They want you to know that everything is going to be ok

by KAITLYN TILLERY
photos by JOULE SEVENTEEN

Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford of Brooklyn-based duo Fake Dad may come from different musical upbringings, but their synergy as Fake Dad is so seemingly effortless, they’ve created an identity for themselves that is honestly – yet to be defined.

The sound that they’ve been able to create together is something that feels so good, it’s hard to place into one category. And rightfully so. They individually come from a place of instinctual collaboration, and seeing the two mesh, certainly falls into its own new unexpected equilibrium.

“Even though I didn’t get to perform until [I was 16],” de Varona said, “I was constantly messing around with my dad’s guitar and writing songs just for myself in my room. I’ve always been a writer, so I guess poetry was really my first step into songwriting. After that I quickly discovered my passion for singing.

“It wasn’t until I met [Ford] that I really began shaping and solidifying my voice as a singer, songwriter and producer,” said de Varona. “I owe a lot of my current musical confidence to him and the fruitful nature of our collaboration. [Ford] really showed me the importance of owning your voice and not being afraid to stand out.”

Ford similarly shared, “I started writing my own songs on guitar when I was really young, and eventually realized that a dry, one-track recording on my headphone mic was never going to get people’s attention. I started producing [my own songs] and just kept going.

“I feel like listening to a song is like peeking into a little world, and production is how you shape that world for your listener. It became a whole new means of creative expression for me,” said Ford.

“By the time I met Andrea in college, I had just moved to New York and was having a major musical identity crisis. Working together allowed me to step out of self-inflicted creative box I had put myself in.”

This collaboration epitomizes the spirit of the New York art collective.

“We sort of cobbled together some of our tastes and influences to make something totally different,” Ford said of their collaboration. “Over the course of the past two years, we’ve amalgamated the musical elements and styles that we feel speak to us most strongly.”

Their newest single “Can U B My Home?” feels so funky and soothing. Honestly, all around the best.

de Varona on the single: “It’s about just existing in this positive space with someone you really love and care about, and despite whatever shitty things you encounter on a daily basis you know that this person always has your back and you have theirs. You don’t have to worry about doing too much or too little, cause just existing and being yourself is more than enough. It’s not just support or companionship—it’s a sense of belonging.”

Beyond their originals, their collaborations each have a distinct sound that resonates. Fake Dad has an eerie ability to transcend their sound through genres without losing their voice. It is uniquely nuts.

Fake Dad reignites that feeling of the last day of summer.

Cruising on your bike, knowing it’s time to go, but you’re head high and knees locked, flying down the last hill in the neighborhood soaking up the very last minute summer has to give before you let it go again.

Except this time, we get to keep it. And god is it good.