Doobie Fontaine are a musical alter ego for a roving international four-piece from the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Based in London, they make timeless, country highway-inspired music, with hints of blissed-out psychedelia and invoking pastoral bliss. I was recently sent news of their new single ‘Sugarcoated’ which is out now and is being showcased at a launch party on December 20th at the famous Shacklewell Arms in London (more on that below).

I wanted to learn more about the band and contacted them to see if they’d be up for a chat, they were…..read on to see how it went.

Doobie Fontaine is a great name – where did it originate?  

From the offset Doobie Fontaine has been more of a concept or character behind the music. Think of Doobie as a rambling, soulful drifter with a kind of timeless quality. The name just represents a vibe - it sets a tone.

How long have the band been together and how did you first meet?  

We met a couple of years back. Actually it came together through a recording session. Jack had a handful of songs - the original Doobie batch - and we went out to Sleeper Sounds in west London to record them over a couple of weekends. We didn’t end up releasing the tracks (although they’re still knocking about), but we just kept jamming, we started playing live and we’ve just gone from there.

Tell me something fascinating about the band or a band member….  

I’m drawing a blank, which is in itself fascinating.

I LOVE your sound, who would you name as key influences on your music?  

Thank you. I’d say collectively we soak in a lot of early ‘70s references. A lot of that kinda hazy Laurel Canyon sound, at the intersection of surf, psych and country. Gram Parsons used to call his stuff ‘cosmic American music’, and when I first started writing the Doobie stuff I actually thought about what that might sound like had Gram made it past ’73. We sometimes call our sound ‘cosmic cowboy’, not in a pastiche sense but genuinely, in its mix of influences. Stuff like Gene Clark, David Crosby, Neil Young of course, even a bit of Beefheart, but then also more underground musicians like F.J. McMahon and Jim Sullivan. It's a mixed bag and really we don’t sound like any of the above, which is good.

You’re playing a launch party for “Sugarcoated” on Friday 20th December at The Shacklewell Arms, can we expect you in festive fancy dress?  

We’ll dress fancy, for sho.

Looking back at your past shows, I see you played on Record Store Day in April, are you all big vinyl collectors?  

Yeah I guess so. I’m the sporadic kind of shopper where it’s always spur of the moment. Generally it’ll either be some obscure African ‘70s re-release I’ve read about online, or a deep cut I find in the back of a store. But I think record stores are more than places to buy records, which is why they’re important. They’ve always been places to hang out at, explore, have your mind blown. Lion Records has this at heart I think, which is why their gigs are always great. And they always put on the up and comers.

What is your favourite musical format (tape/vinyl/CD/digital/8 track/minidisc)?  

I want to say minidisc, but truthfully its vinyl.

I read in your press release that you “work day jobs and take the tube“ – do you draw from these experiences when writing music?

Yeah, and music has always been antidotal in that sense. It’s the flip side to the grind. Not that I’ve ever written lyrics about work, or necessarily train rides, but I think music provides catharsis from that lifestyle.

Assuming you’ve all been good boys, what’s on your Christmas gift lists this year?

A fresh start.  

If you could have written one Christmas song, which would it be and why?  

‘Sha La Da La La (Christmas Time)' by the Sha La Das has been our December soundtrack. Future classic.

Lastly, please share your musical plans for 2020? Any festivals in the pipeline?

No festivals as of yet, but the major focus will be getting into the studio in March and recording our debut LP. We’ll take 2020 from there.

We’d like to thank the guys for taking the time to chat to us, we wish them all the very best for the future and a successful launch party at the Shacklewell Arms on Friday 20th December, if you’re in London, why not head down there?

You can keep up to date with the band at the following places;

Facebook

Instagram