Having spent the last few years grinding away at their craft, this act have buried themselves deep into the heart of the country’s alternative music scene. Having become a notorious name in the DIY community, a group of four friends have won the hearts and minds of fans from all corners of the UK with their uniquely blended brand of song-craft.
Meet I Feel Fine, a collective of musicians who can tug on the heartstrings of even the most stoic of listeners. Carrying their trademark four part harmonies and every present gang vocals, the south-east four piece exploded into being with the release of their debut EP Long Distance Celebration in 2018, and it’s been a heart-wrenching ride ever since. There’s something that invokes a warmth with every note played and every syllable shouted, and as the band have grown both collectively and as individuals, their music hasn’t just developed – but swelled in size.
Already tantalizing fans with two new singles from their impending release, I Feel Fine are back to deliver their message, and word is spreading fast. With lead singles ‘SelfSame’ and ‘Elemenohpea’ receiving high praise from a wide array of critics, the bar for the band’s debut full length The Cold In Every Shelter has already been set at a high benchmark. Both tracks are refined, yet keep every ounce of their authenticity. With a mellow yet excitable energy that can fit any mood, The Cold In Every Shelter is shaping up to be a hidden gem that needs to be revealed immediately.
We were fortunate to sit down with the guys to catch up on all that’s been going on since the first EP, the inspiration behind the record and what it’s like sharing a label with Gallows.
It’s been a minute since we heard some new music from the I Feel Fine camp, how long exactly has the album been in the works?
Nathan (guitar/vocals): “More than a minute, that’s for sure.”
“We had quite a bit going on after the EP came out in May ‘18, so the timeline gets a little hazy for me. There was a separate single we released a year later, but even before that got recorded I’m sure I already had two of the new songs at least close to finished.”
“Not that we were giving too much mind to an album at that point. I’d say that discussion got a lot more serious once the shows around You Know Where I’m Hiding were out of the picture. So call it mid-2019. We even took a band holiday in the Belgian countryside for the best part of two weeks that Summer to crack on with it, if you must know.”
What can you tell us about the title? Is there a specific meaning behind ‘The Cold in Every Shelter’?
Nathan: “For sure. It’s basically exploring this idea of feeling uncomfortable in spaces or situations where a vast number of people appear both settled and satisfied. Key word being “appear”.”
“It’s a mindset I found myself slipping into a lot when writing the words. When we assess other people and attempt to measure them against ourselves, we do so because we’re not self-assured. And through that lens almost everybody else can seem to have it much more figured out than we do. But that lens is tarnished, and you can bet we all have one. I’m certainly trying to fall back on my own far less often these days.”
How do you guys approach your writing process? How do you build an I Feel Fine record from the ground up?
Antoine (drums/vocals): “Nathan is the man with the vision here, he usually creates the skeleton for each song but afterwards we’re all very involved in how everyone’s parts are created around it, we’ve got the tendency to obsess over every note and transition, which makes it a slow but satisfying process. I think all of us are also very attentive to how the songs work together and we try to keep them as varied as possible. Something we’re particularly happy with this record is the addition of extra instruments (organ, piano, strings), which is something new and exciting for us.”
You’ve come such a long way since your debut EP – but are there any core elements of your sound that featured on Long Distance Celebration that you think you’ve retained on the album?
Nathan – “Excuse the pun, but what I liked most about that EP were the parts where it genuinely felt actually quite celebratory. The climax to ‘Pan for Gold’ is probably the easiest for me to reference when I say that – basically melodies that are simultaneously sad, yet also powerful and uplifting in some way. When I got really into mapping the new record out, that was always an energy I wanted to retain, even grow, as much as possible.”
As for specifics, well, we still write parts neither of us can play properly of course!
The live session you guys recorded for Beached Community at The Bookhouse came out beautifully when it was recorded – are there any plans for some similar sessions for the new material?
Antoine: “Well… let’s just say that we might or might not have recorded another one of these last weekend, god I’m good at this teasing business, so keep them eyes peeled.”
What inspired you guys to first start using the gang vocal element as such a centerpiece for your sound?
Antoine: “In the early days of the band, we spent some time looking for an actual singer, but never found one we were totally happy with so instead we made the whole band one. Also I’ve grown up looking at videos of bands having the entire crowd singing the words with them and that’s always something I’ve always loved the energy of, and gang vocals totally facilitate that, I can’t wait until the day when hopefully people start joining in with us. I think I might cry when it happens.”
How does it feel to be on the same roster as label mates Gallows?
Jack (bass/vocals): “We were all big fans of Gallows back in the day so it’s a little surreal to be honest. More than anything though Lags’ experience from his time in Gallows and the advice he’s been able to give us from that has really been invaluable. We’re also really stoked to be on such a talented and diverse roster – we’re so passionate about what we do and it’s great to have our music share a home with other artists who feel similarly about their own work.”
You’ve already announced a short run of dates with your mates in Lakes – are there any other touring plans you can disclose?
Jack: “We’ve got some plans in the works for 2022 which will hopefully shape up to be quite busy for us, but we’ve been working on some shows that we’re hoping we’ll be able to talk about fairly soon. All we’ll say is that these guys with Lakes won’t be the last you’ll see of us this year.”
Throughout your career so far you guys have been constantly championed for your DIY ethos and love for the DIY music community – is this outlook something you hope to retain for the entirety of your journey?
Jack: “Absolutely. We’ve all come up through DIY communities and it’s important not to leave those spaces behind. We’ve met so many kind and talented people and one of the real joys of working around the release of the album has been being able to collaborate with people who’s work we love. Having that freedom to pick and choose what we do to make sure we put out the most authentic vision of our work is something I just couldn’t see happening if we were to go any other route.”
Throughout your career so far you guys have been constantly championed for your DIY ethos and love for the DIY music community – is this outlook something you hope to retain for the entirety of your journey?
Antoine: “The DIY scene is something beautiful that we’ve always cherished, there’s something so incredible about playing shows in places you’ve never played before, organised by someone you’ve never met, that offers you a place to stay and something to eat. It’s everything I love about the DIY scene, it’s the sort of thing that restores your faith in humanity, this human to human exchange. Same goes with labels, although it can be tricky to be dealing with 7 different labels at the same time, it’s quite magical to have strangers who believe in your music on the other side of this sad rock.”
In the months since you first started teasing material you’ve received some brilliant praise from some fairly notable names including Daniel P Carter & the Radio 1 Rock Show – have you found yourselves occasionally getting a little overwhelmed by the records success thus far? Or are you taking it all in your stride
Antoine: “Yeah that was pretty crazy! Alex Baker from the Kerrang! also said such nice things about the record, it made me tear up. All the radio stuff happened thanks to Lags (Venn Records), he’s been such a massive help on this and an absolute pleasure to work with. I wouldn’t say we’re overwhelmed by the records success but it felt really special being played on the radio and getting some love from some really cool people, whether it’s an actual success or not … we’ll find out in a few months. We’re a small band and there’s still a lot of work to be done! We’re absolutely over the moon with what’s happened so far though, it’s been so nice to finally hear some reactions after sitting on the songs for so long.”
What can fans expect from you following the record’s release?
Antoine: “We’ve got a few surprises and ideas following the release, we don’t want to say too much yet but something that’s for sure is that, depending on how well the album does, we’d love to come back to Europe and maybe explore a little further (US? Japan?). We’re also planning a late release party, well technically two, that we’ll announce soon!
If you could sum up the album in one word – what would it be?
Antoine: “Harder”
Nathan: “Better”
Jack: “Faster”
Joe: “Stronger”