Foxygen to make local debut at Russian Recording

Indie rock band Foxygen will perform its first show in Bloomington tonight at
Russian Recording.

The show starts at 9 p.m. and will also feature the band Triptides. Tickets cost $5 and the venue is open to all ages.

Foxygen is one of the newest acts to be signed to the Jagjaguwar record label, which also represents notable indie acts like Bon Iver and Dinosaur Jr. The band was recently featured on the cover of The Deli Magazine’s CMJ issue.

According to lead singer Sam France, he and fellow band member Jonathan Rado met in middle school when they were “two little ratty kids with a head full of ideas” and have been making music together since.

The band will release its debut album on Jagjaguwar, “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic,” on Jan. 22. France said a lot of the inspiration for the album came from ’60s pop.

“It’s a very positive album,” he said. “It’s supposed to put you in a meditative state and make you feel good and happy.”

France said performing was something he felt forced into at the beginning of the band’s career, but he’s learned to like it.

“Performing live is very surreal and conflicting and emotionally turbulent,” he said. “Although, it is fun to get up on stage and rock out.”

France said Foxygen is excited to bring its own dreamlike live-stage experience to the Bloomington audience at Russian Recording.

“We don’t really make sense in this day and age of professional digital music where they want you to pump the bass,” he said. “We sound like a bunch of kids. We like to pull our friends together and play raw.”

France said the band’s premiere Bloomington gig should be “a fun psychedelic rock show played by some kids who don’t know what they’re doing but are trying to bring good vibes.”