Singer/songwriter Foxes talks us through the intimate emotions and energies of her impassioned ‘Friends in the Corner’ EP, and all the things that make it such an enchanting, invigorating, and utterly inspiring record for artist and listener alike.
Stream: ‘Friends in the Corner’ – Foxes
Foxes wasn’t on “hiatus”; she was busy making the best music of her career.
The artist born Louisa Allen reached new heights in 2016 when she released her sophomore album All I Need, celebrating chart success throughout Europe and the United States and embarking on a headline UK tour, followed by a support slot opening for Coldplay on their A Head Full of Dreams Tour in both Europe and North America.
Allen’s artistry had transcended to thrilling new heights, but it wasn’t until the middle of 2020 that she unveiled her first new music since All I Need. It had been a long four years for Allen, who spent that time amicably parting ways with her major label and inking a new deal with international indie PIAS Recordings, attending songwriting camps, and reconnecting – both with herself, and with friends and family.
“There was actually a lot going on behind the scenes,” the thirty-two year old explains. “Yeah, it does look like a hiatus, ’cause when you’re not releasing music, it looks like you’ve gone into hiding, which maybe I did a bit.”
“I did a lot of stuff I hadn’t really got to do through being very busy in previous years. I got a dog… I saw a lot of my friends that I hadn’t really seen. I actually re-built relationships and things like that. It was important for me to do that in order to get to the next stage of my music career.”
That time away from the spotlight gave Allen space to live – to wander, explore, and rediscover herself.
Her resulting new music radiates with the refreshing glow of an artist dedicated to, and in love with their craft: Foxes’ first batch of songs since then reflect her tremendous growth, with an energized pop sound capturing a wealth of intimate sentiments and heartfelt, visceral emotions. Released April 1, 2021, Friends in the Corner is no Fools’ joke: Foxes’ seven-track EP burns bright with passionate energy as she envelops listeners in a dynamic and dazzling outpouring of catchy, cathartic, and instantly memorable songs.
It’s pop with purpose; substantial and seductive all at once.
“It’s definitely an emotional whirlpool,” Allen laughs, highlighting the EP’s intimate, “extremely personal” subject matters. “I think it’s got a bit of something for everyone. It’s got those uplifting moments, but then I think it can also take you quite quite down and be quite dramatic in parts.”
Welcome to the part where I break down
Sitting in the dark is you
And maybe you were right
I should’ve left when I could have
I should’ve left when I could have
And all the lights went down in Hollywood
All the demons roam in the neighborhood
Got a lot to learn ’cause it didn’t play out
Like I thought it would
In Hollywood…
– “Hollywood,” Foxes
From the achingly emotional opening title track “Friends in the Corner” and the cinematic, breathtaking “Kathleen,” to the effervescent passion rippling through “Love Not Loving You” and the inner strength harnessed on EP closer “Courage,” Friends in the Corner is a stadium-sized record ready to fill living rooms and arenas alike with light, love, and beauty. Every moment bursts with feeling, each song representing another piece of the artist’s soul brought to life in sound.
While few modern pop songs live up to the unbridled euphoria experienced in “Love Not Loving You,” the EP’s second track – an ode to Allen’s grandmother – deserves special recognition. “For me, ‘Kathleen’ closes the chapter of the last year,” says Allen, who turned her grandma’s advice and worldly wisdom into powerful song lyrics full of life lessons and countless stories. “Kathleen” is as tender as they come – a moody, dreamily introspective pop number that rises into a stunning tempest as Foxes crescendos in a mesmerizing, unapologetically impassioned chorus. It’s a welcome release of tension – the musical equivalent to the sun peaking out from the clouds, signaling bright tidings to come:
Just go, be slow and you’ll figure it out
Head low, you’ll know how to turn it around
You’ll sleep with lovers, sleep on sofas
Sleep with others again
Just go, be slow and you’ll figure it out
Head low, you’ll know how to turn it around
You’ll sleep with lovers, sleep on sofas
Sleep with others again
Still, “Kathleen” is just one of seven singular songs that capture the many exciting sides of Louisa Rose Allen’s musicality.
“I’m just being a lot more bold in what I’m talking about and what I’m saying,” Allen says. “Sometimes I can write quite dark things, but then I quite like to give it that, wrap it in hope. And I think that message is really important. I think it’s really important to talk about things that are sometimes very hard in life, but then I think it’s also really nice to find a way to talk about getting through something and the silver lining and coming out the other side stronger.”
“This EP for me very much is of a time, and that time is the year we’ve just had. There’s quite a few different stories going on on the EP. It’s definitely a very human experience kind of record.”
Allen already has a whole new album on the way, and it won’t be long before fans get a taste of her third full-length record. Before that time comes, she sat down with Atwood Magazine to dive into the depths of her long-awaited “return.” Together, we explored the sounds and sentiments that make Friends in the Corner such an enchanting, invigorating, and utterly inspiring record for artist and listener alike.
It’s like emotional car crashes, that’s sometimes how I explain songwriting – or how I kind of feel about songwriting, which sounds very dramatic actually, but sometimes it does feel like that.
Everything you’re going through and everything is changing
Don’t know where you’re running to
Stranded on the other side and everybody’s watching
You know I’m like this too
‘Cause when we lie, we tell the same
Pretendin’ we are young again
You can’t deny it feels the same to you
I give you my courage
If you give me your troubles
I won’t let you down…
You give me your courage
If I give you my troubles
You won’t let me down…
– “Courage,” Foxes
— —
Stream: “Love Not Loving You” – Foxes
A CONVERSATION WITH FOXES
Atwood Magazine: First of all, I can't talk to anybody at this time without acknowledging that we've been living through a pandemic. Louisa, how have you and your loved ones been throughout this time?
FOXES: Yeah. Well, I think like a lot of people, it’s had its ups and downs. It’s been like a roller coaster that I’m really ready to get off now. Basically like, very strange. Everyone’s, well, I’m very lucky to be fortunate enough to have my family close by and everyone’s healthy. So yeah, so that’s… Yeah, it’s been nice having them there, but very strange. Very strange having music out as well with the whole situation, ’cause we can’t… There’s no live music, or anything, so yeah, it’s definitely bizarre.[chuckle]
To say the least. Well, listen, first of all, congratulations on your EP release. This record is a very long time in the making. How does it feel to finally have it out in the world?
FOXES: Thank you. Yeah, it’s so nice. I’m really glad I got to wrap it all up in an EP like I have, because this music was released during the pandemic, and so it’s almost like… Yeah, it’s sort of, it’s its own little package really, that I wanted to just, I guess, just put that out as it is, and then move on. But yeah, so I’ve got a whole new album on the way, so… [chuckle] so yeah, so much music.
That's incredible. Can you share a little about the story behind Friends in the Corner?
FOXES: The EP as a whole, well, it’s a various mix of different events in my life, and different things that were going on during that period of time. So it’s definitely an emotional whirlpool, I think, that’s how I describe the EP. And I think, as always, very personal, very personal subject matters, so I think it’s got a bit of something for everyone. It’s got those uplifting moments, but then I think it can also take you quite quite down and be quite dramatic in parts so but yeah, I’m very, very happy with it. It feels extremely personal to me, so yeah, yeah.
It's a wonderful thing to strive for in your music. What was your vision going into this record? Did that change over the course of recording it?
FOXES: It did, actually. Like I wanted the songs to really feel quite raw and feel quite exposed in a way, and I think a lot of the tracks ended up being just how they were done in the day. There wasn’t really very much added, there wasn’t really any add prod, or anything like that. I think things like “Woman” that’s actually, I think that’s just like… I think it’s like a whole take, like live take that we just recorded on the day, and then it’s just on there as is. And yeah, so I think… And then “Love Not Loving You” that’s the same, I think that production is pretty much as it was on the day when we were recording it, so yeah, everything stuck to its natural habitat and yeah, didn’t really move very much, so.
Got it. It's been five years now since your sophomore album, All I Need's release, which is...
FOXES: Wow!
Crazy.
FOXES: Oh, my God, has it. Gosh! That’s so much. I didn’t know that. Really.
How do you feel you've grown over that time?
FOXES: I think hugely. I think just for anyone, I think this kind of age is a very, like it’s 27 to where I’m at now, it’s such a huge part of anyone’s life and so much happens, and I feel like you really start finding your ground in those years. So I definitely feel… Yeah, I definitely feel more grounded, and yeah, I have a bit more confidence than I did when I was younger I think, now. So but yeah, I think that comes with age. [chuckle]
People have used the word hiatus. Was this for you a hiatus from music, or is it just perceived that way?
FOXES: I think it’s perceived that way. I was actually doing a lot of writing during that time anyway. I left my major label at the time that I wasn’t really that happy at, and I made quite a big decision to go to an independent label and build a team around me that were really creative and really on the same page as me. So all of that, it took a lot of time. So there was actually a lot going on behind the scenes. But yeah, it does look like a hiatus, ’cause yeah, when you’re not releasing music, it kinda looks like you’ve gone into hiding, which maybe I did a bit. I did a lot of stuff I hadn’t really got to do through being very busy in previous years. I think I got a dog. [chuckle] I saw a lot of my friends that I hadn’t really seen. I actually saw, like re-built relationships and things like that. So I think it was important for me to do that in order to get to the next stage of my music career, I guess.
That's wonderful. You got to live life a little bit.
FOXES: I think so, yeah, yeah. And I was still doing a lot of writing, and I did quite a few writing camps, some in the jungle. So they were quite mad, but I think I just, I took a pause, and I think I wanted to figure out what exactly I wanted to be doing moving forward and where I wanted to relay that passion for music, I think.
That's awesome. I've heard people talk about writing camps in the jungle before. This band I once spoke with, Broods, they did one in Nicaragua.
FOXES: Yeah, that’s the one I went to, yeah. I’m not kidding! That’s hilarious. [laughs] It’s a writing camp, yeah, in Nicaragua. That’s like, it’s amazing. It’s like a musical, mad playground, honestly, with all these songwriters running around in the jungle, just writing music. I was there with Carly Rae Jepsen, and some other just amazing songwriters. But yeah, I think Neon Gold do it, and I think they set them up twice a year.
Was this planned that you knew that you two were gonna be going there together, or was this just you go there and whoever shows up shows up?
FOXES: It is planned. I think your publishers… Well, actually now I think Neon Gold, ’cause they released my music really early on, so I think they actually set it up and they choose the artists that they think are gonna really work well together. And they do it really well, actually, it really works. So that ended up yeah, just being crazy fun. It’s just like you couldn’t strip it back anymore. It’s just like totally writing in the wild, which is amazing. Amazing.
So I've long tried to understand that experience. What's the difference for you between writing, I guess, in your apartment, or in a studio versus writing in this kind of a camp setting?
FOXES: I think it’s just, it’s just like anything. I think it’s really inspiring being around nature in general. And then there’s something really freeing actually about being somewhere like that versus being at home. I think somewhat, it’s all about just trying to find that creative spark and that inspiration from somewhere, so I think the weirdest place you can be probably sometimes the better. [chuckle] But yeah, I enjoyed both. I think there’s different… You get different results from both, I think.
Absolutely. Going back to this EP, do you, considering everything we've just talked about, and how for you, you weren't really away, do you see this music as a re-introduction to Foxes, or it's more of a continuation on from the artist we met eight years ago?
FOXES: I think with my music there’s always, at the core of it, it does have a very similar feel. So I don’t think it’s like a total re-brand. I think if you’ve liked my music in the past, there are elements about this that I think are still there. But I think the difference is, I’m just being a lot more bold in what I’m talking about and what I’m saying, and so it’s not all break up. [chuckle] scenarios, which I think on the second album, I just, yeah, I didn’t stop writing about that. So yeah, I think there’s just yeah, I think it’s definitely evolved in what I’m… How I’m writing and the subject matters and things like that.
Yeah. Have you been working on this record throughout that time, or do these songs come from a little more recently?
FOXES: Yeah, I have been… Like some of them are recent, like “Love Not Loving You” I wrote that and then pretty much put it out straight away, so that was very fresh for me, and I think I’d been writing and writing and writing, and I remember being like, “When I put something out again, I just want it to feel right,” so I was searching for the right thing and I waited so long, I was like, “Oh, God. Am I gonna be excited about putting something out and when is that gonna visualize itself for me?” And then “Love Not Loving You” was that for me. I felt like that was a really good re-introduction. So yeah, but I’ve done a lot of writing in lockdown, so I’ve written pretty much a whole new record now. So yeah, I think that’s definitely… I’m very excited about that, I think that’s gonna surprise quite a few people, but in a good way.
Well, you mentioned “Love Not Loving You” so I'd love to dive right into that more. You said you felt like that was a good reintroduction, that's one of the most fun songs I've heard in the past year, and it did feel like it was a specific choice to “return” last May with that song, what's special about it for you?
FOXES: First of all, I’ve just kind of… There’s something really kind of bonkers and outrageous about the production in that. At one point, I just remember referencing talking heads quite a lot and really wanting it to sound slightly odd, kind of… But in its kind of cool, be a pop song that’s kind of hooky but… Yeah, but I just wanted it to be a bit turned on its head, and I think that’s kind of what we ended up with, and I love it for that, I think it’s… I love it because its production, but then also for me, it was very freeing to write that song because I’d just come out of a relationship and it really felt like I was turning a page and letting go of quite a lot of stuff, so yeah. So I think that one feels very personal.
That's wonderful. The song is clearly not in a vacuum, and it does have quite a few brothers and sisters on this EP, it's almost long enough to be a full length album, isn't it? But just for starting it off, just to start off the conversation about the EP as from a birds-eye perspective, why the title Friends In The Corner of the entire record?
FOXES: Yeah. Well, actually, I think the ‘Friends In The Corner’ kind of title has just become really… It sort of took on a new meaning for me during lockdown, and it kind of… I guess for me, we are all sort of like in our own corners at the moment, all over the world, we’re sort of… I think it kind of for me, really wraps up the time that we’re in and kind of sums it up quite quite well, and that’s definitely how I felt. I just feel like I’m yeah, I’m in my own corner and my friends are kind of like in theirs, and we’re all looking out for each other and trying to stay connected as much as possible. But yeah, I think that was the reason, it’s just really reminiscent of now, I think.
“We were younger then, we were half the age, we could see it all through a careless lens, my friend,” you sing on the intro. “All of my friends in the corner, everybody's looking like they need someone, together we're not getting older but everybody's looking like they need someone.” These lyrics really stuck with me. Why open your record with this track? And what do those words mean to you?
FOXES: They make me quite emotional actually. We had this really innocent lens when we were younger, we were kinda looking through this like… Looking at life in more of a kind of carefree, fun way, and I guess the things that happen as you get older are… When you have more experiences you kind of like… You’re faced with looking yourself a lot more, and I think it’s just sort of saying that I wish we could have that back. Yeah, but… It’s definitely that I lost a friend last year, so that’s kind of… That song also is very connected to her, and that loss, and yeah, and I think it’s just so important to cherish the time that we’ve got with people.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
FOXES: Thank you – it’s definitely very personal, that one.
It's really interesting to think about, there's this innocent lens when you first start off, but the more you experience, the more there's pain and hardship, but ideally, I guess you hope that life balances it out, that there's enough good things to go around, but you just have that much more to talk about and to sing about.
FOXES: Yeah, yeah, exactly. It’s like emotional car crashes, that’s sometimes how I explain songwriting or how I kind of feel about songwriting, but… Yeah, which sounds very dramatic actually, but sometimes it does feel like that.
If you had to choose one song that really emphasizes the emotional car crash aspect on this EP, which one would it be?
FOXES: Oh gosh. They all carry a little bit of… A little bit of that, but probably “Hollywood” really stands out for me with that, just ’cause it has that dark edge about the reality of what Hollywood can do to your mental health or how it can actually be a very, I guess, cold, lonely place in some ways. I think that one, really, yeah, [chuckle] really sums that up.
That's wonderful. I feel like it may or may not be the opposite of a car crash, but I really enjoyed diving into “Kathleen” earlier this year for our editor's picks. And for me, it's one of your most visceral releases. I love the way in which you were able to incorporate your grandmother into your music in such a meaningful way. And it's not something that I feel is done that much, especially in the pop music genre. What's your relationship with the song, and how has it grown since you made it?
FOXES: It’s funny, that song really got me through quite a time. It’s such an ode to my grandma and just her words and her influence on me, and it’s like a thank you, really. And then, it was oddly very easy to write, considering how many lyrics there are in that song, ’cause there’s a lot. But because I had a lot of her, I had a lot of voice notes of her talking, I ended up using those voice notes and writing this poem, letter of advice that she’d given me. Yeah, it was very enjoyable to write. I think it’s one of my favorites I’ve ever written, just in terms of the process and just finding these, I guess, magical ways to write about her. Yeah, it was definitely a great experience.
It also just carries its words so well. You have this deep meaning behind it, but then you also have this really uplifting, cathartic chorus that takes those lyrics to the next level.
FOXES: Oh, thank you. Yeah, I think that’s her advice in the chorus, so it was very easy to write, and it’s so enjoyable to sing, it really is. Yeah, it’s sort of saying, “It’s gonna be okay, you’re gonna get through it,” that kind of thing. She wasn’t very well over Christmas and she was actually in the hospital, which was a bit upsetting, but that was actually one of the reasons I wanted to get it out, because I just knew it would be such a special thing for her to have while she was recovering. So, that’s, yeah, a big reason why I wanted to put it out as a single in the end. ‘Cause I wasn’t going to, I was just gonna have it on the EP, but I’m really glad I got it out.
It's wonderful, and I think it totally fits as a single, for what it's worth. What was her reaction to it? Did she like it? Is she proud of her grandchild?
FOXES: I’m not even kidding, I think she was shocked, almost shell-shocked. It’s really funny, she’s the most talkative person ever, and everyone would keep going, like, “Your grandma must be so proud, she must be so proud.” And the hilarious thing is she didn’t contact me. It was so funny. [laughter] And I was like, “Oh, no… ” And I was thinking, “Oh no, she… What’s going on?” But no, she cried. I think she was very, very… She’s very proud anyway. She collects anything I do. She’s got it all in the house and she’s very proud. But yeah, I don’t think she expected that one. [chuckle] Quite overwhelming, I guess, for someone if you’ve done a whole video and a song about someone, it’s probably… Slightly quite mad. [chuckle]
And then go and release it into the world so that people around the world can listen to it and now know who she is.
FOXES: Exactly, and it’s her name, it’s Kathleen, so she was probably like, “Oh, God.” But no, she’s very, very, very proud… I’ve written a song about all her advice, it’s quite fantastic.
Well, I also loved the inner strength that you harnessed in “Courage” Why close the EP with this song?
FOXES: This song, it’s kind of like strings for this, and I was almost kind of… I think I was crying at one point, but it reminds me of… I was listening to a lot of soundtrack, film soundtrack, when we were writing that, so I think it’s just a really nice outro, I think. Gives you that face. And I guess it’s got a euphoric feel, so I think it fits as the last one.
I don't disagree with you. Do you have any definitive favorites or personal highlights off this record?
FOXES: Yeah, the thing is, I usually… Because obviously, touring doesn’t exist, we’re not doing live music right now, I think I would usually always choose a favorite or have a favorite track through playing them live and through the people’s reactions and things like that. So, to not have that now, it’s very strange and it feels like that part is very much missing. I just love to play these songs live, I just feel like they’d be very… They’re made for it. [chuckle] But it’s very hard. I do think “Kathleen” is very special to me, so I guess that’s probably… Because that’s the favorite that I’ve… I loved writing that one. That’s probably a good contender there, that one. [chuckle]
That's awesome. Do you have any favorite lyrics off the record, anything that for you was a really high point just in terms of the writing process?
FOXES: Yeah, I really like the lyric in “Kathleen” I remember writing this and I was just… I felt really proud of my grandma, because she’s always just been so independent. So, I really like the lyric, “As you reign from your tower and your throne’s a single bed.” And it’s talking, really, about her single bed – she’s so independent and she’s a very strong woman, so I think that’s just a very visual representation of her and her strength and her courage. [chuckle] Yeah, I think that’s probably a favorite.
I think it's really admirable. It sounds like you really value authenticity in your writing, and capturing the world as you see it.
FOXES: Yeah. I tend to write quite… Sometimes I can write quite dark things, but then I quite like to give it that, wrap it in hope. And I think that message is really important. I think it’s really important to talk about things that are sometimes very hard in life, but then I think it’s also really nice to find a way to talk about getting through something and the silver lining and coming out the other side stronger. I think I tend to do that quite a lot.
Like “Love Not Loving You” could have been a very, very sad, Oh Wonder album one kind of somber song, very bittersweet, and it's this euphoric anthem.
FOXES: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I think sometimes I tend to do that, I tend to make the production its own thing. I think sometimes the lyrics could be a bit too dark if I didn’t do that. But yeah, I think there’s a mix.
I really respect and appreciate it. It's such a wonderful collection to have out now, especially as it, at least from this person's perspective, feels like we're turning a corner and starting to see some light. It's nice, 'cause this music also radiates with its own light. You talked to me a little bit earlier about how you felt Friends in the Corner would have that same ethos that if people liked Foxes' older music, they would like this too. I'd love to hear a little bit more about that perspective for you and how you feel Friends in the Corner captures your artistry.
FOXES: I’m very, very hands-on in the studio. I’m a bit of a control freak like that. Everyone says this, but it really is a diary, it’s like writing a diary. It’s very exposing, but also very cathartic to write. So, it’s a very special EP for me because it’s not just talking about one thing, it’s talking about so many different experiences in my life. It’s like its own little… Yeah, it’s like a little book of these events. So, it’s very cathartic to have that out now. And it’s really, in terms of what I’m writing about and what I’m talking about, I think that I’ve definitely grown in that sense. I think that’s the biggest difference. I think I’m a bit more confident about talking about the real stuff now than I might’ve been before. So, I think it’s dealing with some challenging subjects. But I think that’s really important, especially for me as an artist, that’s what I always wanna try and be doing. Yeah.
That's wonderful, I really respect that. Like we said earlier, it's been a couple years. I'm curious if... And I know that, pandemic aside, because that does influence a lot, I'm curious if you feel like you're re-entering a different music industry now than you were in five years ago. Do you sense any changes in terms of just how the world has shifted over this time?
FOXES: Yeah, it’s so different. I was around… Because I’ve been in the music industry for so long now, it is a very different place. One thing, I think, that’s sort of happened a bit is the… I used to love finding out about an artist in a very mysterious way. And I think just in terms of like, Instagram wasn’t massive when I was releasing early music, and now that’s the biggest platform, and there’s so much in terms of social media now. And it requires real… I guess just really putting your face out there. So, but I think it’s very different in that way. And obviously, Spotify and all of that as well, and you don’t get the kind of physical copies anymore really. So I think navigating that is really interesting. And finding your place in all of that, has been interesting to do.
It's fascinating because you debuted in kinda like 2013, right? Is that... Streaming music wasn't a thing yet. It was downloads, it was iTunes.
FOXES: Exactly, yeah, I was like, Facebook generation. So no, it’s so different, and I was kind of… I was wondering where I was gonna sit in the music industry coming back, because of all that. But I think being with an independent label, it’s kind of like… Takes the pressure off because, something I really… That really changed to me was the amount of pressure I think I put on myself being with a major label. I wrote that first record in a bedroom, it was a bedroom record and I didn’t think anyone would hear it, so it’s quite nice to kinda go back to that frame of mind again, and sort of… I guess it’s… Sorry, one second… That’s what’s being read. Yeah so the kind of independent place, I think I definitely feel like I sit better in that space, for sure.
You're an independent artist with the major label following.
FOXES: I’m very lucky, I have a very amazing fan base that have just followed my career, which is just crazy all these years. So yeah, it’s really incredible.
Yeah, it's absolutely wonderful, and it's wonderful to see the reaction that they've had to these new songs too. You mentioned that you already have a whole album in the bag, does that mean we can expect even more music from Foxes this year?
FOXES: It does, yes. Which I didn’t think I’d be saying, but yeah. I think quite a lot more music. But yeah, I’m so excited to get it out. I can’t wait. I’m thinking about all the visuals right now and the video and things like that, so yeah, there’s actually a song coming out very soon.
That's amazing. No listen, congratulations, that's so incredibly exciting. It's like you kinda went from very silent, doing your own thing, to just throwing yourself back in all the way.
FOXES: Yeah, yeah, I guess, maybe I’m making up for the music that… The time I wasn’t releasing, now I’m just not gonna stop. [chuckle]
That's on you, not me, I didn't say that!
FOXES: No, no, I think it’s… I was always gonna release a full-length album, and it just so happens that I ended up writing in lockdown and I’ve ended up with a bit more. So it’s really nice to be able to release an EP first and now go onto a bigger piece of work, so…
Right, do you envision any of these songs carrying over onto the full album or do these have their home here?
FOXES: I like that they all live on this EP. This EP for me very much is of a time, and that time is the year we’ve just had. So I definitely place them there. So I think this new record will be a step forward.
That's really interesting. But I wouldn't call this music a pandemic record. People have been using that term sometimes, and I wouldn't describe this album as that.
FOXES: No, I think there’s quite a few different stories going on on the EP. It’s definitely a very human experience kind of record, so yeah, it’s not a pandemic record.
It’s definitely a very human experience kind of record.
Wrapping things up, what do you hope listeners to take away from Friends in the Corner and what have you taken away from creating this EP and now putting it out?
FOXES: Well, I think I always, always want people to… In some of the music, I’m talking about things that maybe some people are a bit scared to talk about or different experiences, and I think it’s always really special when people listen to the music and they don’t feel like they’re alone in experiencing something. That’s an amazing connection, I feel can happen with music when, you know, when you’re sort of connecting with it on that level… So I think… I’d want it to make people feel hopeful, I always want that. And I also want it to make people dance and feel free and have a good time, so I think there’s a bit of both emotionally going on on the record. But yeah, it’s amazingly freeing for me to have it out and yeah, really cathartic. I just can’t wait to play it live.
Louisa, thank you so much for your time today. Who else are you listening to these days that you would recommend to our readers?
FOXES: That’s a very good question… I guess… I’m listening to quite a lot of sort of dance music, there’s a band called SAULT. Have you heard of SAULT? I think no one knows who they are still. They’ve got this mysterious thing going on a bit, like Daft Punk. But their music’s just amazing. So I’ve been listening to them a lot, I’ve been listening to SG Lewis, actually quite a lot. I’ve been listening to a lot of Mogwai, I’m always listening to Mogwai. And Muna, I love Muna, always listening to them. Yeah, I’m trying to think if there’s anything else… I’m always finding new music, and I love Oneohtrix Point Never. I’ve always loved his music, so I listen to that a lot. It’s quite weird, it’s very… A little bit off the wall, a bit bonkers, but that’s what I love, so. [chuckle]
If I use a little bit of madness in a good way... Louisa, thank you so much for your time today. It's been a pleasure talking with you. I hope the next time we get to chat, it is in person, in a better environment, but congratulations on this new FOXES EP. As I've said already, I really like it, and it's just wonderful to have that kind of music out in the world now.
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