FOX CUBS
Alternative / Experimental / Indie / Pop / Rock

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Last Updated: 12 Sep 2008
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Average Rating: 9.80


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The Band

James Johnson - Guitar/Vox
John Marriott - Drums
Pete Grubb - Guitar/Vox
Phil Miles - Bass
Tim Baggott - Vocals/Guitar/Synth

About us


Since forming in late July 2007 Fox Cubs have shared the stage with a variety of artists including Pull Tiger Tail, iForward Russia!, Eastern Conference Champions, Future Of The Left and Kong. This year the band recorded live sessions for both Radio One and XFM, headlined Steve Lamacq’s stage at the 2008 Camden Crawl and performed on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds festivals.

Fox Cubs are unsigned, but have self-released two singles, both produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers/Idlewild). Their debut, ‘Beasts Of England’, was made record of the week on Steve Lamacq’s BBC 6 show as well as by John Kennedy at XFM. The track was also used as part of the soundtrack in an episode of popular teen soap, Hollyoaks.

The band’s second, and current release, ‘You Never Learn’, won Lamacq’s Rebel Playlist on BBC 6, beating two artists signed to major labels. The video for ‘You Never Learn’ was shot on a tiny budget and is entirely made up of real flipbooks, flipped and filmed by brilliant new director Blake Claridge. The video has since been requested by MTV2 for inclusion in their Myspace chart.

Musically Fox Cubs are aiming to create pop anthems, whilst maintaining the sonic scope and depth of their alternative influences. It is a tricky combination and the band are honing and developing it all the time, but with early reviews citing ‘massive chart potential’ and ‘epic hooks’, they are clearly on the right track.

To date reviewers have drawn comparisons with British Sea Power, We Are Scientists, The Teardrop Explodes, Gary Numan, Apartment, Editors, Bloc Party and The Killers as well as many others.

“When the man to your left dressed as Satan smiles and nods along playfully with his friend in the penguin suit, you know it bodes well for the gig ahead. When the gig ahead features local Reading boys Fox Cubs playing to a small but giddy home crowd, you know it’s going to be even better. Dressed in black and opening with an Eagles-style spaghetti-western riff before exploding into a family-friendly noisecore wig-out, the Berkshire boys have the clean-cut poster-boy looks of a band like The Feeling but mangled with screamo shouting and synthy breakdowns that The Killers and Gary Numan would have a rock, paper scissors match for sole custody of. ‘Skin’ is a battling, heavy-pop stick of dynamite that sees four grown men rushing around stage waving their guitars in a Guitar Hero frenzy while ‘Comfort’ is as camply theatrical as a night round Liberace’s house discussing musicals.’You Never Learn’ ends their set in a stupidly fun, whoop filled fashion. Satan and the penguin have obviously got excellent taste in music. Where are you boys headed next?” LC.
NME / Top 10 hopes for the future (27/08/08)





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