Phoenix-based band Paper Foxes is a paradox. Its lyrics can often be dark, but its overall sound is polished and poppy.
The five piece’s danceable, disco-infused tunes are inspired by new wave bands like Talking Heads and Joy Division, but they have a signature sound all their own.
Vocalist and guitarist CJ Jacobson calls their debut album, Pop Confessions, “sun-soaked but sinister.”
The record, which was released in September 2019, features eight tracks that serve as “an upbeat social commentary about heartbreak, political turmoil and falling in love,” according to Johnson.
Though these ideas might seem incongruous, Paper Foxes is all about switching things up. In fact, the band’s name comes from a shape-shifting motif from Japanese folklore.
“The fox was both a benevolent and malevolent figure known as a shape-shifter,” Jacobson says. “We want our music to change shapes like the fox.”
The band, which also consists of drummer Matthew Foos, guitarist Oliver Lemke, synth and keytar player Patro Gaston and bassist Robert Ciuca, was originally just Jacobson’s songwriting project. It blossomed into a garage trio in 2013.
“We’ve had a few different lineup changes but when Patro joined in 2015, we started heading in a new wave direction with his synth,” he says. “Our sound grew as our members changed throughout the years.”
Lemke joined in 2017 after the previous guitarist left. “We ended up discovering a really cool creative chemistry,” he says.
The guitarist grew up in Idaho where he says there was no music scene, so he’s grateful for the camaraderie and collaboration that the Phoenix music community offers. “It’s like I found a larger world I could be part of,” he says.
Jacobson was born and raised in Phoenix and says he spent his high school years “stalking” local bands like The Stiletto Formal and Small Leaks Sink Ships.
“I eventually started writing music myself after being so inspired by all the great artists from Phoenix,” he says.
When he’s not feeling so inspired, Jacobson finds a delicate balance of cannabis and caffeine to push himself into a creative zone. “Results may vary,” he says.
What can fans expect at a live show? Lots of energy and psychedelic visuals, Jacobson says.
“We’re very groove-focused but also wild in a certain way. We give it everything we’ve got,” Lemke adds. “There’s a special vibe that a band and an audience create together, and we try to really live inside that.”
Catch Paper Foxes at Last Exit Live on Saturday, March 28. Learn more at paperfoxesband.com.
Photo by Bryant Redd
