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Fidlar

American punk/garage rock band

Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Fidlar, stylized as FIDLAR, is an American punk and garage rock band from Los Angeles. The band's name is an acronym for Fuck It Dawg, Life's a Risk, a skate mantra stolen from singer Zac Carper's former roommates. Originally, FIDLAR went under the name 'Fuck The Clock', as referenced in their song "Cheap Beer". To date, the band have released four studio albums: FIDLAR (2013), Too (2015), Almost Free (2019) and Surviving the Dream (2024). The band are mostly known for short, fast songs that deal with partying and narcotics. In 2013, Pitchfork wrote that the band "don't make music you'll grow old with, and they won't get an "A" for originality, but that's not really the point".

01History

Founding members Zac Carper and Elvis Kuehn met while working at a recording studio in which Carper was employed as an engineer and Kuehn was an intern. The two started recording songs when the studio was empty and posting the finished products online. The band began playing house shows, many of which resulted in authorities showing up.

Three years after recording their first songs, they stepped on stage together with the Black Lips and went on tour with the Hives.

In 2011, they released their debut EP, DIYDUI, produced by Lewis Pesacov. In 2012, FIDLAR were named one of Stereogum's 40 Best New Bands of 2012. In October 2012, the band made their television debut on Last Call with Carson Daly, where they performed "Whore" and "No Waves" from their then-upcoming album FIDLAR.

The band is currently signed to Mom + Pop Music in the US, Wichita Recordings in the UK and Dine Alone Records in Canada.

02Musical style and influences

According to Jason Lymangrover of AllMusic, FIDLAR's music incorporates elements of "classic" skate punk, thrash metal, and "surfy" lo-fi indie rock. The instrumentation is described as "punchy, fast, loud." The band's influences include the Offspring and blink-182. The band's first studio album contains "slacker subject matter" pertaining to topics such as substance abuse, surfing and skateboarding. Yardbarker stated that "the band paid homage to the pillars of rock ‘n’ roll: hedonism, drugs, and booze." Stylistically, the album has drawn comparisons to Angry Samoans, Fear, Surf Punks, the Ramones and Circle Jerks. The band's music has been categorized as pop-punk.

03Other projects

Each member of FIDLAR has been involved in at least one side project. Carper has produced albums or helped co-write songs by such bands as Dune Rats, SWMRS, The Frights, Sweet Thing, The Goldberg Sisters, Dirty Sweet, and Tokyo Police Club. Schwartzel also periodically performs DJ sets at Monty's Bar under the pseudonym of "DJ Basil". Schwartzel & Max Kuehn are in a band with members of Together Pangea called Los Bolos. Max Kuehn has released solo compositions online, as well as being a member of The Squirmers, The Diffs and The Head Hunters with his brother Elvis, The Small Wigs, and Kitten, with Carper prior to, and during their full time in FIDLAR.

04Personal life

Elvis Kuehn (guitar/vocals) and Max Kuehn (drums) are the sons of Greg Kuehn, keyboardist for Long Beach punk legends, T.S.O.L. while Zac Carper (vocals/guitar) is the son of famed surfboard designer John Carper. Carper struggled with drug addiction and spent time in rehab for it, inspiring the song "No Waves". Bassist Brandon Schwartzel was Carper's friend before joining the band, with the two bonding over drugs and homelessness. The four have been performing together as FIDLAR since 2009. Carper was born in Hawaii, while the Kuehn brothers were born in Los Angeles, and Schwartzel was born in San Diego.

05Band members

  • Zac Carper , lead vocals, guitar, keyboards (2009-present)
  • Brandon Schwartzel , bass, backing vocals (2009-present)
  • Max Kuehn , drums, percussion (2009-present)

Former members

  • Elvis Kuehn , guitar, backing and lead vocals, keyboards (2009-2022)

Former touring musicians

  • Danny Nogueiras , drums (2009-2010)
  • Alice Baxley , bass (2010)
  • Andy Miller , bass (2010-2011)
  • Mikki Itzigsohn , bass (2009-2010)

06Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details
Fidlar
Too
  • Released: September 4, 2015
  • Labels: Mom + Pop, Burger (US); Wichita (UK); Hostess (Japan)
  • Formats: LP, CD, cassette, digital download
Almost Free
unplug
  • Released: August 5, 2023
  • Labels: Self Published
  • Formats: cassette, digital download
Surviving The Dream
  • Released: September 20, 2024
  • Labels: Self Published

Extended plays

Title Extended play details
DIYDUI
  • Released: April 12, 2011
  • Label: White Iris
  • Formats: 7-inch, digital download
Don't Try...
  • Released: April 10, 2012
  • Labels: Mom + Pop (US); Wichita (UK)
  • Formats: 7-inch, CD, digital download
Shit We Recorded in Our Bedroom
  • Released: October 15, 2012
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Don't Fuck With Vol. 01
  • Released: December 15, 2022
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
That's Life
  • Released: March 17, 2023
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Don't Fuck With Vol. 02
  • Released: May 19, 2023
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Don't Fuck With Vol. 03
  • Released: March 22, 2024
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

07Certified singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Certification
"By Myself" 2019

08Music videos

Year Song Director
February 2012 Wait for the Man Ryan Baxley
Max Can't Surf
Oh
June 2012 No Waves
October 2012 Cheap Beer
November 2012 Gimme Something
February 2013 Max Can't Surf (Fidlar Version)
July 2013 Cocaine
May 2015 40oz On Repeat
July 2015 West Coast
August 2015 Drone
Leave Me Alone
January 2016 Why Generation
April 2016 Punks
August 2018 Are You High? FIDLAR
September 2018 Too Real Jonathan Atchley
January 2019 By Myself Brandon Schwartzel
Can't You See Jonah Ray
June 2019 Flake FIDLAR
August 2022 FSU Alice & Ryan Baxley
October 2022 Sand on the Beach
November 2022 Taste The Money Ryan Baxley
February 2023 Centipede Ryan Baxley
June 2024 FIX ME Ryan Baxley & Brandon Schwartzel

09Appearance in media

The band also played on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2015, where they performed "West Coast" and "Why Generation" from their second album Too. The band was also featured on Conan, in 2016, where they performed "West Coast”"

10Awards

Watch videos about FidlarExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Fidlar, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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