“The triumphant ‘Julia' could be a lost hit for Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It's chiming, high-fidelity indie rock with, indeed, an awesome, dirty guitar line throughout that hooked me right away. ” -NPR
“[Fast Romantics] punch up a new breed of New Romanticism with plenty of power pop hooks...Matthew Angus croons, lovelorn, to his heart’s desire with Jarvis Cocker-esque swagger bolstered by the band’s exalting choruses, buzzing guitar licks, chiming keys and pulsing beat.” - KEXP
Fast Romantics have been blurring the lines between modern indie-rock and classic pop for some time, carving their own unique path into ears around the world. But with their latest release American Love, the world is paying much more attention to this fast growing Toronto-based band. Led by singer-songwriter Matthew Angus, Fast Romantics have begun to earn a loyal following with their irresistable pop hooks, anthemic live shows, and Angus’ emotive and personal approach to lyricism, often infused with the political and social chaos of the times.
But Angus insists that American Love, produced by the dynamic duo of Gus Van Go and Werner F (Wintersleep, Arkells, Whitehorse) is by no means a political protest record. Rather, it’s a series of reflections on falling in love while hyper-aware of the upheaval occupying the world around him -- especially in America. It’s a duality that is perhaps elevated by geography itself, as the songs were recorded over two years alternating between Brooklyn and Toronto. Work on the album began around the same time the US election campaigns launched, and the record was finally finished almost two years later, on election day.
American Love serves as a follow-up to Fast Romantics’ 2013 LP, Afterlife Blues, bringing together the most lyrical songs Angus has composed to date and at serves as the first record by what Angus describes as a “brand-new band.” The group — originally founded in 2008 in Calgary between sole-survivors Angus and bassist Jeffrey Lewis -- cleaned house in 2015, and added Toronto-based singer-songwriter Kirty, Kevin Black, Nick McKinlay, and Lisa Lorenz around the time they were set to record their breakthrough single Julia in 2015. “Julia” ended up climbing the charts, finding itself charting on commercial/AAA radio on both sides of the border, and eventually won the SOCAN national songwriting prize in 2016.
“It was two years building up a brand-new band, a new sound, a new show, getting to know each other,” Angus says. “We’ve really become the tightest of friends.” And the result? A band quickly winning accolades from all corners of music. The first single from American Love — the anthemic “Why We Fight”— broke the top 20 on the Canadian alternative rock charts (Mediabase) and hit #1 on the CBC R2 National Charts, and the band was recently short-listed for the prestigious Anchor Award at the Reeperbahn Festival in Germany.
With four songs from the album charting on Canadian alt-rock radio, and with all four singles reaching the top 5 on the CBC R2 National Charts, the band looks towards it’s next album. A long-lead single, “Mexico” is set to be released November 2, 2018, with the album planned for release in 2019.