THE FODS

track-list:
The Ineffectuals
I Don’t Hate It
Fuel
The Still Pouring Rain
Cold
I Get Blamed
Shopping
What
A Matter Of Time
…Is Very Much Enough?

The wait is finally over:
UK/US indie punk rock outfit The Fods have completed their tenth and final track for their new album ‘Does Not Conform to Regulations‘.
Bringing together their trademark alternative edge, punk energy, and genre-blurring approach, the record arrives as a bold statement from a band determined to ignore boundaries and expectations.
The album’s final chapter comes in the form of ‘The Still Pouring Rain‘, featuring LUDIOSIS from Norfolk, UK.
As the closing piece of the record, the song carries the weight of a finale while perfectly capturing The Fods’ ability to combine emotion, melody, and attitude.
LUDIOSIS delivers a powerful vocal performance and even joins the band in a guitar duel, adding another layer to a track that feels both anthemic and unmistakably personal.
‘Does Not Conform to Regulations‘ is an album built around collaboration, with The Fods inviting artists from different corners of the alternative music world to contribute their own personalities to the songs.
Rather than simply featuring guest appearances, each collaboration becomes part of the album’s identity, creating a diverse collection of voices while maintaining the band’s distinctive character.
Opening the album, ‘The Ineffectuals‘ features Joe Booe, whose soaring vocal performance rises above powerful guitars and a driving rhythm section, immediately setting the tone for the record.
‘I Don’t Hate It‘, featuring The Puncturists, injects the album with punk urgency, combining Yorkshire grit and chaotic energy into an upbeat anthem about accepting the strange moments life throws your way.
‘Fuel‘ sees Oregon-based artist Nevin contributing vocals and lead guitar to a dramatic alternative rock track that builds steadily toward a powerful climax, while ‘Cold‘ takes a darker and more atmospheric route.
Featuring Sonia Hutchinson of Crowsilver, the song explores loneliness, loss, and introspection through haunting melodies and emotional intensity.
The album continues to move through different shades of alternative music.
‘I Get Blamed‘, featuring Helsinki’s Headphone Jacks, delivers a lively punk-rock charge full of attitude and infectious harmonies.
‘Shopping‘, the track that originally sparked the entire project, brings together Aura Davis and Birch for the album’s only duet – a playful indie rock confrontation full of tension, chemistry, and memorable hooks.
Following that energy, ‘What‘ slows the pace with a laid-back indie atmosphere inspired by The Fods’ Madchester roots, enhanced by the relaxed swagger of Icicle vocalist Krassy Halachev.
‘A Matter of Time‘, featuring Jay Luke, pushes even further into unpredictable territory, blending synth-driven rhythms, alternative rock, and experimental elements into something difficult to categorize but impossible to ignore.
Closing the album, ‘…Is Very Much Enough‘ delivers an emotionally charged blues-inspired finale with the powerful voice of Georgina White.
It is a fitting ending for a record that refuses to follow a formula – an album where the title itself becomes a mission statement.
There are no fixed rules, no restrictions, and no expectations that cannot be challenged.
With ‘Does Not Conform to Regulations‘, The Fods create a record that celebrates individuality and creative freedom.
Punk attitude, indie melodies, rock dynamics, and unexpected collaborations come together into a release that is as unpredictable as it is heartfelt.
A reminder that sometimes the best music happens when the regulations are ignored.

“Most of our songs have lives of their own.”

“‘What’ is a statement, not a question.”

“Collaboration is always part of our identity.”

“We hope that not knowing what comes next is part of the charm.”

“No one has thrown their toys out with us yet – which is a good sign.”

“Talent, sound, aptitude, and reliability matter more than age.”

“We have to like it for us to push it out.”

“I write from an empathetic place, not a personal one.”

“We don’t really know from the start where it will go.”

“We aren’t political – but the world is a strange place.”

“We would never tear it down. We refine and evolve.”

“I love a good tune. Genre doesn’t really matter.”

Few contemporary punk projects operate with the freedom – and confidence – of The Fods.
Less a fixed band than a rotating, transatlantic collective, the project thrives on collaboration, curiosity, and a refusal to repeat itself for the sake of comfort.
With each release stepping into a different sonic space, The Fods have built an identity defined not by genre boundaries, but by intent.
Their latest single, ‘What‘, continues that trajectory – deliberately open-ended, emotionally flexible, and shaped as much by process as by instinct.
In this conversation, The Fods reflect on ambiguity, collaboration without ego, and why letting songs find their own direction has become central to everything they do.
‘What‘ feels deliberately open-ended.
Was ambiguity the goal from the start, or did the song become that way organically during the process?
“Most of what we do is pretty open ended, on the fly, and we don’t really know from the start to where it will go. When I wrote those lyrics, I never dreamed it would turn out the way it did. Most of our songs have lives of their own, and we just try to guide them and take them where we think they should go.”
Your recent releases each explored very different sonic territories.
Do you see this as evolution, or as parallel versions of the same core idea?
“A bit of both I think. We don’t want to bang out 2 minute punk tunes each time, as much as we love that style. We do what we think is right for each sound, and we do it for us and for our collaborator. If people on the outside like it, then that’s great, but we have to like it for us to push it out. It does give listeners and radio stations a bit of a question to ask, as they don’t know what will come out when they start to listen, but we hope that’s part of the charm, and most are now getting used to it, and are respectful of it.”
The Fods operate as a rotating, transatlantic collective rather than a fixed band.
How does that structure challenge traditional ideas of authorship and ownership in punk music?
“We write and produce the songs, but collaborators are encouraged to be involved as much or as little as they want. We have had people return one or two takes of vocals and they want to move on to their next project, or get back to their real life. As long as we can use what they sent, then that’s fine. We have also had collaborators who wanted to do more. Play some instruments, do a guitar solo, and one guy wanted to play the bass. Again, we will generally agree and if it’s usable, we will use it.”
At what point does collaboration stop being an influence and start becoming part of the band’s identity itself?
“We hope it’s always part of our identity. The collaborators understand the assignment we give them. Some turn it down, which we respect. Some get involved loads. Some want a repeat. We communicate, and have whatsapp chats and we keep in touch, and we hope people have an alright time collaborating with us. No one has thrown their toys out with us yet, which is a good sign I think.”
‘What‘ balances confrontation and openness.
Is that tension something you consciously cultivate, or does it reflect where you are personally as writers right now?
“I think it’s where most people are, and where we are as a society. I don’t really write lyrics from a personal perspective, I rarely use life experience. I write from an empathetic place, and probably from an opposite place from where I am personally. I don’t mind being confrontational. I don’t mind being reflective or sentimental. I don’t really mind if something doesn’t make absolute sense. I think ‘What’ started out like that, but when we put the music together on it, it became a bit more than I expected. Then when Krassy put his vocals on it, it stepped up again, and now I think its just something quite special.”
Covering ‘What Do I Get?‘ isn’t just a nod to punk history – it’s personal.
How does revisiting the first song you ever learned to play change your relationship with it today?
“It doesn’t, it’s still just a great song that’s a great listen. I think what’s more personal is that I got to see Buzzcocks perform it in NYC, which sort of brought my past and my present together. Having a few beers, watching that was a bit of a moment that I very much enjoyed.”
You’ve worked with musicians across continents and generations.
What do younger collaborators bring into the Fods universe that long-time partners don’t – and vice versa?
“It’s not a question we have ever asked anyone, so I honestly can’t tell you. I don’t really think age is a consideration, I think talent, sound, aptitude, reliability are what we look for, and what collaborators try and bring. If they say they will do something, and don’t then its a problem. I would happily work with a seventeen year old, as I would a seventy, as long as they are respectful and thoughtful with what they do.”
Punk is often framed as opposition.
In 2025, what are The Fods actually pushing against – musically, culturally, or internally?
“We aren’t political. I am generally a pretty positive person, a glass more half full. There are obvious societal issues which need addressing. The world is a strange place, and that’s maybe more our outlook than rallying behind a cause. I will speak for myself here only, but I see good and bad in most things. I personally think that’s healthy. I am careful with what information I consume, and that may make me ignorant. I do, though, consider myself reasonably well read. I have a degree in history, and understand that learning from the past, from one’s own mistakes and from world mistakes can make things better. We, as a species need to be able to differentiate between the truth and none truths, and i think being punk makes that more relevant, considering some of the misconceptions punks themselves have suffered from in the past.”
Your music frequently blurs the line between punk, indie, and something harder to define.
Is genre fluidity a philosophy for you, or simply a byproduct of curiosity?
“Again, probably a bit of both. I love a good tune, it doesn’t matter what style, or what genre. When I was growing up, there was a lot of classical music around me, and I played that on the piano. The first time I heard a rock song that made me sit up and think that it was amazing was ‘Livin on a Prayer’, so I was into that sort of rock, hard rock, metal guitar sound. But being in the North West of England as a teen, we got influenced by Buzzcocks, Joy Division, New Order, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays etc and that is a softer, dancier, indie sound. I love dance music and EDM, and I would love to write a dance banger, but I think the closest I will come will be someone remixing our tunes, which we encourage. One guy has completed a remix and we have another in progress. I think that’s pretty punk.”
How do you ensure that a song still sounds like The Fods when so many different voices and backgrounds are involved?
“That’s Ol’s style and the way we produce them. He has a distinctive way of playing, and I think we produce in a way which allows our own sound and creativity to come through. We have said ‘No’ to collaborators who we thought were taking our sound a bit too far away from where it needed to be. They were cool and understood. We have given each collaborator stems so they can remix and release a song as they want to, so there may be in the future their versions out there, which we are fine with. Their sound i am sure will give a different vibe, but we wanted to control the majority of the production so it is still our song.”
There’s a strong sense of momentum in your recent singles.
Do you think in terms of individual songs, or are you always already imagining the next chapter?
“I write when I feel something. We have a shared folder with probably 50 different lyrics to go at, so we are certainly thinking we have a couple more albums in us. But we don’t set targets, we don’t have timelines, we do as we feel when we can. We both have jobs, families, and other interests, so we balance it pretty well. We don’t envisage stopping anytime soon, lets put it that way.”
If ‘What‘ is a question, what would be the one question you want listeners to ask themselves after hearing it?
“‘What’ is a statement, rather than a question. ‘What’ is the same thing being opposite to different people who have different perspectives. That’s what I feel has come out of it, probably unintentionally. I think the question then comes, why is ‘What’ different to different people, and why is that? You don’t have to agree with others’ opinion, or perspective, but it’s good to understand why they see the same thing in a different light to you.”
Looking ahead:
is the future of The Fods about refining what you’ve built – or deliberately tearing it down again to see what survives?
“We would never tear it down. We refine and evolve. We talk about what is next, and we try to improve. We will still try pushing ourselves style wise, and sometimes we will come back to what we know and love. We have found a way of working which suits us, and we will edit and tweak and build and hopefully improve as we go. We know some of the stuff to come is good, and now it’s up to ourselves to continue raising standards.”
At a time when punk can feel boxed in by its own history, The Fods continue to treat it as a living, adaptable form – one shaped by trust, empathy, and an openness to surprise.
‘What‘ doesn’t demand answers, nor does it offer slogans.
Instead, it leaves space for perspective, for contradiction, and for growth.
By refusing rigid timelines, fixed lineups, or stylistic comfort zones, The Fods have found a way to keep punk restless without losing its core.
Not by tearing things down, but by refining what already works – and letting each song decide what it wants to become next.
by Fok ‘bs’

What Comes Next?
After the anthemic punk roar of ‘I Get Blamed‘, the blues-infused sophistication of ‘…Is Very Much Enough‘, and the synth-laden indie textures of ‘A Matter of Time‘, The Fods are back with their latest single:
‘What‘.
But what is ‘What‘?
In true Fods fashion, it’s whatever you want it to be.
‘What‘ is power.
‘What‘ is fight.
‘What‘ is the next chapter in a transatlantic story that spans New Jersey, USA, and Cheshire, UK.
To deliver its spine-tingling vocals, The Fods have enlisted the undeniable talent of Krassy Halachev from Montreal’s indie stalwarts Icicle, adding another layer of international flair.
The single also nods to the band’s Manchester roots.
With a cover of the Buzzcocks classic ‘What Do I Get?‘, The Fods honor the first song they ever learned to play, blending reverence with their signature indie-punk energy.
On this track, they even drew on Scandinavian support:
Helsinki’s Headphone Jacks lend their vocal firepower, turning nostalgia into something vibrantly new.
The Fods are a rotating, transatlantic creative partnership, bringing together writers, performers, and producers from across the globe.
From collaborations dating back to the ’90s to the freshest voices in the indie scene, every track is a meeting point of talent – eclectic, guitar-driven, and impossible to pin down.
The result?
Songs that traverse genres, pulse with energy, and retain a singular Fods identity.
With ‘What‘, listeners get a glimpse of a band unafraid to rewrite their own rules, proving that punk, indie, and international collaboration can collide in thrilling, unpredictable ways.

The Fods are back with a brand new double A side single with the help of two of the finest vocalists around.
‘The Ineffectuals‘ featuring vocals from Joe Booe.
‘Shopping‘ featuring vocals from Aura Davis
Both songs have the Fods signature guitar driven melody but this is where the similarities end.
‘The Ineffectuals‘ is a peak into some of the modern day frustrations we all feel every now and then.
It rocks hard, with a driving bassline, massive guitars and a ferocious vocal performance from Joe.
‘Shopping‘, whilst still being guitar forward is a more ruminative composition of the long told tale of a boy girl dynamic.
It’s sung beautifully by Aura, with backing vocals from longtime Fods cohort, Birch from GoBirch.