RedFox is an indie-folk band making it’s second appearance on Vodka. Better Now (seen/heard here) is a song with a powerful lyric on the music industry from the perspective of front-woman, lead vocalist, and fiddle player, Daphnée Vandal. I reached out to the band and received this response regarding the lyric meaning from Vandal:

“The more I performed, the more I started to notice aspects of the music industry that were bothering me; inconsistencies that were noticeable being one of few women in a lead performing role at many of the shows we attended and/or performed in. 

I wrote these lyrics in response to these inconsistencies and frustrations I’ve had throughout both my professional career and personal life. As you can imagine, it’s not easy being a woman in the music industry. I wanted to make a stand. I wanted to make it clear that I could be independent and strong, and that I’m not just a pretty face. This song is about overcoming struggles, and the immense amount of energy spent dealing with the artists burden of judgement, expectations and doubt from others. I share this message through the song and my overall art in an effort to help others achieve the feeling of empowerment I get every time I take the stage.“

RedFox, though, is not just Daphnée Vandal, even though she is an integral and prominent component of the band. The band is definitely the sum of its parts with Jono Townsend, guitar, Tim Loten, banjo, Sam Robinson, bass, and the heartbeat of the band, Samuel Neumann, drum, supporting Daphnée well.

Musically, Better Now is compelling in its own right. Instrumentally forceful and texturally brilliant, from banjo, guitar, bass, drums, and fiddle, each element is blended so that none are more important than the other. The one element that I wish was pushed just a bit more upfront in the mix here is Daphnée Vandal’s vocal-particularly at the beginning of the song, but that is a minor wish and frankly, purely a subjective view on my part.

RedFox currently has two EP’s available via their bandcamp.com link, the 2018′s debut self-titled EP and the May 2019 EP, Recovery. Better Now was released as a single to streaming platforms in February of this year. This band continues to grow in popularity and I look forward to seeing what’s next from them.

You can find more information by heading up to the band’s concise website with links to most of their social and streaming platforms. Not listed is the aforementioned bandcamp.com link. If you have not yet been exposed to RedFox, now is the time!

Note: With Covid-19 still around, probably to be with us for some time, artists like RedFox and many others need your purchases to keep their heads above water. If your situation allows it, consider purchasing more in these tough times. –Vodka