Greg Driscoll and Brendan Eprile are the masterminds behind the newest rock/pop band, Fab The Duo. While writing their debut single, “American Icon”, the artists pulled upon personal experiences.
A combination of rock, pop, and blues, the single is musically modern with a retro undertone, while also preaching inclusion and acceptance. I sat down with the duo to get a closer look at “American Icon” and their courage both socially and musically.
Ariel Zedric: Tell me about the inspiration behind your new single. “American Icon“ gives off a message of acceptance, inclusion and overall positive and empowering vibes. Tell me a little about the inspiration and your decision to write this song!
Fab The Duo: The inspiration for the song came from the fact that we didn’t have enough role models in the LGBT+ community growing up. We wanted to write a song where everyone could walk down the street and live their most iconic lives and be proud of it.
Can you recall the moment you decided to write the track? Is there any event in particular that inspired it, or was it more of a culmination of things?
We were in a conversation and the words “American Icon” came up. The words were so powerful that we knew we had to write a song with that as its title. A few days (and a few rewrites later), “American Icon” was born.
What does the phrase ‘American Icon’ mean to both of you in this modern age?
We want people to focus less on the “American” part and more on the “Icon” part. We live in a frightening time in not just our country but the world where people are not allowed to be who they are, and some are even getting killed for it. We wrote this song in hopes that people will feel more confident to be their true selves, and feel like the icons that they already are. Icons aren’t made, they are born.
Walk me through your music creating process, about how long does it take? Do you each have different roles, or do you collaborate on everything?
We have very different roles in the creative process. Brendan writes most of the songs, while Greg does most of the arranging. We have completely different strengths and weaknesses, but together we make an unstoppable team.
Is there a special place that you go to for inspiration?
Yes, the shower! Odds are, if it’s a Fab song, it was made in the shower.
Do you have a favorite lyric of the track?
We both love the final line “You can’t stop us”. We’ve both had many obstacles in our way but we’ve always gotten through it.
Courtesy of Fab The Duo
Are there parts of your childhood/upbringing that you pull from for inspiration? How so?
We both grew up in small, rural towns where there weren’t many people like us. We didn’t feel like we were allowed to be ourselves. Greg was severely bullied for being gay and adopted, while Brendan hid his sexuality from everyone. Now we are out, proud, and loud.
Have you encountered any obstacles in the music industry thus far? How have you overcome them?
Being an indie artist, the biggest obstacle is that we have to front the bill at all times. The balance of focusing on our art while paying all the bills can be difficult. Another challenge is being our own bosses while being responsible for everything that gets put out under our name. As a duo, the most important thing is making every decision together. We are also a couple, so it’s important that we don’t let anything get in the way of our relationship. Communication is key to overcoming all these obstacles.
What’s it like being queer in the music industry? Have you encountered any obstacles related to your sexuality? How have you dealt with them?
We have been very lucky that everyone we have personally encountered has supported us. We’ve had some internet trolls say homophobic things, but we were expecting that. At the end of the day, love shines brighter than hate.
What artist have you been listening to on repeat lately?
Lizzo! All day, every day.
Are you working on any other exciting, forthcoming projects that you want people to know about?
We’re already working on our next single. We are planning to release it at the end of summer/early fall.
Any last thoughts?
Our motto is as long as you aren’t hurting anyone or yourself, “Be You, Be Proud, Be Loud”.
Courtesy of Fab The Duo
Find and follow Fab The Duo on their website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Feature image courtesy of Fab The Duo
