Fight Like Apes

Fight Like Apes are a synth pop/alternative rock group formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 2006. Taking influence from sources as diverse as alt-rock luminaries Pixies, Welsh underground punk legends Mclusky, and the short-lived teen sitcom California Dreams, Fight Like Apes' music is defined by sharply distorted synths, the complete absence of guitars, and singer Maykay's shrill tones and pop culture-referencing lyricism. Their brash pop sensibilities have seen them likened to U.K. acts Los Campesinos! and Johnny Foreigner, as well as defunct U.S. rockers Be Your Own Pet.

The road to becoming Fight Like Apes, or "FLApes" as they are casually known to their fans, began on a family holiday in Spain, when a young Mary Kate Geraghty, later to become Maykay, was introduced to Jamie Fox, later to become Pockets. The two attended nearby schools just outside of Dublin. While Maykay was comfortably immersed in the contemporary pop of the day, Pockets had his own obsession in the transatlantic grunge scene, and soon their tastes began to converge. Following a number of failed experiments with guitarists, the two stumbled upon a formula: Maykay and Pockets sharing synth and vocal duties, with drummer Adrian Mullan and bass player Tom Ryan completing the lineup.

The group's early gigs created enough of a buzz to alert FIFA Records founder Ashley Keating (of rock group the Frank and Walters) to their presence. And it was with FIFA that Fight Like Apes would issue their first EP, a collection of demos entitled How Am I Supposed to Kill You When You Have All the Guns? in May 2007. In November of the same year, a second EP surfaced on the same label, entitled David Carradine Is a Bounty Hunter Whose Robotic Arm Hates Your Crotch, in reference to the infamous "Bill" from the Kill Bill movie series. The group was nominated for two awards at the 2008 Meteor Irish Music Awards, including Best Live Performance. The following summer, Fight Like Apes signed with fledgling Dublin label Model Citizen Records and convened in Seattle, WA, to record their debut album with producer John Goodmanson (the Blood Brothers, Blonde Redhead).

The group's debut album, Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion (an obtuse homage to a long-forgotten Mr. T film), was released in Ireland in September of 2008. It was preceded in July of 2008 by the band's first stand-alone singles: "Something Global" in Ireland and "Lend Me Your Face" (from their first EP) in the U.K. "Jake Summers," also from the group's first EP, was released as an Ireland-only single in September, and "Tie Me Up with Jackets" was released simultaneously in both the U.K. and Ireland to coincide with the U.S. release of the album in January of 2009. In March of that year, You Filled His Head with Fluffy Clouds and Jolly Ranchers was issued in the U.S. in tandem with appearances at the South by Southwest industry festival in Texas. ~ Dave Donnelly, Rovi