I have an affinity for Dutch indie bands these days, and now you can add FIEP to the list. Led by guitarist and singer Veerle Suzanna Driessen, FIEP has been evolving their guitar-driven power-pop sound since 2023, emphasizing an energetic and tight live set.
My post about Tape Toy led me to 3voor12 radio on YouTube and despite a lot of the content being in Dutch, the English music has a crazy high hit rate for me. That’s how I first heard FIEP. “Same Boat” is a high-energy alt-rock song that has been in steady rotation since I included it on the playlist back in February. A solid 00s indie-rock sound complete with catchy chorus and worked on me like catnip. Seems like it’s been a staple for the band for a long time, it’s included in their first 3voor12 session from 2022, and hasn’t really changed since.
On March 15, the band released 5 new songs on EP Moon Bliss, which was packaged with their prior EP Fried Rice for an album-length set of songs.
Side A of the release is Fried Rice: four songs that the band released in October 2023. Catchy power-pop with self-aware lyrics and an impressive diversity of style. Highlight “Ha-Ha” shows surprising complexity and versatility, working for every second of its running time:
Moon Bliss is five new songs that comprise Side B of the record. After “Same Boat”, the tracks are more downtempo and musically richer than I expected. On Moon Bliss, “Same Boat” is the outlier — the two songs that follow it are more subdued, melancholy indie-pop songs, carefully produced and rich with atmosphere. “World Leader 2.0” is the centrepiece of the record: a 5+ minute anthem that channels Neutral Milk Hotel near the end:
They featured a few of the songs from the double EP a few weeks ago on a studio performance for 3voor12 that features the three songs featured above:
They’ve had opening dates with Wet Leg and played festivals across Europe, and YouTube clips of their concerts show how solid they are live.
Together, these two EPs make a compelling case for this band’s range. Whether they’re charging ahead with the hook-heavy rush of “Same Boat” or stretching into the wistful sprawl of “World Leader 2.0,” there’s a confidence here that’s easy to like. For now, the double EP is a perfect entry point: proof that FIEP can shift gears without losing their grip.
