RIOT FEST INTERVIEW: THE BLACK FOXXES

By: Stacey L. Crawley

Photo Credit: Peter Bomberger

The Black Foxxes, a UK band from humble beginnings, came to Chicago for the first time ever this year to play Riot Fest. They play loud, honest and put a message to their music. I got a chance to chat with Mark Holley, Tristan Jane and Ant Thornton about the tour and their new album “I’m not well”. 

(Stacey L. Crawley) Let’s talk about the tour. How excited are you to be on the road? You’re here and then heading back overseas.

(Mark Holley) Yeah, it’s not that many dates in the end, like we go to LA, you know, we’ve got Riot Fest and the sold out headline show at Township. Then LA, New York, then back home, and we’ve got our own headline tour later on, so it’s cool, busy.

(Stacey L. Crawley) First time in Chicago?

(Mark Holley) Yeah, yeah.

(Tristan Jane) First time out of the airport!

(Stacey L. Crawley) Is it nicer than the airport?

(Tristan Jane) (laughs) Yeah way better!

(Mark Holley) It’s a great place, a lot more to do.

(Stacey L. Crawley) What do you think of Riot Fest?

(Tristan Jane) It’s a great atmosphere here. Compared to festivals in the UK – I mean UK festivals are usually wet and muddy and people are there to go metal. They drink and drink, whereas here it’s a little more chill.

(Stacey L. Crawley) That’s funny because it usually rains!

(Mark Holley) Really? (laughs) We’d probably be a lot better off if it rained; we’re used to rain.

(Stacey L. Crawley) How long have you known each other?

(Ant Thornton) I’ve known Mark going on about 10 years and have known Tristan a little bit longer. And then we put together the band about 3 years ago.

(Stacey L. Crawley) The new album “I’m not well,” it has a lot of important messages and it’s pretty deep. What is your creative process, it went to some dark places? Is it lyrics first or is it more music first?

(Mark Holley) We tend to write the music first. We practice in a ‘scout’ park, a place that’s really kind of dingy and really humble. It was cool, and the album came about in an honest and natural progression.

(Stacey L. Crawley) Did you come into the band knowing what you wanted to do, or did you figure things out as you progressed on?

(Ant Thornton) Well, Mark had a couple of tracks which formed into a couple of tracks on the album. But it was just sort of one of those things that came together and we’re really happy with it.

(Stacey L. Crawley) Good luck with the rest of the tour and hope to see you back at Riot Fest next year!

(Mark Holley) We’d love that as well, thanks.