Formed in Chicago and now based out of Savannah, Georgia, Fauvely is the dream-folk project led by Sophie Brochu. Having previously performed in the shoegaze band Astrobrite, Sophie was encouraged by bandmate Scott Cortez to pursue her own songwriting, resulting in the debut Fauvely EP, Watch Me Overcomplicate. With a growing live reputation, Fauvely had already supported the likes of Say Sue Me, Stella Donnelly and Hand Habits before they even had an album to their name. That all changed with last year’s brilliant debut, Beautiful Places, which crashed into my favourite albums of the year with its bold musical brush strokes and striking contrasts between light and shade. With plans for a new EP later this summer, today Fauvely are sharing their latest offering, Alligator Rodeo.

While you might perhaps understandably not expect this to be a song about an actual alligator, you’d be wrong, as Sophie explains, “all summer long I’d see this gator on my runs, always in the same inlet. Unfortunately, because she was easily spotted from the road, people started messing with her and feeding her. She quickly lost her fear of people and would come out of the water when a car idled. Eventually, they sent a trapper out and took her away, and it really broke my heart”. While the story is specific the song has a wider meaning, a reminder to respect nature, as Sophie puts it, “this song is my PSA to respect and care for all wildlife”.

Alligator Rodeo feels like a natural next step for Fauvely’s music, picking up where Beautiful Places left off as muddy guitar chords clatter around a bassy throb and the earthy clatter of drums. As the song progresses through the dense aural fog a splash of brightness begins to creep in, whether it’s the decadent glisten of the lead guitar or Sophie’s shimmering vocal, often cleverly layered so it bounces around your headphones, a swirl of emotive melody. A spectacular return for a songwriting talent who’s ready and waiting for the world to discover just how exciting her music is.

Alligator Rodeo EP will be out later this Summer. For more information on Fauvely visit https://www.fauvelymusic.com/.