pop. - Ampersand Magazine

Athens/Atlanta band Fake Flowers’ Wonder Wave is a striking sampler of sparkling, echo-heavy pop, a reverent prayer to Ride, The House of Love and Pale Saints. There have been many recent variations of this tender-hearted jangle, but these guys are more bright-eyed and lively than most.

The radiant “7th Star” comes in with a soft growl, jangles with a Johnny Marr-like riff and shimmers with some subtle string-bending. Even more impressive is "Don’t Cry Kiddo: Spectacle Surreal," which cascades down a wall of pure light and Pet Sounds melody, swirls of sitar smearing fabulously into the mix.

The whole EP doesn’t quite resonate with such glory; the fuzzed-out “Valerie” sounds like it was ripped straight from Psychocandy and lacks the otherworldly vitality of the other tracks. But then a playful, Byrds-y jangle and cheery synths usher in the closer, “Summer Crashes In,” and the sun comes out again. One hears the wide-eyed wonder in the band members’ voices, and wants to frolic with them, wherever they are.

Wonder Wave is a heavenly yet too-brief taste of what Fake Flowers has to offer; here’s hoping they can commit to a full-length in the not-too-distant future. - Flagpole Magazine

For a teen in rural Georgia, there’s not a lot to do in the summer. But because almost no one drove down our road at 7 a.m., I could ride my bike for nearly an hour and not worry about cars. Once I pedaled up the first steep hill, I could shake the chill of the morning and coast past the trees in total bliss. This song, from the band’s recently released Wonder Wave EP, gives me that same feeling. - Flagpole Magazine

The window of opportunity to participate in this year's Moeke Records Summer Singles Compilation is closing quickly. If you're interested in participating, know this: If chosen, you'll enter The Glow Recording Studio with engineer Jesse Mangum for a four-hour session to record and mix a single song; then that song will be on the comp. That's it! Plus, it's free to participate. You won't pay for anything, unless you'd like to use your particular recording for another project at another time, in which case you'll negotiate that then. Artists already lined up include Monsoon, co co ri co, Tongues, Fake Flowers, Noseeum and a handful more. If you're interested, drop a demo version or rehearsal recording of the song you'd like to record to jesse@theglowrecordingstudio.com. Just like last year, a new song from the comp is to be released every week, with the first coming next week. In a new twist, all of this year's singles are to be recorded in glistening mono. For an idea of how this all comes together, check out last year's comp over at moekerecords.bandcamp.com. - Flagpole Magazine

I’m never one to shy away from some ethereal shoegaze ballads, and new EP from Athens, Goergia’s Fake Flowers, Wonder Wave, has some top shelf dreamy goodness. The EP is available now for a name-your-price fee, and if that’s not enough to get you excited, then you should be hitting play and checking out the lush, sweepingly romantic beauty that is “Valerie”. There’s no messing around here, this is just straight up shoegazey excellence that calls to mind the golden ballads of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, as well as the blissed out beauty of modern acts like No Joy and Tamaryn. - Perfect Midnight World