Artist description "I honestly have a real hard time writing songs about nothing,” Randy Bacon says. ”It is something I’m trying to get better at." Randy is the lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter for a band called Lo-Fi Fiction. While his band play some of the most creative current melodic rock you’ve heard (in a post-Pixies, Jimmy Eat World, Catherine Wheel sort-of vein), his expressive and distinctive vocals subversively describe a quietly desperate world fraught with imminent emotional peril and the need for human connection, in the same way that classic punk-era songwriters like David Byrne of the Talking Heads do. What Randy actually sings about seems to mystify the rest of his band. Guitarist/background vocalist Erick Newbill says he knows that the songs "deal with life issues in a somewhat topical fashion," although he suggests they might have been inspired by "children's books." The other two members, "hot chick bassist" (and background vocalist) Ruthie Starr and young drummer (and drum looper) Barrett Nelson don't even attempt to answer the question. Which is fine, because they help Randy’s songs RAWK, which is the most important thing. Like Randy’s heroes Frank Black and the Pixies, Lo-Fi Fiction carry off being intelligent and emotionally invigorating at the same time. They make you think and bob your head with your arms crossed. It was Randy's songs that brought them together. Randy was burnt-out from recording mediocre bands at The Audio Boutique, his home studio, and was working on his own material, that he ended up playing for Ruthie. "I had dated one of Randy and Erick's friends for a while," Ruthie says, "but I only knew Randy in passing and I was always afraid of him (he's a very intimidating, mean-looking guy you know)." Randy knew Ruthie played bass and let her listen to what he had recorded, and she was "quite surprised, and impressed. When he asked me to play bass with him so he could do live shows I was very excited." Bored with attempting a solo act, Randy and Ruthie formed a band with Josh Head as the original drummer. Randy also played his songs for Wes Dando singer/guitarist Erick. At this point Erick was his roommate, who oddly went through the same college at the same time but never really hooked up till they were sharing the same house. "Occasionally I'd come down while he was working in ProTools and listen to it and say, 'That's cool stuff,'" Erick says. So soon Erick was on board as well. While Ruthie had had very little performing experience, she had played out with drummer Barrett, and so took him with her into the new band. (Josh had already left by this point.) "We don’t hold it against Barrett for not having a car," she says. 19-year-old Barrett had played in Metempsychosis and currently also drums for Groove Sessions. Lo-Fi Fiction, whose name was a merger Randy and Ruthie worked out of an old friend’s idea of "Lamplight Fiction" and someone else’s suggestion of "Lo-Fi," "represents how I’m really into vintage tones and how almost all of my songs are told from a story point of view," Randy says. (These are broad, deep, powerful songs, so don’t let any prejudices towards the word "lo-fi" or literature scare you off.) The band's individual influences explain the dynamic range of the band's sound – from Randy and Erick's interest in arty Brit-rock like Blur and the Catherine Wheel, to Barrett's love for U2 and Dave Matthews to, um, Ruthie's adoration of the Beastie Boys (?). Though they've only played a handful of shows, their combination of great songwriting and inventive playing blossoms beautifully in front of a live audience.

Music Style Rock/Pop/Noise Pop

Musical Influences Pixies, Frank Black, Catherine Wheel, Pop Rock (i.e. Foo Fighters, Blur, etc.)

Similar Artists Pixies, Brendan Benson, Talking Heads

Artist History Formed in 2001. Visit www.lofifiction.com for all the historical details.

Group Members Randy Bacon, Ruthie Starr, Erick Newbill, Barrett Nelson

Instruments Guitars, bass, drums, keys, drums loops and other random noises and sound effects

Albums Preview, Waiting for Time to Bend

Location Seattle, WA - USA

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