Biography
Before indie sleaze had a name, The Fades were living it.
As a new generation rediscovers the music, fashion and mythology of London's mid-2000s guitar underground, The Fades occupy a rare position. They're not reviving the sound of the era—they're one of the bands that were there when it happened.
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Emerging from South West London, The Fades became part of the vibrant scene that would later become known as indie sleaze. Night after night they played the clubs that shaped a generation of British guitar music: The Metro Club, The Buffalo Bar, The Windmill, The Old Blue Last, The Barfly, The Dublin Castle, Cargo, 93 Feet East, The Social, Nambucca and the legendary Notting Hill Arts Club—venues where bands were built one unforgettable show at a time.
Sharing stages with the likes of Bloc Party, Dustin's Bar Mitzvah, Mystery Jets, Jamie T, The Rakes and The Others, touring the UK with Art Brut, The Fades became a familiar name on London's thriving indie circuit. They were championed by Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music, received regular support from XFM, and proudly performed at Love Music Hate Racism events. It was an era when gigs rarely ended at the venue. Bands, fans, DJs and promoters spilled into late-night bars, after-hours clubs and house parties, creating the community and culture that would later become synonymous with the indie sleaze movement. The Fades weren't watching from the sidelines—they were living it.
Remaining fiercely DIY, the band recorded their debut single in a flat above a chip shop on Staines Road. National radio quickly picked up the release, leading to a string of acclaimed singles and a mini-album that earned widespread airplay and international attention.
Their growing reputation brought coverage in NME, Drowned in Sound, Artrocker and The Fly, while their music featured on the influential Buffalo Bar Compilation and an X-Ray Magazine/XFM covermount CD—time capsules of a scene that would go on to influence a whole new generation of musicians.
Relentless touring followed across the UK, Ireland, Italy and the East Coast of the United States, including an appearance at Tbilisi Open Air, after New York's Cranky Girl Records signed the band for US releases. The Fades built their reputation the old-fashioned way: by getting in the van, turning up and leaving everything on the stage.
Musically, The Fades sit at the point where post-punk urgency, garage rock swagger and hook-laden British indie collide. Razor-sharp guitars, driving rhythms and irresistible melodies provide the backdrop for songs that balance humour with vulnerability, exploring love, anxiety, frustration and hope with honesty and heart.
In 2020, they released Ragnarok (Deluxe Edition) on limited-edition vinyl, selling out both the pressing and one of the UK's few socially distanced concerts that year.
Most recently, the band returned to Brixton Hill Studios to record entirely on vintage analogue equipment, determined to capture the immediacy and electricity of their live performances. The resulting album, Night Terrors, explores sleepless nights, anxiety, resilience and hope, proving that The Fades are far more than a band remembered for a moment in time.
Nearly twenty years after first emerging from London's underground, The Fades are still writing, recording and performing with the same DIY spirit that first put them at the heart of one of Britain's most exciting musical movements. They're not a reunion act. They're not trading on nostalgia. They're simply doing what they've always done—making urgent, melodic guitar music with something to say.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.