Foxera

Ten simple words changed the entire trajectory of Foxera’s future. After auditioning over 200 singers the process proved fruitless, and after a year of searching, Foxera still hadn’t found their singer. Then one day in late 2019, they saw an innocuous tweet from a singer named Michael Swank: “Y’all I really miss singing in a band for real.” Swank had previously served as the clean vocalist in Myka Relocate, who toured extensively and released several albums before going on hiatus in 2017 and disbanding in 2020. He was looking to lend his talents to a new band, and Foxera were looking for a seasoned frontman who could build upon their well-honed musical chemistry. Foxera connected with Swank, and in December 2019, the singer flew from Austin, Texas to Phoenix for an in-person audition. They clicked immediately, and those sessions yielded the newly minted quartet’s first single, “Picture Perfect.” The aggressive rock instrumentals are still present, but Swank’s soulful clean vocals lend the song a poppy immediacy. The coronavirus pandemic forced Foxera to write primarily over Zoom throughout 2020, during which time they completed two more songs. They’ve continued writing, refining their sound and strengthening their bond over the past year, and the return of live music will allow them to finally hit the stage together. After weathering a season of uncertainty and doubt, Foxera have emerged victorious and hungry to show the world who they are. —Bryan Rolli