Fossil Collective is British folk duo David Fendick and Johnny Hooker.
<… Read Full Bio ↴Fossil Collective is British folk duo David Fendick and Johnny Hooker.

This is a band that do things differently. Beautiful melodic music, with rich glorious harmonies and meticulous attention to detail, it is as much an aural statement as it is a pleasure to listen to. Layer upon layer of harmony mixed with delicate uplifting sounds may well remind you of other artists, be it Neil Young, Simon & Garfunkel or Midlake but this music is no mere imitation. Whilst Fossil Collective's songs tip their cap to these classic musicians, scratch the surface and you discover something more contemporary, yet equally as rewarding.

It seems impossible that something so sonically complete could appear as if from nowhere, but Fossil Collective, the Yorkshire two-piece have been perfecting their craft and working towards this moment for years. Consisting of multi-instrumentalists David Fendick and Jonny Hooker, both were local musicians from the Leeds music scene, whose paths had crossed at various points in different bands. 'What separated Jonny from the other people I'd met was his total commitment to music' begins Dave. 'Whereas other people we were around were in bands for somewhat clichéd reasons, our focus was the music and the songs and for that reason we gravitated towards each other'. After a successful album with Leeds band Vib Gyor, the duo decided to strip everything back and start again.

Hooker reminisces, "we felt we had to fold our cards and be honest to ourselves. We were listening to the kind of music we grew up with. (Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor) We decided there and then to try and capture the essence of that traditional songcraft, to strip everything back to the song, lyrics and melody'' Fendick steps in "It was actually very liberating to be able to do that".

Armed with three roughly prepared demos, the duo found themselves looking for a recording studio. 'We had no money at all, but our friends had a modest little studio in a crypt just outside of the city' says Dave. 'It was a totally surreal place to go to as it was in the middle of nowhere. We had to stop recording at various points during the day as the main church was directly above the crypt. Whenever there was a mass or a wedding for example we had to be quiet - like little church mice scurrying about downstairs.’ However, a week of intense recording paid off, and they re-surfaced with 3 songs that would become their self released 'Honey Slides' EP.

Jonny explains. 'Before we had even decided on the name Fossil Collective we realised that we wanted this project to be a continual running order of like-minded local artists. We worked on the principle that if we surrounded ourselves with an evolving stream of people we admired then our music would never become stale. Keeping away from the constraints of a 'typical' band dynamic would keep it open and interesting for us. If we wanted a harpist we'd go and find one, If we wanted a cellist we'd go and find one and so on.'

Knowing they were on to something special they wanted something visual to reflect this. Enlisting the help of Leeds animator Ashley Dean (Broken Pixel) was the next logical step. ‘Ash is a good friend and a like-minded independent local artist. We played him On & On and asked him to interpret the song.’ The result was the stop/start animated video of a courtship between a wolf and a stag that went viral on youtube, getting over 250,000 hits in 2 weeks.

Once they put their heads above water, things started happening very quickly. Their 3rd gig was at Shepherds Bush Empire, supporting Benjamin Francis Leftwich. "It was great because other artists were contacting us, saying how much they liked our music and inviting us to tour" remembers Jonny. "It was sudden, but we were lucky to have great network of friends to come play with us and help interpret the songs live … after all, who is going to turn down the chance to play Shepherds bush Empire!" The band did a full tour with Ben and then another UK support with soul singer Ren Harvieu.

On 11th June 2012 Fossil Collectives Debut EP 'Let It Go' was released. Lead track was 'Single of the Week' on iTunes USA, opening the doors to a lot of new fans. It received plays and support from Mark Riley, Radcliffe and Maconie, Chris Hawkins and Steve Lamacq at 6 Music. It also won the 6 music rebel playlist. Radio 2 support came from Bob Harris, Mark Radcliffe and an extremely supportive Dermot O'Leary who invited them in for a chat and to perform on his Saturday Radio2 show. 'Let it Go' also made the XFM playlist, the Q playlist & the NME 'A' list. A 10 date headline tour coincided with this, selling out in Manchester & London in a matter of days.

The band built on this success by releasing the 'On & On' EP on 22nd October. Receiving the same support from radio, they were also invited in to record an infamous Daytrotter Session. Press support came from Sunday Times, Time Out, The Fly, The Independent & NME. It was at this point that The Civil Wars starting tweeting about how much they were enjoying the music. A few friendly emails later and Fossil Collective were supporting them at the key gigs of their UK tour. (Camden Roundhouse, Manchester Apollo, Glasgow 02 Academy) 'We feel privileged to play anywhere though' says Dave - be it our last sell out London show to a couple of hundred people, or a few thousand people at Camden Roundhouse. What is important is that we always stay true to ourselves and the music.'

After a winter spent locked away in the studio, Fossil Collective came out of hibernation with “Tell Where I Lie” in hand – their beautifully crafted, ten track, debut album. The album hit record stores on April 8th 2013, the same day the band were invited into Bob Harris’ Radio 2 studio to record a two track session. Released to rapturous acclaim from both fans and critics alike; “Tell Where I Lie” was named iTunes’ ‘editors choice’, quickly climbed to number 1 in the US ‘New Artist Billboard Chart and graced the pages of Clash, Q Magazine, NME, Drowned In Sound and Hunger.

Without a Fight
Fossil Collective Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You are the sun, I am the night
You glow like fireworks tonight
When we love without a fight
When we love without a fight

The world is spinning on its side
Stars is all he left behind
And you're rolling out of sight

When we love without a fight

When you're walking out alone
Satellites will guide you home
There's a sadness in your eyes
And a silence to your soul
But you always come alive
and you open up the skies
And the war inside will cover us completely

Going out of sight
Love without a fight

When you're walking out alone
Satellites will guide you home
There's a sadness in your eyes
And a sadness to your soul
But you always come alive
and you open up the skies
And the war inside will cover us completely

Going of sight
Love without a fight

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Fossil Collective's song "Without a Fight" compare the two lovers to natural forces - the sun and the night. The singer acknowledges that the object of their affection is radiant and full of energy, while they are more subdued and maybe even a little bit in awe. However, they emphasize the importance of loving each other without a fight, as if to say that the world is full of enough drama and conflict already, and their love doesn't need to contribute to it. The chorus repeats this sentiment, emphasizing the idea that their love is something special precisely because it is peaceful.

The second verse takes a turn towards the more mysterious and melancholy. The image of the world spinning on its side and the stars being left behind suggests a feeling of dislocation or loneliness. The singer offers the reassurance that even when they are apart, they will always be guided back to each other by some unseen force, in this case represented by satellites. The sadness in the other person's eyes and soul is acknowledged, but there is a sense of acceptance and even celebration of the fact that they come alive and open up the skies. It's almost as if their mutual love can transform even the most difficult moments.

Overall, "Without a Fight" is a song that revels in the beauty and power of a love that is free from conflict. It acknowledges that the world can be a tough place to navigate, full of sadness and loneliness, but argues that in the face of all that, love can bring light and hope. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "going out of sight, love without a fight" encapsulates this message perfectly, suggesting that even when things are uncertain or difficult, the singer and their lover will always find each other and find peace.

Line by Line Meaning

You are the sun, I am the night
You radiate warmth and light, while I am darkness and coldness.

You glow like fireworks tonight
You shine brilliantly, like a festive explosion in the night sky.

When we love without a fight
When we are able to love each other without conflict or resistance.

The world is spinning on its side
The world is in a state of upheaval, disorientation, and imbalance.

Stars is all he left behind
Only fragments of beauty and wonder remain from what used to be.

And you're rolling out of sight
You are leaving, disappearing, fading away.

When you're walking out alone
When you depart from me, and face your journey by yourself.

Satellites will guide you home
In the vast darkness of space or the figurative unknown, there will be a force that guides you back to where you belong.

There's a sadness in your eyes
I can see a deep sorrow or emptiness in your gaze.

And a silence to your soul
Your inner being is quiet, still, and perhaps numb.

But you always come alive
Despite everything, you have a spark within you that can ignite.

and you open up the skies
You have the power to unveil wonders and mysteries, like parting the clouds to reveal the stars.

And the war inside will cover us completely
The internal conflict and turmoil we face will engulf and consume us both.

Going out of sight
Disappearing, vanishing, slipping away.

Love without a fight
A relationship or connection that is free from antagonism, opposition, or struggle.

Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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