Fake a Smile Take Us Track By Track Through Their Debut EP ‘Shoot Me to the Moon’
We quickly obsessed over Fake a Smile, falling in love with the British trio's unambiguously moody, angsty guitar-driven sound that balances a fresh but familiar repertoire. Buttressed by impressive film-like visuals, their recent singles have startled us into early fandom, leading to the release of their debut EP, Shoot Me to the Moon, which we believe will merit some credible year-end lists. Wanting to hear from the band directly, comprised of Jamie Kravos, Luca Ellison, and Ryan Poole, we reached out to learn about the influences, nuances, and inspirations for their excellent debut EP.
"Appetite"
We wrote "Appetite" after touching down in Los Angeles, fueled by the excitement of being in a new city. It’s about self-liberation and the confidence to put yourself out there again after the end of a relationship. We infused classic '60s elements of old rock and roll, with The Rolling Stones-esque fuzzy guitars over swung drums. "Appetite" has a forward momentum that pulls you forward and sets the tone for the rest of the EP.
"Shoot me to the Moon"
"Shoot Me to the Moon" leans into the more psychedelic realm of our sound. Simply put, it’s about the idea of getting high on being with someone. There’s a delicateness in the way it’s produced with the doubling of acoustic and electric guitars, and hauntingly soft synths.
"Prom Dress"
"Prom Dress" was our first single of this EP and we felt it made a great introduction to us. There’s obvious themes of nostalgia and youthfulness on this track but they’re emphasised by Gianluca Buccellati’s production “When we wrote Prom Dress, I was feeling anxious about growing older,” says lead singer Jamie. “After turning 24 last year I found myself constantly reminiscing on the past… After some self-reflection, I’ve come to embrace how much life changes.”
"Show Yourself Around"
"Show Yourself Around" continues the theme of self-empowerment and moving on. It’s inspired by the sounds of bands like Washed Out and Connan Mockasin. You gotta dust yourself off, dress up sexy and get on that dance floor.
"Don’t Stop"
We’d been talking about the pressure our generation feels to endlessly pursue and portray a perfect life on social media, which doesn’t exist. We channelled these conversations into this track, creating a darker undertone, with more elements of early rock music, more so in the vein of Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd.
