Fixation: Taking A Leap Of Faith
Starting a band is always a leap of faith but to do so in the midst of a global pandemic where live shows and touring was forbidden and faced an uncertain future, the stakes are arguably at their highest. Such is the case of FIXATION. Having formed in the dark days of 2020, the Norwegians have bide their time, slowly cultivating hype through online channels awaiting the days the world opened its doors once more. And now, three years on and with the height of COVID a distant nightmare, FIXATION are poised to make their mark on a scene recovering with debut full-length album More Subtle Than Death.
“I was sitting on the plane to Finland, and I was thinking ‘oh my god it’s our debut album!’, which is pretty insane,” vocalist Jonas Hansen tells us. “It’s been much longer than we anticipated or planned. The only reason for that is that we’ve been slow and we’re a bunch of perfectionists, so we’ve been using a lot of time to perfect everything. I think it’s worked out for the better to push it until now because it seems like the right time for it.”
Indeed, by biding their time, it feels like the stars have aligned perfectly for FIXATION to make their maximum impact with their debut album. It began last year, with a last minute call to replace SPIRITBOX at Norway’s premier rock and metal festival, Tons Of Rock, and since then, the band have supported DEVIN TOWNSEND across mainland Europe and the UK, as well as performances at major staples in the festival calendar such as Download Festival. For Jonas, as he reflects on their extensive touring with just a slew of singles to their name, he has seen that momentum has been building, “I think this year has been the biggest increase in listeners for us!” He beams. “I think it’s all because of those gigs. A really kind thing people have said is that we’ve managed to get those type of shows before we have even released a debut album, it’s really nice to hear people be excited about that!”
Having momentum from the live circuit is one thing, but having solid tunes in their arsenal to capitalise on the hype is the solidity that FIXATION need to truly make their mark in an over-populated scene with countless bands wanting their own slice of the pie. Fortunate then, that More Subtle Than Death is jam-packed with modern rock anthems and emotional depth, all woven together to flow seamlessly. Straddling a myriad of sounds across the rock spectrum, Jonas explains that it was a conscious thought for the band not to pigeon themselves into one particular niche within the alternative space.
“We’ve been wanting to not make an album with nine of the same songs, but then again, I think we didn’t really plan for it,” he reflects. “We’ve gathered so much different types of music. Growing up, I listened to lots of more pop rock bands like THE KILLERS or KINGS OF LEON, and we have people in the band listening to much more heavy stuff – we’ve all gathered different genres together growing up. I think that’s accumulated to the sound that FIXATION is because it’s not really a conscious sound, it’s more like we thrive in trying different things and not putting a limit on ourselves.”
Musically, FIXATION feel like Norway’s answer to HOLDING ABSENCE, but dig beneath the surface and it becomes increasingly clear that there is a collective maturity to the band, years beyond their young years. Delving into a wealth of topics such as climate change, the trials and tribulations of living with social media, and numerous other social criticisms, the band put the modern era under a microscope and scathingly critique our collective failings as a ‘civilised’ species. “I think it’s always been like that,” Jonas answers when we pose the topic of FIXATION‘s lyrical content. “It’s always been about social criticism or viewing the state of the world from my perspective. I always run my lyrics by the rest of the band to make sure we all think this way, we’re on the same wavelength with all these themes.”
With More Subtle Than Death, FIXATION are poised to make the world their oyster. A stunning debut and numerous live performances under their belt, momentum is on their side and the future looks bright for a band with plenty to say and a potency for crafting music that resonates. Looking ahead, as we close our time with Jonas, we pose the question on what they hope to achieve and what we hear is enthusiasm and anticipation for the future. “More Subtle Than Death is a way for us to place ourselves in the industry. We have to find our place and I think this is where we start. It’s music that we love to make, it’s our passion. It’s always been a dream. I started saying I wanted to be a rock star when I was eight years old! But, my personal goal is that someone listens to the songs and it impacts their life in a positive way because music has been such an important thing for me to how I experience life. If I’m able to do that for someone else, that’s the biggest goal!”
More Subtle Than Death is out now via Indie Recordings.
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