Former Utopia

Former Utopia

Former Utopia, also known as FU, is a London-based group active since 2006. The band plays a mix of alt-folk and heavy post-punk, moving between sparse, melodic song forms and a louder rock approach.

Line-up

The group centres on George Gargan, who handles guitar and vocals. Other members listed are Rama on drums and Russ on bass.

Performances and associations

Former Utopia tours in the UK, Italy and elsewhere in Europe. The band shares stages with Shonen Knife, Bitch Magnet, Bottomless Pit, Shannon Wright, Julie Doiron, The Thalia Zedek Band, Geoff Farina and Chris Brokaw, Thee More Shallows, Swell, PW Long, Uzeda, Bellini and David Grubbs.

Reception

Coverage of the band describes its timing, interplay between drums and guitar, and a sound that combines heavy rhythms with melodic guitar lines. Other descriptions focus on the group’s unforced, languid atmosphere, George Gargan’s baritone voice, and the shifting style heard on the track “A Love Like Infinity”, which is compared to vintage Tyrannosaurus Rex before developing into a lo-fi epic with liquid guitars, off-kilter drums and unexpected harmonies.