INTERVIEW: FUET! discuss origins and influences alongside new single ‘It’s All A Show’
Madrid hardcore five-piece FUET! have followed an unconventional path to becoming one of Spain’s most exciting emerging heavy acts. Originally formed without any intention of performing live, the band found themselves propelled into the spotlight after winning Mad Cool Talent 2024, leading to appearances at Mad Cool, Resurrection Fest and an increasingly enthusiastic following.
Their latest single, ‘It’s All A Show’, continues that momentum while exploring something deeply personal. Confronting the exhaustion of pretending to be someone else to gain acceptance, the track forms the opening chapter of a two-part narrative that concludes with previous single ‘Roll With It’, where frustration gives way to self-acceptance.
So with both singles out now, we had a quick chat with the band to discover more about their background and what have been their biggest influences over the years.
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What was the first rock song or artist that made an impact on you?
Héctor (Drummer): Probably My Chemical Romance with “Famous Last Words”, about 20 years ago now. That’s when I started to understand that music has a huge impact on how we build our identity, how we see the world and how we relate to others.
Bob (Bassist): I was allowed to buy an album, and I picked one for its manga-styled cover: ‘Reanimation’. It thrilled me. Months later, in front of a TV where the same band’s name appeared, I was stunned by the singer screaming against those iconic backlights on the stage. I saw the title was ‘Faint’, and next to it, ‘Meteora’, the album. My cousin burned me a copy of that CD. That was how Linkin Park opened the door to what became one of the many facets of my identity. All thanks to the chance encounter with an album cover. How important album covers really are.
Ruben (vocals): probably ‘Bring your daughter (to the slaughter)’ by Iron Maiden. Spent a whole Summer with my uncle in Denver when I was 12 and he had the ‘Best of the Beast’ CD in his car playing all the time, drum-rolling across the steering wheel, I’ll never forget that Summer.
Gonzalo (guitar): I started playing guitar because I was obsessed with The Edge’s guitar tone. My first guitar belonged to my brother but the first guitar I bought was an Epiphone Korina Explorer that I still cherish. That said, I think the first full album that made a huge impression on me was as a whole, The Process of Belief by Bad Religion. I was 8 or 9 when my sister gave my a copy and I would smash it over and over again. Today I keep going back to that record.
Al (guitar): I’d say Territorial Pissing by Nirvana. As a child, I used to steal my father’s albums when he wasn’t looking. I remember the first time I listened to that song, especially the ending: all those feelings and all that energy poured into one desperate scream to conclude the song. I fell in love right away with such emotional music, and I knew that was the kind of music I wanted to play.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences within the rock genre?
Héctor (drummer) I’d say The Cranberries, A Perfect Circle, Alexisonfire and Blink-182. These days, bands like Movements, Basement or Militarie Gun probably have a bigger impact on me.
Bob (Bassist): Nine Inch Nails and anything that smacks of Trent Reznor, Fontaines D.C., Deftones, Placebo, Knocked Loose, Birds in Row, Basement, etc.
Ruben (vocals): not sure if it’s (all) rock, but the ones that are always on my mind are The Mars Volta, Pantera, the Strokes, Fontaines, Alice in Chains…
Gonzalo (guitar): Biffy Clyro, Enter Shikari, Architects, Fontaines DC, Speed, Kings of Convenience, Turnstile, Tom Misch, Dead from Above 1979…
Al (guitar): Scowl, Military Gun, Stick To Your Guns, Fontaines DC, Knocked Loose, Big Thief, Her’s, Angel Du$t.
Are there any non-rock musicians or genres that have also influenced your music?
Every genre has groundbreaking artists who have pushed music, art and what can be expressed through them forward. Our most direct influences might come from rock, metal and hardcore, but genres like pop, jazz, electronic music, cumbia or flamenco have had, and still have, a big impact on how we understand the sheer range of what music can be.
What is your main inspiration when looking to write new music?
It has to move us. That’s pretty much it. We have a rule: if we can picture ourselves on stage, standing behind that song live, then it has something worth keeping.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and do you have any memorable live performance experiences you’d like to share?
We’ve always been very clear that what fulfils us most is both the connection with the audience and the connection we feel with each other on stage. Getting to do what makes you happy with the people you love, and seeing that move others, is something you can’t really put into words. One of the shows where we lived that to the fullest was our last gig in Madrid (Sala Copérnico, 650 people). But we have a special place in our hearts for a 100-capacity venue in León, Spain, where from the very first chord people were flying through the air, putting every bit of energy into the show, and some of them were literally walking on the ceiling while crowd surfing.
What has been a particularly rewarding moment in your musical journey so far?
I’d say Mad Cool 2024. We had just won the festival’s band competition to earn a spot on the lineup, with only 7 monthly listeners on Spotify (which made it feel unthinkable). To our surprise, when we played, everyone who wandered over to our stage stayed. Hundreds of people who had never heard of us stayed to experience what we are on stage. We had zero expectations about what would happen, and what we got was a huge embrace from the crowd, giving us hope that we have something worth betting on.
How would you define success as a musician?
It’s often hard to separate success from numbers. Usually, making it means being able to make music your main job (and we’d love to get there someday). But we see success in our everyday lives. Being able to say that the band makes us happy, and that we feel joy every time we play, is what we consider true success.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?
Take care of yourselves. Communicate well with each other. Enjoy it, and never lose sight of the journey: creating, writing, playing, and being aware of how lucky you are to make music with people you love. At the end of the day, that’s what matters. Be honest with yourselves and do what moves you.
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Watch the new video for ‘It’s All A Show’ below.