FAUVELY

“Writing has always been a place for me to ease my anxieties,” says Sophie Brochu, the leader behind Fauvely, a project that since 2017 has ranged from a solo endeavor to a 6-piece band. “Waiting on an answer, coming around a bend in the road too fast, watching a loved one plunge beneath a wave. A lot of my inspiration comes from the moments in which I’ve found myself holding my breath.” Fauvely, which is an iteration of the French word ‘fauve’, now encompasses Dale Price on lead guitar, Dave Piscotti on drums, and Phil Conklin on bass, an arrangement that has become something more akin to family. The group’s 2019 EP, This is What the Living Do (Diversion Records) was called “perfect dream-pop” by The Chicago Reader. With honest songwriting and melodic guitar lines, Fauvely has cultivated a strong following in Chicago, landing support slots for Stella Donnelly, Hand Habits, Say Sue Me, Ellis, Alison Sudol, Ultimate Painting, Ryley Walker, and Laura Veirs. Fauvely’s forthcoming LP, Beautiful Places, is set to release on April 2, 2021.

How long have you been together now?

Sophie: Fauvely is one big family. The line-up evolves depending on what’s needed.

You were all musicians in previous projects. How has your sound changed from your previous projects to when you started Fauvely to where you are all at now?

Sophie: The last EP was pretty shoegazey with Scott Cortez (Astrobrite) in the mix. The new album is a lot more pop-centric, though still guitar-driven. Dale has really stepped up with his guitar-playing. Before we were concerned with holding back, minimal playing. This album, I really wanted Dale to shine, and he does. I was also listening to more country-esque music while writing. You can hear some subtle twangy undertones.

Dale: The natural tendency when you get a group of people in a room is to be as loud as possible all the time. When I first started playing with Sophie, it would often be just the two of us. As the band filled out

again, we still tried to have more of a dynamic to the music.

How were you able to stay in contact and work on music during the pandemic?

Sophie: Well, we text every day, lol. Releasing music really takes an emotional toll on me. I’m in a season of listening to the universe right now. When it’s time to write again, it will come fast. I’m practicing patience with myself and with the world.

Dale: Certain songs on the album were written at the start of the pandemic when we still thought things would get back to “normal” fairly quickly. Our energy shifted to release prep, so we’re working, but on different elements.

What did you learn about yourselves/each other while writing music during the pandemic?

Sophie: I’ve been thinking about what it means to play music in a sustainable way--how it can look in five years, ten years, etc. This has really forced us to stop, to slow down, and think about long-term goals.

What do you think the future holds for the way Fauvely writes and records music going forward?

Sophie: If I knew, that would really take the fun out of it :)

Dale: I love technology, and I want to figure out a way for us to collaborate beyond just getting in a practice space once a week… although I think we all have Zoom fatigue now.

With many things going virtual, where do you feel live music will be going for Fauvely?

For anyone struggling with mental “ health or feeling lonely, if they hear our music and feel less alone, I feel we did okay. “

Dave: I think we will do as much virtually as makes sense, but live virtual music just cannot match the energy and feeling of being on a stage in front of people. The second we can safely play in venues for an audience, that’s where we’ll be.

You’re fairly active on Twitter, what are your views on social media?

Dave: A necessary tool that can be as frustrating as it is useful.

Sophie: Yeah, it can feel pretty toxic for me at times, but we’ve also made important friendships and connections through social media. When we’re finished releasing the album, I’ll welcome a break from all of it.

Dale: I love it. Most of my music discovery has shifted to seeing what people talk about and share on Twitter - magazines and blogs have become so dependent on ad revenue, they rarely take risks, but peeps on social media just share what they love.

Dave: Platonic bordering on “it’s complicated.”

Dale: I used to work in social media. Like any tool, you can use it in positive or negative ways.

Recently, I saw that you posted about a conversation you had with another artist about success. Do you have a measure of success?

Sophie: To be able to constantly evolve as an artist, to carve out time to experiment, to have people around you that care and can challenge you. These are all small measures of success that matter greatly.

What is a goal you are hoping to achieve with your new album?

Sophie: To better ourselves as musicians and people and to connect with others. For anyone struggling with mental health or feeling lonely, if they hear our music and feel less alone, I feel we did okay.

Dale: For me, it’s always about trying to connect. You don’t want to change songs to be cool or popular, but you don’t want to keep people at arm’s length all the time. Even if the sentiment isn’t always upbeat, I think this album is very melodic and inviting. Sophie: I love that. These songs may sound sad, but they are hopeful. Writing and playing music is magical. It’s such a privilege. I’m grateful to be able to do it at all.

INTERVIEWED BY HEX HERNANDEZ

April 2nd, 2021