Fanclub

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Genre: Rock

Why We're Excited: The first thing to jump out about Fanclub's "Leaves" is the run of sharp little synth stabs, each of which injects the song with a tiny hit of sugar. Influences dating back as many as 40 years make their way into the mix — the synth-pop of the early '80s, the smeared-out shoegaze of the early '90s, the twee bedroom pop that's taken off in the Internet era, and so on — but they're all in service of hooky, timeless pop songwriting and the charming vocals of Leslie Crunkilton. - NPR

Texan three-piece Fanclub, comprised of Mike Lee, Leslie Crunkilton, and Daniel Schmidt, bonded over a love of dreamy indie. Now they're delivering the goods on new single "Uppercut".

"Uppercut" jangles with fuzzy, sun-drenched guitars over driving and appropriately punchy percussion. Crunkilton's vocal – reminiscent of Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell – is the super-sweet icing on the cake, weaving a delicious melody occasionally clipped and twisted in production.

The bright new single arrives accompanied by a video, which was directed by Shannon Wiedemeyer and shot and edited by Vanessa Pla.

Wiedemeyer explains of the video – a hazy contrast to the song's upbeat feel – that "The 'Uppercut' video tells the story of ghostliness in the context of heartache and moving on." - The Line Of Best Fit

With their debut EP, Austin trio Fanclub round out a handful of much-posted singles in 2018. Their style of dream pop utilizes "understated production and candid lyricism" says Highclouds, likening the sound to early Wild Nothing and Twin Sister with a twist of twee. They started writing the songs after a collective period of heartache and loss, pouring into the work a mix of melancholy and optimism. It sees release on newly founded Berlin-based label Friendly Reminder. - Hype Machine

We’re a little late to the party, but as we like to say better late than never! Only a month has passed since Austin trio Fanclub released their debut single, “Leaves”, and it already has more than 22,000 streams on SoundCloud and several thousands more on Spotify. To call the track a surprise summer hit would be an understatement, and one spin of it is all one needs to fully comprehend.

“Leaves” is dream-pop bliss and comes straight out of the ’80s. Akin to the music of that era, the song leaves a permanent smile on your face while creating the feeling that you’re gliding effortlessly through the clouds and watching the world unfold beneath you. The synth work and rhythms are sensational, as their warmth and vibrancy devour the listener in the same way that CHVRCHES’ and Japanese Breakfast’s most intimate heart-racers do. Front woman Leslie Crunkilton’s vocals, meanwhile, are stunning, as she sweetly encourages us to get up on our feet and settle down and to not abandon those whom we love. For us, this is the pick-me-up song of the summer and one we will remember for a long time.

Once again, Fanclub are Leslie Crunkilton, Mike Lee, and Daniel Schmidt. Get to know this band, who are on the path to being Austin’s next great band and that’s saying an awful lot. - The Revue

On their breezy ’80s mall pop throwback single “Stranger,” Fanclub close things out with the breathily repeated refrain “We’re all/We’re all/All the same,” and as far as ’80s indebted indie pop goes, that’s generally pretty true. But in the case of Fanclub’s debut EP, itself titled All the Same, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fanclub may share a lot of the DNA of their nostalgic peers– New Order guitar hooks, Chromatics melodies and aloofness, Human League synths– but they’re a band with serious pop chops and enviable charisma as well as the ability to make well-trodden influences sound if not new at least exciting again.

Mostly a collection of previously released singles, All the Same nonetheless contains impressive aesthetic consistency, making it something like a microkorg twist on Singles Going Steady, in both stature and sound. Even when they’re switching up which instruments are in the spotlight, such as the guitar-heavy closer “Dreamers,” the material is unmistakably Fanclub in its balance of shimmer and swagger. Too many of Fanclub’s peers tend to forget that the romance end of the New Romantic movement they pillage but that’s at the core of every component of the Fanclub sound, with vocals that pine and ache as synth, guitar, bass and drums all do their best to cheer things up.


“Leaves,” the single Fanclub used to announce themselves to the world, is the apotheosis of this, an anthem for every lonely small town soul thinking “there must be something wrong with this town” as friends and lovers keep “dropping out.” Though the beat has the road pounding intensity of a teen runaway on a joyride but the synth lead and vocal suggest whatever escape plans were concocted were pipedreams at best. That may sound bleak and depressing but Fanclub lean into the romance of knowing the future is likely doomed and deciding to make a go for it anyway. If you’re looking for the topicality, for the now of this music, there it is.

Maybe that paradoxically hopeful cynicism is why Fanclub stand out from most throwback acts. On the aptly named “Reflection,” Fanclub ask you to count them in “even with your worst intentions,” recognizing that you haven’t changed but that’s okay, they’re along for the ride anyway. It’s the track that’s the furthest removed from ’80s pop in terms of instrumentation even as it’s the most beholden to the diving headfirst into bad decisions narrative focus of the coke generation– its rolling drums and jangly guitar are a better fit for the swirling decadence of Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine, but without the volume and sheepishness. - Ovrld

Following on the release of their singles “Stranger” and “Reflection“, Fanclub have finally unveiled their official debut EP. On the 5-track project, the Austin’s trio comprising Mike Lee, Leslie Crunkilton and Daniel Schmidt oscillates between twee pop, synth-pop and dream pop with a sparkling touch of melancholy. - High Clouds