Melbourne post-punk, pop outfit The Fix Ups are gearing up for the release of their debut album this Friday followed by a home-town launch in September.
Described on their Facebook page as 'fresh indie-funk feel with angular post-punk vocals underpinned by a strong pop sensibility', the band started life with a 17-date tour across the USA.
Marlene Samson and Nikos Shannon criss-crossed America, the band's baptism by fire directed their musical output to what got the best reactions on the road.
When they returned to Melbourne, with drummer Ash Meaghre now in tow, the band set-up a makeshift studio in a Templestowe farmhouse and began tracking their debut album.
"We wanted to record these songs as quickly as possible to capture the energy of writing them. The sound jumped an order of magnitude with the addition of real drums. And recording the whole album in two days was stamina provoking," Marlene says.
The genre-crossing record is for fans of Architecture In Helsinki, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ting Tings and Goldfrapp.
One of the quieter tracks is the synth-ballad 'Breathe'. "'Breathe' is about inner reflections, connecting to the elements and getting away from the rat race life can present at times," Marlene says.
"It was written by the beach in winter, where we were doing exactly that, as well as being inspired by the mysteries of the unknown."
The video is haunting and confusing as you wonder if a murder has taken place and who is the murderer. Is the person just going mad? "The film was made by UK filmmaker Katy Milner and shot along the River Thames in London," Marlene says.
"Katy and I lived in a warehouse together back in the day and Katy asked me if there was a song that she could shoot a video for.
"'Breathe' fit the imagery she wanted to film perfectly with the images of winter and inner reflection, as well as adding a bit of suspense. It is a story about how a woman accidentally shoots her friend and is haunted by the gun."
The Fix Ups have shared the video of 'Breathe' with scenestr that we're premiering today.
