Famish Goes Psych-Pop on Their New Single “Beck”

It’s harder than you think to write a convincing, catchy pop song. The hook has to be fearless, while still remaining sugary and memorable. The songwriter has to have the perfect blend of sincerity, groove, and confidence. Denton, TX based Famish has written the perfect recipe for a pop song on their new single “Beck.” 

The song is based around a simple acoustic-guitar chord progression. But it’s the simplicity of the chords that provides a base for the other instruments and textures to swirl around a gushy, instantly-memorable melody. Despite the cavernous echos and big textures in the song, Famish’s vocal delivery manages to feel small and intimate. At times, it feels like a conversation between friends. And in an era when all of us are seeing our friends less, this performance is oddly comforting. 

It takes guts to make a song like this; a song that is equal parts psych-pop and singer-songwriter. A song that feels conversational, yet distances itself from us through echo and reverb. As I listened to this song to write this article, I found myself just putting it on repeat while I procrastinated. Famish has crafted a song that feels necessary in the year 2020. 

Listen to the song below, and be sure to scroll down and read our interview with Famish! 

– I read that this EP, Famished, will feature songs about anime and manga. What drew you to that subject matter? 

During quarantine, I’ve killed time by reading a ton of manga and watching a ton of anime. It’s nice to have the time to indulge in that hobby again now that I’m not as busy as I used to be. I think one of the reasons why I gravitate towards anime and manga in general as a topic is because of the nostalgia I have for the medium as well as the ability to find those long-winded type stories that, once you finish them, leave you with that feeling of “damn, what am I gonna do with my life now that I can’t spent three hours a day watching this show?” I went with the admittedly niche topic  so that I could write songs to capture that bittersweet feeling that you feel after finishing a really good piece of media. It’s also a nice adventure to write songs almost like a story, taking inspiration from a work instead of baring your soul and writing super personal music.

– Do you have a favorite anime? 

Your Name was really good, saw it in theaters like eight times. Naruto will always be a classic. The first movie I ever owned in elementary school was Kiki’s Delivery Service, so I also have a sweet spot for anything Studio Ghibli. I wanted to write songs about series that I completed for the first time during quarantine, but I had to throw Anohana in there since it’s a personal favorite of mine that I couldn’t help rewatching a couple months ago.

– Who are your main influences? 

I’ve been a huge fan of From Indian Lakes for a long time, and I think that inspiration definitely worked its way into this release. Also been a huge fan of Manchester Orchestra, Julien Baker, Balance and Composure, Hovvdy, and Nicole Dollanganger.

– I really love the production on this song. Could you talk about the recording process? 

I originally envisioned all of the songs to be super minimal with just acoustic guitar and vocals, but things definitely amped up when I got together to record with my long time producer Nathan Clark of Clark Audio in Denton. He’s the kind of producer that isn’t afraid to add things to songs and make them better even if by only adding background layers that are basically just ‘ear candy.’ He is responsible for most of the percussion and intricacies in the track. My friend Carter that I’ve been playing music with for over five years recorded all the keyboard and lead guitar. I purposely didn’t let him hear the songs until he was in the studio about to record because I wanted his parts to be super simple and raw. They both really turned the song into something 10 times  better than my original vision. 

– What do you hope listeners will get out of the EP? I’m stoked to hear it in full!

I can’t wait to share it! My dream with any kind of art is to create something bigger than myself. Whenever you finish a really good book or show or movie or anime or manga, most of the time you are left thinking about the characters and the story itself. Most people after leaving a movie theater don’t immediately think “wow, the director or screenwriter or cameraman did such a great job”, they are too engrossed in the story itself to consider the behind-the-scenes. I hope that this record can be perceived the same way. When they’re done listening to the songs, I want the listeners to perceive the songs as a piece in themselves. Any other kinds of behind-the-scenes work I want to be put behind the music itself as a final product.