Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes, from Seattle, were founded by Robin Pecknold and Skyler Skjelset who met in high school and were brought together by their fascination with artists like Neil Young and Bob Dylan. Initially they performed as a duet called Pineapple. After graduating, Pecknold and Skjelset decided to dedicate their lives to music. Soon they changed the band’s name to Fleet Foxes and were joined by other musicians (the present line-up is Robin Pecknold, Skyler Skjelset, Christian Wargo, Casey Wescott, Josh Tillman and Morgan Henderson). The band soon attracted the attention of the local media and music producer Phil Ek who has been working with them to date.

In 2007 Fleet Foxes became known far beyond Seattle. Even though they had not yet released a single they were quickly gaining fans on the Internet. In early 2008 they signed a recording contract with the legendary Sub Pop label which is known for working with groups like Nirvana and Mudhoney. Fleet Foxes’ first release was the EP Sun Giant which secured their growing popularity and invitations to a number of festivals, including the SXSW in Texas. The latter is an event for alternative music aficionados and talent hunters from all over the world. Hence, it is no surprise that Fleet Foxes’ performance at the SXSW brought them to the focus of music critics who started to view them as a rising star.

Fleet Foxes first album, called simply Fleet Foxes, was released in July 2008. It received excellent reviews on many listings, for instance on Billboard's Critic's Choice where it was proclaimed “album of the year”. Moreover, the band’s rendition of the “new folk” won exceptional appreciation in Europe where their album sold over 200,000 copies within several months of its première. The release was followed by an intensive concert tour which included Fleet Foxes’ performance as Neil Young’s support at London’s Hyde Park.

The Malta concert will feature the first live performances in Poland of pieces from Fleet Foxes’ greatly anticipated second album, Helplessness Blues, scheduled to be released on 3 May this year. The record, comprising 12 pieces, is the result of a year’s work in several different studios (Avast Recording, Bear Creek Studios, Dreamland Studios and Reciprocal Recording). The production was supervised by the band musicians and by Phil Ek. As they wait for the album fans can download the eponymous song for free from fleetfoxes.com