Unsigned Spotlight: Fake News
Blasting through your speakers with a fist-pumping blend of catchy hooks, punchy lyricism and exhilarating riffs, Gold Coast quintet Fake News have honed an unabashed and expressive brand of modern punk rock.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Tim Russ – vocals
Darren Crowe – Lead Guitar
Mick Braszell - Rhythm guitar
Nick Van der Kley – Bass, backing vocals
Nat MacDonald – Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Fake News? How long has the band been around?
Now that would be a long list! We have all been in plenty of bands prior to Fake News. Here’s a few of them. Not To Regret, Tides, Kash For Kaos, Dementia 13, Ever Since Darwin, Nowhere Else, Friend Or Foe, Give it All & the list goes on. Fake News was originally formed in 2017. Tim & Nat came on board around 2020 & we have been etching our name in the punk scene ever since.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
Around that time in 2017 Fake News was a term getting thrown around a bit & rightly so. We were tossing up band names at our first band practice & Fake News came up. We all had a bit of a laugh about it & it just seemed to stick. It is just so relevant in these modern times that we live in & we are all surrounded by Fake News but sadly most people don’t even realise. We haven’t changed our band name during our time together.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Most of our songs start on a guitar & we will build it into some kind of structure of a song to get a rough recording of it so we can then send it on to everyone so they can get an idea of it & add their own parts into it. As far as lyrics go Tim writes pretty much all of the lyrics for the songs & he does a great job of matching it to the music. He always seems to come up with something that works well & is catchy. We cover a wide range of themes in our songs from partying to aliens & social commentaries.
Most of them convey a positive vibe & are energetic, uplifting songs that people can relate to & hopefully can change someone’s mood for the better & put a smile on their face whilst tapping their foot singing along. The topics are always changing as is the world around us which is where a lot of the inspiration is drawn from. Although the topics may change the general feeling & intensity of the music stays true to what we do & love.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
That is another long list! I must say it is great to see a new wave of fresh punk bands out there releasing good new music. We definitely need more of that. We draw a lot of our influences from many bands both old & new which does show in the music we make. Bands like Pulley, A Wilhelm Scream, Strung Out, Pennywise, Rise Against are undeniable influences.
Mix that in with some of the more recent offerings from Nerdlinger, PMX, Adrenalized, Bring On The Storm, Counterpunch, Down Memory Lane, For I Am, Have No Heroes, Implants, One Of Us, Sic Waiting, Twenty2 & you start to get the idea. I could go on forever with bands that inspire us but I’ll just leave it at that for now.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
I certainly couldn’t put it down to just 1. Growing up in the 90’s as a teen when punk music was actually popular was a great time to be alive. I remember going to all ages show & seeing bands like Guttermouth, Strung Out, Pennywise & NOFX play live & it was so much fun. Even going to local shows to watch my mates band play or whatever was on at the time.
That definitely inspired me to start a band & I have been playing in punk bands ever since. That passion has never died & still hasn’t. Why it took me another 20 years or so to get into this position we are now as a band I don’t know but that is just how it goes sometimes.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
No special routines. I know we should warm up a bit more both the vocals & the muscles. A few cold beers is usually on the list. Darren likes to do a few push ups. Maybe a quick group huddle/pre game chat. Other than that we are normally out & about enjoying the atmosphere & other bands at gigs.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
There have been a few really great moments but I would have to say playing those couple of shows with Pennywise at the end of last year was a real highlight. They were all good blokes & we got to have a bit of a chat with them all & hang out backstage with them.
I am currently in possession of one of Randy’s old bass guitars so I played it for that show & he signed it for me & we had a bit of a chat about it which was cool. It was a great crowd perfectly suited to us & our style of music so we were received real well. Look forward to doing that again. See you next year Pennywise!
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Nirvana. Just because I know that can never happen now & I reckon Kurt would love to party & we’re down for that!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Enjoy the music. Enjoy Life. We hope it reaches you & makes you feel something. Drop us a line we are always keen to hear our fans take on our music & life in general. We’re easy to find. Heres some links.