If you haven’t heard of Detroit band FAWN, their new album “Coastlines” or their record label Quite Scientific Records, that’s all about to change. FAWN’s recently signed with the same label that has encouraged local artists such as Chris Bathgate, Frontier Ruckus and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jr. and released a debut album from the carefree, hilarious foursome from D-town.

It’s an instinct, and probably a bad one, to race to assign a niche or identity to a new band based on geography or musical comparisons. If there is one thing I’ve learned about FAWN through listening to “Coastlines” and speaking with them a bit, it’s that none of that interests them. They’re just four friends making music that they like with the hope that their audiences will agree that they’ve made something special.

I was able to speak with the whole band over speakerphone (future!) while they drove home from a recent practice. Vocalists Christian Kiddo and Alicia Gbur have been working hard with drummer Matt Rickle and guitarist Mike Spence to make sure their upcoming album release party and first few local shows go off without a hitch.

Amidst absurd jokes on both our parts and some slow-dying laughter, I was able to learn a bit more about QuiSci’s exciting new artists.

I watched the video on your website of some of the moments in the recording process. Making an album seems like a lot more work and maybe less fun than playing for a live audience – how has the process been for everyone, and are you nervous or relieved to be moving onto this next stage?

We had a great time making the album – it’s always a drawn out process and it was for us this time. It was a fun process creating something that will last forever – whatever you do is going to be how the song is remembered. We went out to Indiana and recorded, got away from everything and just focused on the music. The man who owned the studio had nine cats, so those are the cats you see in the video. If you’re allergic to cats, you might want to stay away from this place. Alicia’s pretty allergic. She had to sleep in the sound booth.

So, everyone must ask this, but what’s the meaning behind the name FAWN?

We really just started naming names and playing with words to find one that sounded good. We ended up settling on FAWN for a number of reasons. It resonated with us because this band was a new beginning, and we all thought of “fawn” as being the birth of something new. There’s also the idea of fawning over something, which could never be bad. And if you look at some of the artwork on the site, you’ll see we also enjoy a connection to nature.

Would you say that being from Detroit forms a large part of your identity as a band?

There seems to be a lot of interest in Detroit, and, if it seems like we’re part of a new Detroit, it isn’t us trying to project ourselves that way. Most of us are from Detroit, and I guess if someone who isn’t from Detroit wants to attach that meaning to us, then that’s okay.

You’ve all been in bands prior to forming FAWN. Has that helped to unite the group professionally or does it make for some differences in musical perspectives?

All of us like that this band is in neutral ground, and  everyone is open to whatever – which is pretty fun and refreshing to not have any notion of what we wanted it to sound like.

A recent press release from your label Quite Scientific Records described “Coastlines” as paying homage to old Detroit rock sounds while focusing a great deal of energy on the future and new beginnings. Was this the message you planned for your debut album or did it emerge through the process?

Everything just kind of came through in the music and everyone just added things. All have an equal hand in creative process. It doesn’t really come out planned. It’s just everyone throwing stuff on the table and all of our influences together that make it what it is.

So everyone has an equal hand in the creative process?

Absolutely.

Are you thinking about touring yet or hoping to stay in the area and build a Detroit following?

Our plan is definitely to get out and play some shows, and I don’t think we’ll be doing anything major until late summer / early fall, but we’ll definitely be around till then and we’re excited to share our music with local fans.

If you missed the band’s release party in Ferndale for the album “Coastlines,” be sure to check them out at the Magic Bag in Ferndale on July 20, where they’ll be playing with Jessica Hernandez.

To learn more about FAWN and sample some of their music, visit wearefawn.com. To read my review of “Coastlines,” visit ispymagazine.co.