Acoustic duo WITH FOX talk to us about how they got together, their sound, and how they’re getting prepped for round one of Emergenza Festival Australia at The Lair next Wednesday, April 9th. Be sure to be there to check out the sweet tunes and vocal harmonies of WITH FOX, and in the meantime hear what the girls have to say in words.

WHAT’S THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NAME WITH FOX?
We played our first few shows as Hayley & Sam, which wasn’t the most original name in the world, so one of Hayley’s housemates created the name With Fox for us. I guess it’s evocative of the earthy sound we were going for. We loved the imagery of the name and ran with it.

WHO PLAYS WHAT IN THE BAND AND WHAT KEEPS YOU INSPIRED TO PLAY MUSIC TOGETHER?
The two core members are Hayley (vocals) and Samantha (12 string guitar). Fate led us to the Strawberry Hotel in Surry Hills after we got in touch over a muso’s website. A quick beer and introduction turned into hours of comparing musical loves, playing trivia and drinking the bar dry. It was love at first karaoke. We had a real passion for creating a vibe that wasn’t typical of the usual female-fronted acoustic acts, which led to us making waves on the Sydney scene. Recently we added Toby (keyboards) to our line up after he did an awesome remix of one of our songs, and we have Warren or Chris on drums (depending on the night), which has added a whole new dimension to our sound. We’ve been able to reinvent songs and layer more of our electro ideas to the live sets, which has really pushed us along in terms of inspiration.

IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Stompy. Dreamy. Foxy.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSICAL AND NON-MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS?
Ibiza is a special, inspirational place for both of us. Musically the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Donna Summer, Boy and Bear, David Bowie, The Klaxons, Owl Eyes.

WHERE HAVE YOU PLAYED BEFORE AND WHAT WOULD YOUR DREAM GIG BE?
You can find us around and about in Sydney – World Bar, The Forresters, Selina’s @ Coogee Bay Hotel, Bar 100, The Trinity, the Billich Art Gallery to name but a few … Our dream gig would be headlining Falls Festival or playing at sunset on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour.

HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THE SHOW AT THE LAIR?
By playing plenty of other shows and channelling our inner divas.

WITH OTHER BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITIONS AROUND, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE EMERGENZA?
Emergenza represents an incredible opportunity to play iconic venues and for us as a new act to get our music out there. It’s also great to see a competition with no restrictions on genre.

For more details on the show at The Lair @ The Metro Theatre in Sydney on April 9th, click here.