Author | Michelle King
What does it take to “make it” as a band? Is it that one pop-friendly hit that skyrockets you into the charts and top 40 radio? Maybe you have a song placed in a Victoria’s Secret commercial or get asked out on tour with Lorde (both of which are true for artists we’ve featured here before). All are possible. These things happen… sometimes.
But you know what else can work? Persistence. Continuing, year after year, to release truly good music, albeit from a place of relative obscurity and even when it might not be easy or convenient. Case in point: Faded Paper Figures.
The LA-based indie pop trio met in 2007 and released their first album Dynamo in 2008. Sophomore full-length New Medium came in 2010. Like clockwork, 2012 saw the release of The Matter and this fall, the band dropped their most recent and by far most well-received album to date, Relics.
Even when it didn’t seem that making music would/should/could be a priority (after their first album, one member started med school at UCLA and another moved to Connecticut to take a teaching position at Yale) these three kept cranking out smart, sophisticated indie pop year after year.
Relics showcases the band’s ability to craft soft electronic beats reminiscent of Dntel paired with wonderfully sweet harmonies to make some of the most catchy tunes we’ve heard from the band to date. And with the critical acclaim the album is receiving, I would bet they are glad they didn’t quit their night jobs.
Follow Faded Paper Figures on Facebook and Twitter.
Michelle King is a music fiend currently residing in Athens, GA. While her business card will tell you she is executive manager and director of publicity at Noisy Ghost PR, you can also find her blogging at She Turns the Tables, racing for Reality Bikes, and going on adventures with her awesome dog.
Follow Michelle on Spotify for up to the minute musical suggestions!
