Interview: Belle Haven Chats About New Single, ‘Fauxlove’
Naarm/Melbourne-based alternative rock band Belle Haven have just announced their exciting new EP ‘something new’ out on Friday, October 4. Accompanying this announcement is their first single off the record, ‘fauxlove’ – produced by Jack Newlyn (Between You & Me, bukowski) and mixed by James Paul Wisner (Paramore). To celebrate the new single and EP announce, we sat down with the band to suss it all out!
Thanks for chatting with AAA Backstage! How does it feel to finally have your latest track, ‘fauxlove’ released to the world?
Thank you for chatting with me, I really appreciate it. Finally releasing ‘fauxlove’ feels amazing—it’s a mix of overwhelming pride and relief. We’ve poured an immeasurable amount of hard work into this track and the EP (something new). It’s always a thrill to share new music with the world.
Walk us through the creative process behind this track? Did it start off as something completely different? Or did you have a sound set in stone from the beginning?
We find the best way to create is by diving in and not planning too much ahead. We were already a couple of tracks into the EP when we began working on ‘fauxlove,’ and compared to the others, it came together exceptionally fast. I think we really found the unique sound we were craving with ‘fauxlove,’ so after discovering this sound, we went back and injected more of it into the other tracks we were working on for the EP.
From DIY-ing the music video set, to self-directing the project, why is taking complete creative control over your work important to you as a band?
It really wasn’t even a choice; we’d made something so special and unique with the music, so the visuals had to have that same touch. We couldn’t offload the direction and production onto someone else—it wouldn’t have been a complete Belle Haven package that way.
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After making music together for over 10 years, what would you tell your younger selves? Any advice?
Firstly, I’d tell our younger selves to stop and take a step back. Stop trying to create something that hurts so much. Work on yourselves, be patient, and take your time with it. Mental and physical health are the backbone of everything we do, and without them, everything crumbles. We know that now.
Secondly, write what you crave to hear and what you’re not already hearing.
Belle Haven almost called it quits not so long ago, what inspired you to keep on making and playing music together?
I think we’d all but officially acknowledged that Belle Haven was over. For me, making genuine and meaningful progress with my health for the first time in my life played a huge part in deciding to continue. But that was a process that really needed to happen for all of us. We finally took the time to step back and reassess, without the end goal being “and then the band will pick back up.” Truly stepping away from it was crucial. Taking time away from performing music also gave us the chance to realise that we are meant to do this, but it has to be genuine.
Anything fun and exciting planned for the rest of you can tell us about?
Our new EP, something new, drops on October 4th, and you can pre-order it now to help us crack the top 50 on the ARIA charts. Before that, we’re playing BIGSOUND Festival in Brisbane this September, which is pretty next-level. We might even have another music video in the works—who knows? Plus, there’s a lot of unannounced touring around the corner. Stay tuned by following us on Instagram (or any other social media, really), joining our mailing list, or all of the above. We’ll keep you in the loop with all of it.
BELLE HAVEN
LIVE SHOW DATES
MON 2 SEP | THE BRIGHTSIDE, MEANJIN/BRISBANE QLD*
WED 4 SEP | THE BRIGHTSIDE, MEANJIN/BRISBANE QLD**
*Destroy All Lines Agency Showcase
**BIGSOUND Showcase
