RedFox is a five-piece indie-folk band from Montreal, Quebec. The band was formed in September 2017 when folk duo Jono Townsend and Tim Loten relocated to Montreal and joined up with vocalist/fiddle player Daphnee Vandal. After months of honing their craft, and the addition of drummer Sam Neumann as well as bassist Sam Robinson their sound was transformed into the ambient high-energy experience that it is. An ensemble led by Daphnee Vandal’s dynamic voice backed by bass, drums, guitar, fiddle, and banjo, RedFox retains their acoustic roots origins, while exploring more electric sounds. The group can trace their influences back to bands such as Punch Brothers, Half Moon Run, and Paramore.
“Control” appeals on a whole new level for its melodic swagger and the hypnotic, soothing nature of the chord progression. Meanwhile, the lead vocals provide a similar thread of recognizable simplicity, and still, the soundscape seems to evolve and change throughout “Control” even with these notably entrancing, ongoing elements that hold you captive.”Control” has a distinctive pulse about it, a few carefully crafted layers help give it that comforting, memorable glow. The indie vocal during the verses is where the song really moves from good to great. It’s a satisfying and enjoyable piece of music and performance, one that you may feel as if you’ve known for years, but one that’s also somehow undeniably original. I highly recommend you give it a listen and keep up with RedFox for more!
Check out “Control” here and read more with RedFox in our exclusive interview below!
Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you each tell us about your childhood and what really sparked your creativity?
Daphnee: I have always loved music from a really young age. I can’t pinpoint exactly where my creativity began, perhaps it started as a result of my being immersed entirely into the world of Art and Music from my parents, but I’ve always been a deeply passionate person and both my parents are very creative. My mom heard me singing Disney songs, so she enrolled me in a Kindermusic program in Idaho where I sang in choirs at the age of 4. It was there that I first learned to navigate musical ensembles. My violin journey is pretty silly. It began when I was 5 and my family was moving from Idaho to Vermont. I essentially told my mom that I wanted to learn an instrument that started with a ‘V’ for ‘Vermont’, and the rest is history.
How long have you been singing/performing?
Daphnee: As I said above, I’ve been singing since before I can remember. I considered myself to be pretty nerdy in middle school and high school, participating in every vocal ensemble I could find, auditioning for solos and trying out for school musicals. I first began experimenting with writing songs in 6th grade after hearing an older student perform one of hers, and felt inspired by how raw and exposed a performer could become when performing something of their own. I tried performing my own songs in talent shows, though I certainly was a very nervous performer!
What does “Control” mean to you? What inspired it?
Daphnee: To be completely candid, ‘Control’ was initially inspired by the struggles I’ve had with substance abuse and the difficulties I’ve had balancing my mental state and the relationships in my life. I’ve always used music as an outlet for otherwise overwhelming emotions, and I find it helps immensely as an outlet when words just aren’t enough. So ‘Control’ became a song that was one of these healthy outlets I was looking for.
What’s your writing process look like?
Daphnee: Our writing process generally begins with Jono Townsend, the guitarist. He brings me a musical nugget or short phrase of something he has been working on. It usually consists of a few chords that we then improvise a melody over and work on arrangement. At this point, we’ll often bring in Tim Loten, our banjo player, and he adds his creative ideas to the pot. The three of us will then mull over and create something more foundational, deciding on an arrangement we like, and we bring it to our rhythm section as the final step. Throughout this whole process, the song can change drastically from where it first started. It’s really fun to experience the full evolution of a tune that our listeners hear.
What do you hope your listeners take away from your music?
Daphnee: I’ve always wanted to connect to our listeners on an emotional level, sharing on a plane of passion and love for the arts, and I do think our music has the capability of doing so. We try to write with the intent that others can associate with us and intertwine their own experiences with ours, and hopefully take away something new with them as well.
Keep up with RedFox: