THE FAIM – “190 Proof” Artist of the Month (September 2018)

Every now and then, a band comes along and stops us cold in our tracks. It’s always a singular moment, defined either by a recent live performance, where we were enchanted from their vantage point on stage or after their record starts spinning. Either way, there are moments when we fall in love with artists, and it’s exactly this type of admiration that’s inspired us to start our “190 Proof” Artist of the Month feature.

This showcases musical acts that have truly done something special and are picked by several members of the PureGrainAudio staff. You can’t go wrong with anything by a band that has made it onto this esteemed list. For those musicians and artists out there that are looking to get some hard-earned recognition or those who merely deserve more of it, we are always on the lookout for anything that melts our face off or tears out our hearts.

Band: The Faim
Month: September, 2018
Genres: Rock, Pop-Punk, Punk, Pop
Location: Perth, Australia

Here is the title track from the Summer In A Curse EP.

Last month saw the long-awaited release of The Faim’s debut EP, Summer Is A Curse, via BMG. The six-track effort was recorded with the iconic John Feldmann (blink-182, Good Charlotte, All Time Low) and features four brand new songs beyond the smash single (and title track) “Summer Is A Curse” and the band’s latest single, “A Million Stars.” The EP also serves as a prelude to the group’s highly-anticipated first full-length album, as slated for a 2019 release.

During the recording process of Summer Is A Curse, the Perth, Australia natives teamed up with a variety of industry staples including Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy (on “Saints Of The Sinners”), Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots, Mark Hoppus of blink-182, and Ashton Irwin of 5 Seconds Of Summer (on “Summer Is A Curse”). Altogether, Summer Is A Curse showcases the pop-rock/punk outfit’s stadium-ready anthems, infectious hooks, and impressive songwriting chops.

The Faim — which includes frontman Josh Raven, bassist/keyboardist Stephen Beerkens and drummer/percussionist Sean Tighe — is currently on-tour in Europe with Against The Current. Following that is the quartet’s first tour of the United States, alongside Hands Like Houses, in November and December.

The album Summer In A Curse dropped on September 7, 2018, via BMG.

Five Quick Questions with The Faim:

Summer Is A Curse is your new EP. Where did that title come from?
Stephen Beerkens: The title of the EP, Summer Is A Curse, comes from the time in which we were writing our songs. It was the summertime in Los Angeles and it reflects on the fact that during this time, our decisions and our songwriting would form the basis of our futures as a band. This is where the “curse” aspect comes from, as the results of those songwriting sessions will stay with us forever. Luckily, it has been in a very positive way!

Do you have a favorite song on the EP?
Beerkens: My favorite song off the EP would have to be “When It Comes.”

Your band was notably in the studio with John Feldmann, Pete Wentz and members of blink-182. Is there a lot of finished or almost-finished Faim material beyond the EP?
Beerkens: There is! We wrote many songs while in the studio and you can be sure that a lot of them will be used in the future.

What do the next few months look like for The Faim?
Beerkens: We’re in Europe touring with Against The Current at the moment which has been incredible so far! We then fly to the U.S. for our very first tour of the States, which will be supporting Hands Like Houses in November and December.

Finally, what do you wish more people knew about The Faim?
Beerkens: The biggest thing that we want people to know about us is that we’re just four dudes that love music. We love the joy that it brings people and we take that feeling to our live show every time we perform.

This is the music video for “Midland Line” and it’s a must-watch.