With the desire to create synth-pop music that's like a 'beam of glossy '80s light that channels Carly Rae Jepsen vibes and Whitney Houston soul', Melbourne duo FancyNormal are ready to release their debut single, 'Ultra Passion'.
The pairing of vocalist Noni (who arrived in Australia from Indonesia when the she was only 10, her only English being the songs from Britney Spears '...Baby One More Time' album) and Jules (who blends warm synths and big tom fills), FancyNormal formed during Melbourne's lockdown.As the duo work towards their debut EP, 'Starters & Appetizers' due for release January 2021, FancyNormal introduce themselves to you. Prepare for the colour saturation to be cranked to the max.
Who is FancyNormal... FancyNormal is an indie-pop duo from Melbourne. Noni (vocals) and Jules (music) started the project after being frustratingly bored during the COVID lockdown with the aim of bringing a little sunshine and happiness to what has been an incredibly challenging year.
We sound like... We emanate a retro '80s inspired sound, driven by influences like Carly Rae Jepsen, Ralph and The Naked and Famous. It's a synth driven, love baby between Whitney Houston and the 'Baywatch' intro.
Our first gig was... We're still in lockdown at the moment, but our first single 'Ultra Passion' will be released 1 November. Pre-order it.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... We had a hard time picking the name, so we got two buckets and a bunch of scrap paper and filled one bucket with adjectives, and the other with nouns.
'FancyNormal' was the one we liked the most. Closely seconded by 'Sweaty Hour' and 'Allergic to Clam'.
In the studio we usually... Argue a lot, but then we crack open a bottle of gin and everything is alright in the world again. Noni has a special wardrobe closet where she records vocals – it's the perfect height for her being 5"2.
If we could tour with anyone... It would be a dream come true for us to tour with Ralph or Magdalena Bay.
Social media is... We're most active on Instagram and Twitter.
My favourite app at the moment is? Zombies, Run. It's like a running app but every time you slow down you start to hear zombies chasing you – it's perfect for keeping fit in a pandemic.
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... I mean, it's kind of a right of passage to sh.t your pants as an adult – we have both done this on several occasions after a little too much coffee.
Life on the road can be... A faint memory/ dream at this stage.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Anything above 12 per cent will do the job nicely. A cheese platter is also good too.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in, was... One time we were driving around looking for cool stuff on the side of the road from hard waste collection.
It was dark and we turned down a weird street with no houses. There was this old man in the middle of nowhere picking through some rubbish. He just stops and stares directly at us. I swear it looked like he didn't have a face.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band? Kath Day-Knight and Kel Knight (from 'Kath & Kim'). No one rivals the pure sexual energy between this power couple.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Los Angeles. So much of our inspiration and aesthetic comes from that beautiful city. There's so much diversity and outrageous style.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party? Ursula Carson – every good dinner party needs a hilarious Kiwi to break the ice and make everyone feel comfortable.
Arj Barker – Arj will bring special brownies for dessert and provide light dinner conversation. Dave Chappelle – Dave will cap the evening off with a hilarious but genius philosophical commentary on society. It's the perfect night.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? Uber Eats because we don't need that stress in our lives.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Emu Export.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... March 2020, just before they closed them all.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Taking the rubbish/ recycling out – it means climbing flights of stairs and we are unfit and very tired individuals.
Do you have any phobias... please explain? Noni hates snakes and worms. Jules is afraid of small-medium heights. If it's high enough to die from it's cool, but if it's like a ladder then he'll sh.t his pants.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? 'Amazing Race'. The world needs to know it's completely possible to bicker constantly and still make a winning team.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Our friends will definitely read this and there's no way we are ruining this one.
