A CHAT WITH FOX TEETH
BY HOLLY VAN NESSWhen Sawyer (he/they) was a senior in high school, they started Fox Teeth as a solo act. Sawyer had always wanted to make music and after a while, they were ready to turn Fox Teeth into something bigger. Sawyer made an Instagram post to find a live drummer and bassist and after 5 years and a couple member switches, Fox Teeth has an entire discography of music, touring experience, and even more passion to keep at it.
The ordinary thing about Fox Teeth is that they’re anything but. Sawyer and Will are both people of color and Sawyer is a transgender, meaning they make a lot of music for the underdog. The members of Fox Teeth have experienced a lot of prejudice, transphobia, and misogyny from the music industry but overcome these challenges by staying authentic and unapologetically being themselves. “If someone has an issue with us because of our backgrounds or what we stand for, I can guarantee we steer clear of them if it’s safe to,” Sawyer tells me.
Instead of dwelling on these unfortunate experiences, the band reclaims them by turning them into music. Most of the tracks Fox Teeth have released were written based on their experiences with relationships, queerness, and emotional moments. Sawyer didn’t know of any trans POC making emo-adjacent music growing up and realized from an early age that if he didn’t have anyone to look up to, then others probably didn’t either.
“I always want to be a positive influence for younger generations to look up to and relate to,” Sawyer says. “That also is a big reason why I’m very set on all shows we play being accepting, safe spaces for anyone attending.”
In 2023, Fox Teeth released their second record, Through the Blue. (Funny enough, there’s a song on that album called Asbury Park so I can only assume that playing that show with Pinkshift and Jhariah in January was fucking awesome). “We had so many trials going into recording Through the Blue that honestly almost made us put it on a back burner,” Sawyer says. “I had this really intense feeling of imposter syndrome when the record was released as well, and just didn’t have the faith that people would enjoy it. It’s taken a lot of time for me to accept that people actually care to listen to and support us, which is something that I think will always surprise me, but it feels good to have something you put your all into to be received so well.”
As for the future, Fox Teeth doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. They band is focusing on playing as many shows as they can before fall of 2024 and have been working on new material to go into the studio with. Joshua (Jotty) and Julian (Wave) joined Fox Teeth recently as a second guitarist and drummer respectively and it seems that everyone is truly dedicated to making Fox Teeth sound the best they ever have. New music is in the works!
“I’d really love to just tour more,” Sawyer says. “Possibly even have a support tour for a larger band at some point. Most importantly, I just want to hit the ground running with being a four piece for the first time in about 3 years and really outdo our past releases.”
When asked about how the music industry can become more inclusive for Fox Teeth and other similar artists, Sawyer tells me that the industry needs to stop painting queer artists as just pop artists. “We exist in other genres and also–we’re not “hard” to work with! Respect us and advocate for us to be in what are otherwise typically heteronormative spaces,” Sawyer says. “Also performative activism is incredibly obvious to many of us. Support us because it’s right, not just because it looks good for you.”
At the end of the day, Fox Teeth is made up of normal humans just like me and you. They make music about their queer experiences and, just like countless other queer people, were scared to come out as a band housing queer musicians. Sawyer was terrified that people wouldn’t want to listen to them or that venues wouldn’t allow them to play at them. But through it all, Sawyer has found love and acceptance from fellow artists, friends, and fans and it’s certainly made it all worth it. “I know I always have someone advocating for my comfort and safety, and anyone who is too afraid to do that for you is not someone to associate with,” Sawyer says.
Fox Teeth are not defined by their sexualities or gender-identities. While they play an important part in who they are as a collective group and individuals, there’s so much more to Fox Teeth than that. They’re played with some of my favorite local bands like Leisure Hour, Cinema Stare, and remind me that the heart of music is community. I’m incredibly excited to see where Fox Teeth goes from here and I’ll be on the sidelines cheering them on the whole time!