The Foxies Ask Who Are You Now, Who Were You Then?

By Phil Hawkins

There is something truly amazing about discovering music organically. Whether it be a band, and album or just a single track. It’s the newness that makes it fresh and gives no leigh way to any type of preconceived notion.

Back in May of this year I was granted the honor to discover (for myself) The Foxies when they played BreakFest in Franklin, TN. It was truly an enlightening experience that has carried on for several months leading up to the release of their first full length album, Who Are You Now, Who Were You Then?, that releases this week (September 23rd).

At face value many might be quick to view The Foxies as a copy of pop-punk titans, Paramore. However, in doing so would be a vast disservice to The Foxies. Yes, the similarities are there, but where Paramore may lean more to the poppy side of things The Foxies digs deep and takes a grittier approach to their craft and lyricism. It is also to note that vocalist Julia Lauren Bullock draws influence from No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani (read more about that in our Tuned Up interview here).

Over the course of the past several months The Foxies have released several singles in anticipation of the release of Who Are You Now, Who Were You Then? giving a solid glimpse of what we could all expect without forfeiting the element of surprise. The album opens with “Overrated” which is an instant jam and wastes no time to get the blood pumping and your body moving (this was my favorite track in their live set). “Headsweat” follows and is very lyrically tongue in cheek but is sure to gets stuck in your head as it is rhythmically infectious. “I Don’t Wanna Want It” (the latest single) keeps the upbeat tempo of the previous tracks while maintaining some tongue in cheek lyricism that continues to pique your interest and draw you in to the album as a whole.

“Hey Dude” shifts the tempo down slightly but the track is solidly carried by some fun guitar parts. “Good Try” carries some solid lyricism with a more mellow approach, but allows Bullock’s vocals to take more of a front seat and really soar at moments. “Small Apartment” keeps the more mellow vibe and loosens the grit a bit in exchange for a more melodic approach against an ethereal background. “If Life Were A Movie” picks the tempo back up for the second half of the album and plays with some interesting dynamics both musically and vocally that work well creating a bit of a thematic element on the track.

“Blush Boy” seems to take a very introspective approach from a third person perspective. It is a highlight on the album that, hopefully, will not get lost being so late in the album. Appropriately titled, “Y2k” sounds like it could easily have been released in the late 90s and possibly be featured in a teen movie. It is a distinct track that has a catchy hook to it. “Crushed Velvet” is a solid ballad-esque track that could easily draw comparisons to some of [Gwen] Stefani’s solo work she has released post No Doubt. The album draws to a close with “Then I’ll Go (Good Not Golden)” which serves as the perfect endcap on the album. It’s slower tempo is utilized perfectly to create the contrast from the opening track and first half of the album showing the musical diversity the band is capable of.

Who Are You Now, Who Were You Then? is a fun and reflective album that serves as a bit of a journey introspectively and sure to catch the attention of new listeners who are willing to give it a full play through. If you stick to just the singles you end up missing some of the depth and grit that the album offers up.

Who Are You Now, Who Were You Then? will be available September 23rd via all major digital and streaming platforms. You can link to purchase via the band’s website here.