Perth, Australia is one of the most isolated major cities in the world. Everything about it is small, including the music scene. Notable pop artist Troye Sivan is one of the city’s most beloved musical icons, but he’s no longer the only artist from the area getting worldwide attention. Enter high school-formed band “The Faim,” who have just signed a global deal with BGM records and are set to embark on their first world tour. “Faim” is French for “hunger” — and it’s a perfect salute to the band’s vision and ethics.
Previously called “Small Town Heroes,” the group met in high school and soon realized they had a certain rhythm together. Josh Raven (lead vocals), Sam Tye (guitar), Stephen Beerkens (bass and keyboard) and Sean Tighe (drums and percussion) knew from the beginning that if they wanted to make it big in their small town music scene, they were going to have to work harder than ever before. So they did, beginning with posting 30-second covers of their favorite songs online and diligently handing out flyers outside of Perth Arena.
Their hard work soon paid off when renowned LA music producer, John Feldmann — who has worked with big names such as blink-182, All Time Low and 5 Seconds of Summer — posted on Instagram in search for unsigned bands with some touring experience. Although The Faim only fit one of the qualifications, they contacted Feldman anyway and told him about their work. To their surprise, Feldmann replied and soon they were recording in LA during the spring of 2017.
The band was able to explore their pop/punk roots as they worked alongside musicians like Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy, Ashton Irwin from 5 Seconds of Summer, Mark Hoppus from blink-182 and Josh Dun from Twenty One Pilots. With these collaborations, the band has only continued to profit from their hard work. They’ve released their first EP “Summer is a Curse,” played in several festivals, including Slam Dunk and Reading & Leeds and toured with PVRIS and Sleeping with Sirens.
Now with their first US tour in the works (alongside Hands Like Houses), the band is more than excited to share their work all across the world. Their music reflects the values and roots they’ve come from. The Faim are not only appreciative of the opportunities they’ve had but aware they have achieved success through diligent work. Commenting on their song “Saints of The Sinners,” lead vocalist Josh Raven said, “It was about what our journey was, coming out of nowhere and trying to take over the world as soon as we could.”
Perhaps the most compelling part of this band is that the tour is only their beginning. It’ll be interesting to see where they go from there, considering how far they’ve come already.
The Faim will be playing at the Complex on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018. You can purchase tickets here.
