FAWNN

In 2010 the Detroit quartet FAWN assembled its lineup from four musicians already steeped in Great Lakes music scenes: Alicia Gbur of the Nice Device and Von Bondies, Christian Doble of Kiddo and Child Bite, Matt Rickle of Thunderbirds Are Now! and the Javelins, and Mike Spence of Those Transatlantics. The group positioned its sound squarely between indie rock and post-punk, crafting compact, propulsive twilight city pop built on seamless boy/girl vocal blends reminiscent of the New Pornographers, the expansive roar of the Joy Formidable, and the unpredictable formal shifts associated with the Breeders. Quite Scientific Records issued the band’s first full-length studio effort, Coastlines, in June 2012; the album secured several weeks on the CMJ Top 200 after early tracks received exposure on Noisey and Consequence of Sound. Four years passed before FAWN returned with Ultimate Oceans in 2016. The extended interval stemmed partly from guitarist Mike Spence’s decision to pursue another professional commitment; rather than recruit a replacement, the remaining members adjusted their schedule to accommodate his reduced availability and simply waited until he could rejoin the process.