First getting together after frontman Derec Patrick met guitarist Preston Bell through putting up bedrooms demos on Bandcamp, LA-based indie darlings Fringe, who are completed by drummer Zach Capittifenton, started their path to become your new faves.

Putting out their debut EP not long after they got together, they took their time to expertly craft their debut album Happens So Fast, which is out today! A beautiful record with songs that will instantly pull on the heartstrings, Derec’s lyrics follow stories of love and loss soundtracked by delightful indie melodies.

We caught up with Derec to find out more…

Your debut album is out – how are you feeling? Nervous? Excited?

I think we’re all feeling excited to release songs that we’re proud of, not so much nervous. I feel really good about the album and I feel like it will resonate with people. Even if it doesn’t, it’s special to me and honestly that’s enough. I’m also excited to just move on and start writing and recording new songs, we’ve been so preoccupied with this release that new songs haven’t gotten the proper attention they deserve.

How long have you guys been working on it for?

We began working on the album last year, in the summer of 2017. Aron, who recorded the album, goes to NYU for music engineering and we’d record with him on his breaks. So half of the album was done in the summer and half over Thanksgiving break.

“2AM” is the first song from the record, what made you guys want to lead with that song?

“2AM” definitely opens the album with a sense of vulnerability that sets the tone for the rest of the songs. It really floats in, guitars begin layering and so does self questioning – “what do you see when you see me? what do you feel…” questions anyone might ask on a daily basis, a switch clicks on and off and on the fourth click, an engine (from an organ) starts and opens up to, “I feel like a child when your eyes light up over the silliest things”.

Sometimes we get overwhelmed with thoughts and self doubt and sometimes it’s enough to know that small, nostalgic, things like being a kid again is enough to validate a feeling, enough to answer all the questions that fly across the back of your mind. A lot of the album, lyrically, is me trying to find myself and I begin finding some answers to all these questions in the later songs.

You’ve mentioned that it kind of sets the tone as it talks about relationships. Does that form the core inspiration for the record?

Most of the songs do come down to relationships, though not in a classical love-type sense. While some do deal with a break up, others deal with a different sort broken heartedness. “Jeremy” has to do with my relationship with a homeless friend and the feeling of not being able to do enough or be enough to help a friend in need and although it sounds like a gender-related song, “Boys” is about visiting my kid brother in jail. While the song “Endless” is about a good friend who was brutally murdered and my first real experience dealing with death. Songwriting is just such an amazing outlet, it’s easy to compartmentalize your feelings and sometimes I feel really stuck when it comes to dealing with things. Writing songs and playing music is so cathartic, it’s really helped me better understand difficult situations and feelings like these ones.

What were your influences when writing?

All of my writing comes from personal experiences so I’m heavily influenced by my friends, the people I’m surrounded by and the small moments we all share. For me it’s all about examining those people and moments – sometimes from a far and holding them loosely, sometimes romanticizing them, sometimes holding them too tight and crushing them, sometimes twisting things up to create a different world. I’m extremely grateful for everyone in my life, the good and bad experiences we share, every moment is so special.

The record has got this really youthful indie vibe – kinda feel like a lot of those songs are perfect for those times when your staring out a window on the drive home, y’know? – how would you personally describe your “sound”?

Haha ,that actually makes a lot of sense because in LA, we spend so much time driving that that’s the only time I can really write. I’ll be in the car for hours driving, I have hundreds of voice memos and that’s usually how a song starts, I’ll hum melodies or just speak things into my phone and write it all down later.

While the record definitely has an overall indie/guitar/jangly sound to it, every song is quite different and it’s hard to really pinpoint a particular sound. Some people compare us to certain bands and some to other bands I would have never even thought of. I don’t really want to pigeonhole myself into a certain category but it just sounds nostalgic and warm while dealing with genuine and honest topics.

Do you pull much influence from bands that you listen to/used to listen to?

Yes, I’m so inspired by everything that I’ve listened to and listen to now. I grew up in a very reggae household and when I got older I got really into 80s hardcore punk, then I heard A Tribe Called Quest for the first time and shifted toward hip hop and jazz. That’s around the time I started working in a skate shop and would listen to the songs in skate videos all day. That’s when I first heard Cass McCombs, who was a heavy influence and got me into more indie and folk type music. Also, the beauty of being in a band and working together is that Preston and Zach listen to things I don’t listen to or have never heard, we open each other up to new music and all bring different influences to the table.

Is there a certain song that you’re really looking forward to sharing with the world?

“Too-Big World” is definitely the song I’m most excited to share. Our friends Sebastian and Alex played bowed bass and cello on the song and what they did is so beautiful. It’s sort of our first step away from what we used to sound like, a step forward, it’s cool to see how we’ve grown and I’m happy to collaborate with such talented friends.

What do you want people to take away from this record?

I think the biggest thing I’d like people to take away is just a better sense of self. The world is constantly unfolding and it’s all working in your favor, take the good and bad and make something of it. Making these songs has helped me so much to find myself and has given me a sense of purpose. Also, I feel like there can be a lack of substance in music sometimes, which has it’s place, but I hope that people who are looking for substance will be able to find something special in here. I hope it inspires them to do what they want to do, whether its start a band or whatever.

It’s kind of an overused expression over here (not sure about in the States), that guitar music is on its way out. As a blossoming indie band, what do you think about this?

I agree 100% and it’s definitely relevant in the States. I find it extremely exciting, a lot has shifted toward hip hop and that’s really all I’ve been listening to lately. Not to say that we’re going to drop a trap album or something, haha, but I’m definitely taking influence from it and I’m excited to grow with it and incorporate things I like from hip-hop and bring it into what I’m doing while staying true to myself.

What’s next for you guys – what big things are coming up?

We’ve got a tour coming up that we’re really looking forward to, we’ll be playing the west coast of the States with our friends Hunny and Gleemer. Honestly we’re really excited to stop off to visit the waterfall from the intro of the show Twin Peaks! Also excited to do some camping on the way and to meet a bunch of new people. Other than that, Preston and Zach are doing the college thing in the fall and we’re working on music videos, recording new songs and working toward setting up some more tours!