| Fenech-Soler | |
| Origin: | King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire, England |
| Years Active: | 2006–2017 |
| Current Members: |
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| Past Members: |
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Fenech-Soler were an English electropop band from King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire, England, that formed in 2006 and consists of two members: Ross Duffy and Ben Duffy. Founding members Daniel Fenech-Soler and Andrew Lindsay left the band in 2016.[1] The name Fenech-Soler is taken from Daniel Soler's full surname, which is Maltese.[2] [3] The band's sound has been compared to Friendly Fires and Delphic for their "hybrid of summery indie and big dance-inflected melodies".[4] Fenech-Soler are signed to So Recordings.[5]
Fenech-Soler's self-titled debut studio album was released in 2010 and included three singles. The single "Stop and Stare" was named by BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James as 'Record of the Week' and 'Weekend Anthem' and Dutch public broadcaster NOS used "Demons" as an anthem for their 2010–11 UEFA Champions League broadcasts.[6] Both "Lies" and "Demons" were playlisted by Radio 1. The band recorded a Radio 1 Live Lounge session for Jo Whiley in February 2011.[7]
On 13 March 2011, it was announced that Ben Duffy had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and would have to undergo a course of chemotherapy. This caused the cancellation of the nine-date UK tour.[8] The cancer was diagnosed in its early stages[9] and two months later it was announced that the treatment was '100% successful' and Duffy was 'now in complete remission'. The band returned to a busy summer schedule of 23 festivals including Glastonbury and V Festival.[10] Fenech-Soler donated all proceeds from their 18 April 2011 single "Stop and Stare" to the Teenage Cancer Trust.[8] That same year, the band was a supporting act for the White Lies, Kelis,[11] Robyn[12] and Example.[13]
The band released their second album, Rituals, on 30 September 2013. The release of the album was announced following the announcement of a UK tour,[14] which coincided with the release of the single "Magnetic" in March. The album's second single, "Last Forever", was released early in September prior to the album.
In 2014, Fenech-Soler performed at a medal awards ceremony at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[15] In addition to their own work, they are also known for their remix work, including a remix of "Self Control" by Sunday Girl, "Kickstarts" by Example,"MY KZ, YR BF" by Everything Everything and "Hollywood" by Marina and the Diamonds.[16]
Fenech-Soler co-wrote and featured on the Groove Armada track "Paper Romance", taken from their album Black Light (2010). Fenech-Soler have appeared on Channel 4's EVO Rooms, NME Takeover[2] and BBC Switch.[17]
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| 2010 | Fenech-Soler | 85 [20] |
| 2013 | Rituals
| 120 [21] |
| 2017 | Zilla
| - |
| Year | EP details |
|---|---|
| 2009 | The Cult of Romance |
| 2011 | White Versions
|
| 2013 | iTunes Festival: London 2013
|
| 2014 | Stop and Stare EP
|
| 2014 | Remix EP
|
| 2014 | Glow EP
|
| 2016 | Kaleidoscope EP
|
| 2017 | Covers EP
|
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 2009 | "Lies" | — | Non-album singles |
| 2010 | "Stop and Stare" | 106 [22] | |
| "Lies" | 126 [23] | Fenech-Soler | |
| 2011 | "Demons" | 162 [24] | |
| "Stop and Stare" | — | ||
| 2012 | "All I Know" | — | Rituals |
| 2013 | "Magnetic" | — | |
| "Last Forever" | — | ||