Fossil Collective at The Borderline

Fossil Collective exploded onto the scene last night with a tumultuous gig at Soho’s Borderline. Born from the ashes of Leeds-based Vib Gyor – an anthemic pop rock outfit that never quite signed before dissipating back in 2010 – Fossil Collective is the duo of multi-instrumentalists David Fendick and Jonny Hooker. Comparisons have been drawn quite rightly with the likes of Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, as the band crafts similarly warm choruses of reverb-soaked harmonies albeit in a decidedly more British manner. 

Their debut album, Tell Where I Lie is a magnificent set of delicate indie folk tunes, and while the band seems little more than an above average addition to an already overcrowded scene, their songs take on a wholly more dynamic and earnest light when heard live.

Comfortably bearded, Fendick and Hooker took to the stage at the packed-out venue, kicking off the evening with a transcendent rendition of Under My Arrest, which builds from an innocuous marriage of simple beat and melody into the song’s powerfully soaring chorus. 

Elsewhere the band careened through Let It Go, a song that’s already a real crowd pleaser, having made the rounds online since surfacing in 2012. The song sees Fossil Collective at their most radio-friendly, lifting almost note-for-note from Fleet Foxes’ hymnals (although this barely detracts from the song’s effect).

Most striking perhaps was the band’s live rendition of toned-down album highlight, Monument. Already an oddity, its unusual sparseness and utterly non-folky keyboard textures were brilliantly brought to life. 

With the intensity and intimacy of The Borderline working against them in many ways, one can only look forward to seeing the band fill out larger venues. They certainly have the tunes, while their music has the appeal and craftsmanship required to draw such a crowd. Once they do, Fossil Collective’s miniature folk epics will finally have the breathing space they so deservedly demand.

Tristan Bath
Photos: Marga Moner

For further information and future events visit Fossil Collective’s website here.

Watch the video for Wolves here