Fotoform have shared their new festive song, ‘They Say It’s Always Lonely,’ all proceeds from the sale of the single will be donated to Seattle food banks during the holiday season. Wistful and dreamy it pairs glistening synths and guitars with haunting vocals, perfectly summing the bittersweet feeling of spending Christmas, apart from your family.
“The holidays will certainly be different for all of us this year as we face the challenges of staying safe (and sane) during the pandemic, while trying to bridge the distances between us. This song came from the heart, and to us it encapsulates the bittersweet feeling the holidays bring, especially this year.”
Written and recorded in a flurry of inspiration right before the holidays last year, “They say it’s always lonely” is a departure from Fotoform’s typical shimmering waves of guitar and melodic bass. ‘They say it’s always lonely‘ came together in a holiday rush. A vintage synth sound was the catalyst for the song, and the synth parts and words tumbled out, soon joined by a drum machine and guitars.
Once again this year, all proceeds from the song will go to the West Seattle and University District food banks to help combat food insecurity.
The song itself documents the initial sparks of inspiration, with the majority of tracks recorded as they were being written, flowing straight from the heart. Evan Foster mixed the home recordings, and Jack Endino mastered the final song. (“We’d always wanted to work with Jack Endino, but we never imagined it would be on a bedroom synth pop song”).
Fittingly, the video was also a family affair, with Evan’s brother (and bandmate) Erik putting together the video from the band’s home movies and a single distanced shoot in a friend’s backyard on a dark December afternoon. (Bonus points for the cameos of the Barneys New York kinetic holiday windows from a few years back, RIP)
Bandcamp: https://fotoform.bandcamp.com/track/they-say-its-always-lonely
Taking their name from a mid-century avant-garde photography movement, Seattle’s Fotoform create melodic, gauzy, and driving post-punk with their second album, Horizons. Longtime music collaborators (and married couple) Kim House (bass, vocals, synths) and Geoffrey Cox (guitar) are now joined by former Death Cab for Cutie / Long Winters drummer Michael Schorr.
