Posted July 13 2020 at 7:06 pm
Genre: Indie
Written by
Becca Carroll
Share this Sh*t
Today we mourn the loss of Bay Faction: indie's smoothest and most slept on
Cheers to these lovers of gooey, moody indie, who were well-aware that genre had no bounds.
If the sound of sulky, slow-burning indie doesn’t make you drool, I suggest you kindly leave this article. I will not have any haters on the premises as this day, July 14, is now considered sacred. Today, we mourn the loss of local Boston legends, Bay Faction, as they’ve just announced that they’ll be discontinuing the project – yet another comfort ripped away from us in 2020 (it’s fine, I’m fine). After two albums, five years and some solid gold Instagram content, this band has left their mark on indie with their liberal take on the genre and their impeccable aesthetic taste. With not much offered by the band besides the standard show of thanks, we don’t have many answers as to why it didn’t quite work out, but they have shared that they’ll be repressing 7” vinyls of their self-titled record as a parting gift.
So, yes, 2020 has been freakin brutal, but I refuse to focus on what’s missing. This band was on the cusp of an entirely new sound – one that other artists would no doubt have tried to emulate. After beginning as an indie rock band with noticeable punk influences, Bay Faction morphed over the years into a different brand of indie that was much less instrumental-based and, suddenly, was led by synths. There are many odds and ends within the indie genre, and I think these guys definitely stumbled onto one of the oddest of its ends, having taken on a new form that feel like it’s been straight up drugged – their final record, Florida Guilt, is legit that guy who decides to take an Ambien, and does some weird shit and has to be taken home. Basically, this record is a hazy, dream-inducing wreck, and yet, just like Ambien guy, when you’re jamming it, no one’s having nearly as much fun as you are.
“Florida Guilt” by Bay Faction official audio via YouTube
I had the unique privilege of catching one of Bay Faction’s sets live back in late 2018. When I found out they had booked a free show right off of Rutgers campus, not even the post-collegiate dread could have stopped me from revisiting my undergrad hub. At this point, I was two years out of school, and altogether shooken by the new direction taken on Florida Guilt – I was not passing this up. A record that feels fabricated strictly out of synth and angst, Florida Guilt was the first I’ve heard of these guys targeting a sound that didn’t sound so… serious? I mean, the record’s fully drenched in sarcastic comments and what I have to imagine are sarcastically dramatic bass drop. Although this new sound probably sent a shudder through a lot of older fans, I believe those fans spoke way too soon.
At the time, It seemed that Bay Faction had re-evaluated their brand of angst, and found that they’ve outgrown the grunge and gloom that trademarked their early sets and genre style. After seeing this record performed live (played chronologically from beginning to fucking end) the growth they’ve undergone was clear. An entire room of baseball caps were brushing the ceiling as they bounced with relentless energy to the poppy, dreamy, dancy indie pop. It’s incredible what this sound has done for their live shows – bassist Kris Roman describes their early shows as having been so chill that the crowd should have been sitting. Cut to Florida Guilt era: picture James McDermott center stage, coated in all kinds of glitter; his two bandmates beside him changing hues with the shifting house lights, while a mob of skinny teens bump limbs. (I was over on the sidelines busy being melted by the basslines.)
Some random ass live video I found on YouTube lol. Gets the job done tho. Ugh that guitar riff in this one
Bay Faction has evolved, and while we no longer have the luxury to sit around wondering where they might go sound-wise next, I’m grateful knowing that we lived to see a world that once was home to Bay Fac. Long live these lovers of gooey, moody indie.
More Licks
culture
Today we mourn the loss of Bay Faction: indie’s smoothest and most slept on
Cheers to these lovers of gooey, moody indie, who were well-aware that genre had no bounds.
by: Becca Carroll
Jul 13 2020 | Indie
If the sound of sulky, slow-burning indie doesn’t make you drool, I suggest you kindly leave this article. I will not have any haters on the premises as this day, July 14, is now considered sacred. Today, we mourn the loss of local Boston legends, Bay Faction, as they’ve just announced that they’ll be discontinuing the project – yet another comfort ripped away from us in 2020 (it’s fine, I’m fine). After two albums, five years and some solid gold Instagram content, this band has left their mark on indie with their liberal take on the genre and their impeccable aesthetic taste. With not much offered by the band besides the standard show of thanks, we don’t have many answers as to why it didn’t quite work out, but they have shared that they’ll be repressing 7” vinyls of their self-titled record as a parting gift.
So, yes, 2020 has been freakin brutal, but I refuse to focus on what’s missing. This band was on the cusp of an entirely new sound – one that other artists would no doubt have tried to emulate. After beginning as an indie rock band with noticeable punk influences, Bay Faction morphed over the years into a different brand of indie that was much less instrumental-based and, suddenly, was led by synths. There are many odds and ends within the indie genre, and I think these guys definitely stumbled onto one of the oddest of its ends, having taken on a new form that feel like it’s been straight up drugged – their final record, Florida Guilt, is legit that guy who decides to take an Ambien, and does some weird shit and has to be taken home. Basically, this record is a hazy, dream-inducing wreck, and yet, just like Ambien guy, when you’re jamming it, no one’s having nearly as much fun as you are.
“Donor” by Bay Faction official audio via YouTube; off the record Florida Guilt
I had the unique privilege of catching one of Bay Faction’s sets live back in late 2018. When I found out they had booked a free show right off of Rutgers campus, not even the post-collegiate dread could have stopped me from revisiting my undergrad hub. At this point, I was two years out of school, and altogether shooken by the new direction taken on Florida Guilt – I was not passing this up. A record that feels fabricated strictly out of synth and angst, Florida Guilt was the first I’ve heard of these guys targeting a sound that didn’t sound so… serious? I mean, the record’s fully drenched in sarcastic comments and what I have to imagine are sarcastically dramatic bass drop. Although this new sound probably sent a shudder through a lot of older fans, I believe those fans spoke way too soon.
At the time, It seemed that Bay Faction had re-evaluated their brand of angst, and found that they’ve outgrown the grunge and gloom that trademarked their early sets and genre style. After seeing this record performed live (played chronologically from beginning to fucking end) the growth they’ve undergone was clear. An entire room of baseball caps were brushing the ceiling as they bounced with relentless energy to the poppy, dreamy, dancy indie pop. It’s incredible what this sound has done for their live shows – bassist Kris Roman describes their early shows as having been so chill that the crowd should have been sitting. Cut to Florida Guilt era: picture James McDermott center stage, coated in all kinds of glitter; his two bandmates beside him changing hues with the shifting house lights, while a mob of skinny teens bump limbs. (I was over on the sidelines busy being melted by the basslines.)
Some random ass live video I found on YouTube lol. Gets the job done…
Bay Faction has evolved, and while we no longer have the luxury to sit around wondering where they might go sound-wise next, I’m grateful knowing that we lived to see a world that once was home to Bay Fac. Long live these lovers of gooey, moody indie.
Posted October 20, 2018 at 11:46 PM
Written by Becca Carroll
Submit a Comment
tags
