| Fake Shark | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Years Active: | 2005–present |
| Current Members: | Kevvy Mental Louis Wu Alexander Glassford Jake Fox |
| Past Members: | Tony Dallas Dan Hughes Parker Bossley Malcolm Holt Nick Yacyshyn Jason Crockford |
Fake Shark (formerly known as Fake Shark – Real Zombie!) is a Canadian alternative rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. Formed in 2005, their early musical style mainly combined elements of dance punk and IDM but have since shifted to a more commercial alternative rock sound. The band's original name, being is a reference to Lucio Fulci's 1979 horror film Zombi 2, where a real shark and a zombie engage in combat.[1]
Fake Shark was conceived by Kevin "Kevvy Mental" Maher and Louis Wu in October 2005 as a way of combining the styles of the bands they liked in hopes to one day open for them. They met in high school and formed Fake Shark shortly after graduation. To complete the band, they recruited (via Craigslist) bassist Dan Hughes and The Heck's former drummer, Malcolm Holt. In 2007, Hughes left the band and was replaced by The Heck's and Hot Hot Heat's former bassist, Parker Bossley. The onslaught of MySpace buzz garnered the interest of Vinyl Junkie Records in Japan who released the band's debut album Zebra! Zebra! on April 25, 2007.
While life-sized cut-outs of the band's members at HMV stores in Japan[2] may indicate a popularity outside the arena of punk, the band still adheres to the punk lifestyle. It has been said that bouncers have had to "manually take down microphones and disassemble gear for the band to stop playing."[3] Henry Rollins has stated that they are one of his favorite new bands[4] and has played them several times on his radio show, Harmony in My Head.
Fake Shark have toured with artists such as Mindless Self Indulgence, Klaxons, Hot Hot Heat, Brokencyde, The Birthday Massacre, Marianas Trench (band), Jeffree Star and Test Icicles. They have also completed three tours of the United Kingdom and performed four sold out dates in Japan. 2008 saw Fake Shark with a North American release of Zebra! Zebra! on March 11, 2008, and the release their new EP Style of Substance followed by additional tours of North America and the UK and festival appearances in Japan.
During summer 2008, the band went into the studio with music producer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (known for his work with Skinny Puppy, Jakalope, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails) to record their second album. The result was Meeting People Is Terrible, a sophomore attempt that seems just as eclectic as their first but with even more genres covered and mashed such as funk and industrial. The band had leaked two tracks ("Jewellery" and "Angel Lust") from the album and a bonus single, a cover of Portishead's "Sour Times", on their MySpace page. They released the album, August 26, 2009, in Japan and May 31, 2010, worldwide.
In 2009, Kevvy Mental scored the short film starring Canadian singer Sarah Slean entitled Last Flowers directed by CJ Wallis. The film was nominated for a pair of Leo Awards.
Fake Shark Real Zombie's 2013 album is called Liar. Producers and collaborators include Steve Bays, Greig Nori, Dave Ogilvie, Jimmy Urine, members of Die Mannequin, Japanese Voyeurs, and The Birthday Massacre.[5]
In 2015, the band released three new singles, "Can't See You" (featuring Renholder) for the Soska Twins' 2014 horror film See No Evil 2,[6] "Zodiac" for Vendetta starring Dean Cain and Big Show, and "Cheap Thrills", the first single under the band's rebranded name "Fake Shark".
On May 13, 2016, Fake Shark released the second single, "Something Special" off their upcoming album.[7]
On March 20, 2017, the band announced their album Faux Real and released the album's 3rd single, "Heart 2 Heart".[8] Faux Real was released May 26, 2017 via Light Organ Records.[9]
In 2021, the band was reported to be appearing on the podcast Storybound.[10]
On November 5, 2021, the band released their latest album Time For The Future.
In 2021, "Loser" charted at #3 on Breaking Alt (Alternative Specialty) and #9 on Alternative Radio in Canada.
In 2022, the band was nominated for ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Rock/Alternative Group of the Year’ at the Indie Awards.
In 2023, their latest release "Save Me" peaked at #3 on Breaking Alt (Alternative Specialty), with radio spins by; The Verge SXM, Sonic Radio The Zone Victoria, X92.9 Calgary, X100.7 Red Deer.