Australian group The Faim, made of Josh Raven, Michael Bono, Stephen Beerkens and Sean Tighe, debuted last month with their single “Saints Of The Sinners,” which was produced by John Feldmann and co-written by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz.
John Feldmann, who has worked with big names such as Blink-182, The Used, All Time Low, and Good Charlotte, first met The Faim back in 2016. According to Feldmann, the group immediately caught his attention because of their talented ensemble of “amazing songwriters, incredible performers” and a “great front man.”
After hearing their demo, Feldmann decided to produce the group’s debut single, “Saints Of The Sinners,” which according to The Faim member Stephen Beerkens (bass, keyboard), is about “making your mark in the world, and not letting anyone stand in the way of where you want to be.”
Although The Faim only just debuted, the group is already booking impressive gigs, including the 2018 Download Festival and a UK tour with group Lower Than Atlantis. The tour, which has sold out two of its shows, will kick off on April 2nd and conclude on May 14th. Tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.
CelebMix had the chance to ask The Faim’s Stephen Beerkens about his experience recording “Saints Of The Sinners” with John Feldmann and Pete Wentz, as well as the group’s upcoming tour and debut album.
Could you tell us a bit about how you all came together as a band?
Stephen Beerkens: Josh (lead vocals), Mike (lead guitar, bass, vocals) and I went to high school together. I first worked on music with Mike when we had the task of writing a grunge-styled song for our music class. From there we started demoing more songs and asked Josh to join us in a band. We found Sean (drums, percussion) a few months later through his drum covers on YouTube.
You recently signed to BMG worldwide and have been working with producer John Feldmann. What has it been like working with him?
SB: Working with John has been incredible. He’s been pushing us to get the very best out of ourselves since the very first FaceTime call we had with him back in August, 2016! The studio is constantly filled with an infectious energy, somewhat due to high consumptions of coffee, which motivates everyone to bring their very best to the table. This, combined with John’s amazing skills as a writer, helped us to go from writing two half songs a week back in Perth, to two full songs a day in the studio.
He’s worked with big names such as All Time Low, Good Charlotte and The Used. Do you feel any pressure because of that or do you feel more excited?
SB: It definitely makes us feel more excited! Although it was a little daunting at first, all the huge names that John has worked with simply adds to our motivation to reach that same level as a band.
How would you describe your sound and what are some bands and artists that inspire you?
SB: Our sound is extremely diverse. The focus has been creating songs that are not only strong, but very personal. The sound of each song then comes naturally from there. We work for the sound to fit the song, instead of for the song to fit the sound. We’ve been inspired by artists such as Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, The 1975, Panic! at the Disco and Twenty One Pilots.
Pete Wentz helped co-write your latest single, “Saints of the Sinners.” How was your experience working with him, and did he give you any music advice?
SB: Before we started writing with Pete, we actually sat down for almost 2 hours and talked about the music industry. The advice that he gave us was that, in this day and age, there’s no room for mediocrity. You need to work hard, be unique and be authentic. This insight then became the basis of what became our debut single, ‘Saints of the Sinners’.
What are some of your favorite Fall Out Boy songs?
SB: Where to start!? Some of our favourite FOB songs would have to be Uma Thurman, Irresistible, America’s Suitehearts, Thriller, Sugar We’re Going Down and The Takeover the Break’s Over.
You recently released the music video for “Saints of the Sinners.” What was your vision for it?
SB: Our vision for this video was to capture the essence of our live performance, whilst portraying the concept of the song through the visual elements of the video. We used the idea of an ‘upside-down’ to represent the darkness in all of us that wants to be let out.
You guys will be hitting the road with Lower Than Atlantis next month. What can fans expect from your concerts?
SB: Fans can expect a high energy, hard hitting show from the first second we walk on stage, to the very last chord. We also love meeting and chatting with fans after show!
Finally, can you tease anything about your debut album?
SB: You can expect the unexpected! We’ll be putting out something that is very unique and that we’re very proud of. We’ve combined so many influential sounds into one that speaks to who we are as a band.
Is there anything else you would like our CelebMix readers to know about you?
SB: We’re four friends that love playing music! We couldn’t be more excited to travel the world, meet new people and do what we love!
To find out more about The Faim, make sure to follow their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also stream and purchase “Saints of the Sinners” by clicking HERE.
What do you think about The Faim’s debut single? Let us know by tweeting us at @CelebMix!
Cover Photo Credits: Max Fairclough