A Foley of fun
Sydney Pop duo Foley have revealed their brand new track ‘Heartstrings’, an emotive love song that also serves as a teaser of the pair’s forthcoming sophomore album ‘That’s Life, Baby!’, which is due out early next year. We caught up with Foley’s Ash and Gabriel to chat about how they define their music, how the band came to be and of course the new release, ‘Heartstrings’.
For those who haven’t heard Foley’s music before, which genre do you label yourselves with?
It's always so hard to define your own music but I think over the last few years we have really embraced the word ‘pop’. There are so many incredible pop artists at the moment absolutely dominating and innovating in their respective sonic worlds - we consider ourselves a groove-based indie pop act, but we focus on making the music fun, honest and danceable.
You have just unveiled your latest single, ‘Heartstrings’ Tell us about your new song. What sparked the idea for the track?
Heartstrings is about putting someone you love on a pedestal and over-inflating how incredible they are in comparison to little old you. I think we can all have feelings of inadequacy where we don’t feel we deserve love or attention from someone so incredible! We took a jovial approach to the song to talk about quite a raw topic - to explore our vulnerability but also keep the song light.
Single Art by Riley Cough
Are there any lyrical or musical moments in the song that you listen out for - why do you like these moments best?
Pretty stoked that we worked the word "elliptical" into a song hahah that one was so much fun to work in - alluding to the way that we are willing to work so hard, climb every mountain, and scale such heights to be enough for someone.
Do you both get involved in the creative process of your music? What roles do you each play?
We love to collaborate on all levels of the creative process! Every song is totally different which keeps it interesting and new all the time. Because we love live music so much and it’s always been such a root of our project, we definitely keep that in mind when we write songs. We will always grab live instruments in the studio and start with something we could imagine performing at a show before we get too deep into the production.
“It’s the most authentic music we’ve ever written”
‘Heartstrings’ will feature on your forthcoming album ‘That’s Life, Baby!’, when is the album due out and what can fans look forward to from the release?
It’s out on February 28th, 2025! It’s the most authentic music we’ve ever written. We wrote it on Auckland’s Waiheke Island - a really picturesque and secluded little spot - with some of our best friends and producers Josh Naley and Harry Charles. We just locked in for a long weekend and came back with the majority of the record. We really let the weather be an extra member of the band, and were able to dive real deep into our own feelings and thoughts, and let everything shine on the tracks!! We’re SO excited.
Are you planning a ‘That’s Life, Baby!’ tour after the LP’s delivery?
We always have shows in the works! It’s where we get to see all of you guys - and see the connections that everyone forms with each other. there’ll be plenty of opportunities to see us after the album - more to come!!
“Having that foundation of friendship really lent itself to writing better songs, and we could just be open and honest with each other from day 1!”
How did you get your start in music both individually and coming together to form Foley?
We’ve been friends for well over a decade now, long before we ever wrote music together. We were both in separate high-school bands, which became a giant friend group - and then one day decided to start writing together over a shared interest in pop. Having that foundation of friendship really lent itself to writing better songs, and we could just be open and honest with each other from day 1!
Why Foley? Where did your name come from?
Foley is the sound effects in movies & TV shows - where they fake punches by slapping a cabbage or whatever. We like to think Foley is the sound effects to ours and our fan’s lives <3
Where was your first Foley gig? Was it a success or a flop?
Our first ever show was the day we released our first single Settle - and wow, people were already singing along to the chorus which was wild. It was a huge moment for us (and our live drummer Elijah who’s been there since the very start!!), testing out what worked and seeing that people were resonating with it.
“We love giving people our vision for Foley and seeing what they create with it, it’s such a key part of the project”
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout-out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
Honestly, we have so many collaborators and visionaries on our team and in our personal lives - and we always shout them out at any opportunity because we really believe that more input = better art! We love giving people our vision for Foley and seeing what they create with it, it’s such a key part of the project. All our album tracks are produced and co-written by the incredible Josh Naley (Wells*) and Harry Charles + mixed by Hamish Patrick and mastered by Sam Moses. If you want to see our incredible band (Elijah Whyte, Holly Webster), audio engineer (Andy Tsang) & longtime director (Tom Grut) in action you should check out the live video we filmed at a kids playground. Plus our incredible teams around the world helping bring you everything, Foley. Beehive, NicNak, Here For Good, and our manager Sarah, MWAH!
Do you have a message for the Foley fans and supporters?
YES! We are so blessed to have you here with us. Every time we get messages from you, or see you at a show it’s heartwarming and we really really value how you all connect with each other outside of the band too. It’s such a beautiful community - here’s to more x
Interview by Michelle Symes