Back in July 2014 I became aware of the band TELL NO FOXX when I first heard their debut single, the atmospheric and moody, Boulevard. The Wicklow trio, comprised of Brian Sillery, Luke Lacey, and Johnny Flood, were demonstrating a maturity and sophistication to their writing that was absent in the writing of so many other bands. The track was to be the lead single from the excellent Boulevard EP, which the band self-produced and recorded, and it would expertly build on the sound that was heard on the track.

Known for performing while wearing paper fox masks, there is an air of mystery around the band that extends to the sound of their music. Every song by the band feels as though the full story is not being revealed to the audience, which makes for a compelling listening experience.

tnf

The hype that began to develop around the band in the immediate aftermath of this EP was a result of the strong online following that the band were beginning to develop online. The songs that TELL NO FOXX deal in build slowly and often exist without a peak, and as a result most are not made to slot in amongst the traditional pop songs on mainstream radio, this makes the bands online presence all the more important.

March 2015 would see the band release the single that would get them proper acclaim by music journalists and fans in Ireland. Dust would showcase everything that was great about this band, the reverb textures throughout the song, the introspective lyrics and the sense of sorrow and feeling that permeates every sound. The single would receive massive acclaim and it would even end up being remixed by electronic pop producer, Daithí Ó Dronaí.

But then just as it seemed that things were starting to take off for the band, they went silent. The band decided to take a year away from music in 2016 in an attempt to rejuventate themselves “as friends and as a band”, as they explained in a facebook post at Christmas last December. The post suggested at new music in the coming year but as of the writing of this post, Dust remains that last official release by the trio.

This writer desperately hopes that we have not heard the last from this band just yet.

MK