Faux Fear

Reading, Pennsylvania

Dark Castle Fest 2022

Faux Fear

Determined to “stop repeating the boring parts of the past,” goth/post-punk trio Faux Fear formed in late 2020 shortly after singer/drum programmer Audrey (she/her) and guitarist Nicholas (he/him) moved to Reading, PA. As true Cocteau Twins scholars they won’t play pop without the prefix “dream-” in front of it. Laying the groundwork for a new band in late 2020, the married couple wrote songs and developed their sound in quarantine at home for “when human interaction became a thing again.” An initial third member became convinced that Audrey and Nicholas were working for the CIA and running a sex cult (really), which almost left Faux Fear as a duo before the Philly-based Pra (he/him) answered a Craigslist ad and completed the picture on bass.

Like their darkwave forebears, Faux Fear’s offerings like “Uncharted” and “Legacy” maintain a tricky balance between atmosphere and propulsion. The trio balances the stillness of reverberating specks of guitar with thick slabs of bass and drum machine as Audrey coolly explores the space between with her calmly intense vocal lines, smoothing over even the unexpectedly dissonant chorus of the latter and taking on a whole other dimension. “Code of the Sea” is as oceanic as its title and somewhat akin to folding the rippling waves of vintage Slowdive in with New Order’s most magnetic repetitive hooks.

Sponsors

Aurora Gallery and Boutique

Aurora Gallery and Boutique was founded in 2022 by Lyndi Lou, Alexandra Rumsey and Mia Farrugia. The gallery is artist, woman and queer owned, located at 1264 S. Shelby Street in Louisville, KY. Aurora does monthly exhibitions highlighting the work of local and regional creatives, and hosts large open submission art shows multiple times a year with over 100 participating artists involved. Aurora’s boutique has over 100 artists represented as well, and showcases terrariums, bone art, jewelry art, ceramics, as well as enamel pins, stickers and much more. Aurora also hosts arts and craft classes and pop up art shows frequently.

The Hive

The HIVE, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for people with diverse abilities through family supports, local and state advocacy, and our Clubhouse programming. Our Clubhouse hosts daily learning experiences in the arts, independent living activities, science, mental health, and fun stuff like pool parties, cookouts, and inclusive community meetups. The HIVE was founded by the mother of a son with multiple disabilities and is rooted in the belief that every person is a multidimensional, complex, and valuable human being with gifts to share who deserves to feel valued. We love you for who you are, how you are, and where you are.

Moon Coil Media

Moon Coil Media is the premier PR & artist management agency specializing in the following genres: goth, industrial, ebm, darkwave, post-punk, synthpop, horror punk, deathrock & extreme metal.

Pale Moon Tattoo

Pale Moon Tattoo was founded by artists and husband and wife Ryan and Alexandra Rumsey. Seeing a need for a safe and inclusive environment for their then co-workers and now independent contractors they opened Pale Moon to the public May of 2020 in the height of the global pandemic. Pale Moon has eight tattoo artists all specializing in different styles of tattooing and artwork. They frequently host tattoo flash specials, and have participated in several charitable tattoo events and art auctions.

Third House Communications

Third House Communications is a boutique record label from Louisville KY, with a heavy focus on the darker corners of the music world. “Doom, punk, hardcore, industrial, minimal noise, metal, it all falls into our interests. Digging up lost gems from Louisville’s past, and the freshest cuts from around the world, putting it on wax in small runs.” Knowing these cats like we do, just gonna say you’re gonna want to keep an eye on this record label because it’s just getting fired up. It’s in the stars. Great things happening.