<… 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.
Wolves
Fossil Collective Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the lights went down for miles around
And they taught us a lie, taught us how to survive
All we are is what we were told
The wolves are coming out
Light a fire when you see them all arrive
Everybody gather around, form a line
In the truth of a lie, there's a calm in your eyes, a call to arms
As we lay on our sides, looking up to the sky,
All around they were closing in
The wolves are coming out
Light a fire when you see them all arrive
Everybody gather around
Every hour we're losing time
Every hour we're losing time
Turn around
The lyrics to Fossil Collective's song "Wolves" speak to the idea of not trusting everything we are told and having to rely on our own instincts. The first verse talks about a false alarm and how they were taught a lie about survival. They're saying that all they are is what they were told, letting the listener know that they don't necessarily believe everything they've been taught. As the chorus comes in, the reference to wolves is introduced. They urge people to light a fire when the wolves arrive and to form a line, suggesting that it's important to band together and protect oneself from whatever wolves may represent in the song.
The second verse is where things get a bit more introspective. They talk about how there's a certain calmness that can come with realizing that what they believed may not be entirely true. Even as they feel like everything is closing in, looking up at the sky from their sides, they seem to find solace in the fact that they're recognizing the truth. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the need for group strength.
Throughout the song, there's a sense of urgency and unease. The wolves are a source of danger, and the need for protection is emphasized. The lyrics suggest that there's a lot of misinformation out there, and in order to survive, it's important to trust one's instincts and band together with others.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a false alarm
The situation is not as severe as it seems
All the lights went down for miles around
The power went out in a large area
And they taught us a lie, taught us how to survive
We were misled into believing something false that we think will help us survive
All we are is what we were told
Our beliefs and actions are largely based on what we were taught
The wolves are coming out
A threat is approaching
Light a fire when you see them all arrive
Take action to protect yourself when the threat arrives
Everybody gather around, form a line
Come together and work together to protect yourselves
In the truth of a lie, there's a calm in your eyes, a call to arms
Even though we know the truth is not what we were taught, we must remain calm and ready to take action
As we lay on our sides, looking up to the sky, All around they were closing in
As we lay vulnerable, the danger is getting closer
Every hour we're losing time
Time is running out
Turn around
Take action and don't let the wolves get the best of you
Contributed by Allison E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vonac47
There's a false alarm
All the lights went down for miles around
And they taught us a lie, taught us how to survive
All we are is what we were told
The wolves are coming out
Light a fire when you see them all arrive
Everybody gather around, form a line
In the truth of a lie, there's a calm in your eyes, a call to arms
As we lay on our sides, looking up to the sky,
All around they were closing in
The wolves are coming out
Light a fire when you see them all arrive
Everybody gather around
Every hour we're losing time
Every hour we're losing time
Turn around
LovelyxImperfect
There is something about their music that's so unique and special
Amazing music that always takes my breath away<3
Carole Gross
I've just found you guys and I've absolutely fallen in love with your voice! You're awesome ! Carry on the good work :)
Vonac47
There's a false alarm
All the lights went down for miles around
And they taught us a lie, taught us how to survive
All we are is what we were told
The wolves are coming out
Light a fire when you see them all arrive
Everybody gather around, form a line
In the truth of a lie, there's a calm in your eyes, a call to arms
As we lay on our sides, looking up to the sky,
All around they were closing in
The wolves are coming out
Light a fire when you see them all arrive
Everybody gather around
Every hour we're losing time
Every hour we're losing time
Turn around
Ashlee Greene
This is so beautiful! They have such a unique sound. Loving it hehe :3
StopListenThink
Love your music - you have a very unique quality and I love it. Its pure - <3
Teona
I love this band, their music is wonderful, amazing! Thank you.
Pam Durin
My new favorite band, love love love them. so dreamy and inspirational to an artist like myself.. Thank you
Alejandro Avila
Excelente banda y grandiosa canción. Saludos desde Veracruz, México.
John Saborido
I can't stop listening this song. As soon as I wake up, 'till I go to bed. You guys are awesome.
Roza Melkumyan
I'm so happy to have found this band! My best friend and I exchanged playlists because we like a lot of the same music and Fossil Collective's Let it Go was on hers. I loved it so much I decided to check out their other music and I LOVE IT!! I'm hoping to go to their concert in Philly in November