NOISEY 081: SPECTOR

This UK five-piece has done an insane amount of work in a very short time. Originating in London not too long ago, the band is already making waves with a sound, look, and attitude meant to kick start a new pop scene at the center of British indie rock.

The heart of the band’s ambition is dapper nerd front man Fred Macpherson. Macpherson cut his teeth with two other UK indie acts, Les Incompetents and Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. He briefly resurfaced in 2010 as Club Royale before retreating to the comfort of his bedroom with a Casio keyboard for company. As his new songs took shape, Spector evolved from a one-man project into a something much grander. Fred’s vision demanded a full band, and he began the process of recruiting a group of musicians to suit the personalities of the new material.

Everything about the new sound is big—Macphearson describes the songs as “future cyborg epics.” Like Fred’s other bands there’s a highly conceptual element in play, from the band name to the dress code. Fred is man very much in love with the canon of British pop eccentrics, from Brian Ferry to Martin Fry, Phil Oakey to Jarvis Cocker.

Noisey caught up with the band at a Turkish snooker and gambling club in North London that hosted the launch party for their debut single “Never Fade Away.” The show was awash with indie royalty and a fair few industry folk, prompting equal measures of euphoric plaudits and hate-filled diatribes on Twitter, a sure sign that great things are about to happen for Spector.