Biography

Comprising invigorating, ebullient vocals with kinetic, summery guitar work and pronounced electro percussion, the Fontaines are a Los Angeles-based alternative pop/rock outfit. Led by siblings Charlotte (vocals) and Hank (guitar), the project's live incarnation is complete with the addition of drummer Chrystian Kaplan and bassist Daniel Zuker. Describing their style as "new-wop," the brother-and-sister duo grew up in Texas and bonded over a vast array of musical styles, from the likes of Blondie and the Cars to the Smiths and Joy Division to the more traditionally organic soulful stylings of Sam Cooke and Dusty Springfield. As the two grew older, they began to explore music even further, eventually deciding to begin writing their own songs, inspired by some of the great music that had soundtracked their childhood and teens. With the help of friends, the two played their first show on the eve of their graduation, and with the thrill of live performance taking hold, they decided to pursue creating music down a more serious path. Hank relocated to Los Angeles to fulfill a desire to "live in a culturally important city where I could be in warm weather and still go out and hear rock 'n' roll at night." Charlotte soon followed, with an eagerness to follow her brother into the music industry. With a number of song ideas under their belt, the Fontaines were soon born (the name was inspired by the character of Tripp Fontaine from Jeffrey Eugenides' book The Virgin Suicides alongside the character of Johnny Fontaine from The Godfather). Soon, after having re-formed a live ensemble, the Fontaines were performing anywhere they could, eventually generating an ever-burgeoning fan base as a result of the turnout at their gigs. Their debut release, a 2015 self-titled EP, dominated the higher end of specialty radio charts, with the group going on to perform at a number of international music festivals. In early 2016 the Fontaines released their second EP (aptly entitled ii), which featured a cover of Cold War Kids' hit "Hang Me Up to Dry." Like its predecessor, it garnered positive reviews for its eclectic mixture of doo wop-inspired vocals; bright, soulful melodies; and sleek, polished production. They followed up with the track "Evaporate" in early 2017. ~ Rob Wacey, Rovi