Photo: Bobby Flores
Admiral Fox is Dan DeMarco, Lucas Rollo, and Ben Ouellette. Their sounds range from introspective indie folk to synth-flavored garage rock. Following the release of their 2020 EP Nowhere is Safe, their music has been slanting away from the acoustic singer-songwriter crooners of their debut, and heading into louder, more electric, and more socially conscious territory. Though they’ll always find time for a sad-boy ballad or three.
“An indie-pop band from right here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Admiral Fox has a very delicate touch with their music yet there’s a sense of fire and passion that comes with every word and every note. This comes through loud and clear in “security guard at the hospital”. If you’re looking to get lost in your own thoughts and head, pay attention to the gorgeous words in this song. If you’re just looking to get lost in general for a couple of minutes, just listen to the beautiful instrumentation in this. Regardless, you will surely be hooked by this band’s perfection and overall sound.” — Girl at the Rock Shows
Dan recorded the original Winter in Limbo on GarageBand on an old MacBook as he was in the midst of a months-long road trip that ended with him moving to Minneapolis. It was recorded entirely using his MacBook’s built-in microphone, and mixed using a pair of drug store earbuds.
Fast forward a couple years, another album, and a full-band EP later, and the Winter in Limbo songs have become fan favorites at our live shows. Winter in Limbo was only available on Bandcamp, and friends of the band kept asking when we were going to put the album on other streaming services.
Then quarantine hit and Dan needed a project to keep his mind off of a lot of sad personal things. He had better recording gear, a more capable voice, and more recording experience, so it seemed like the perfect time to revamp our debut. It still has a lo-fi, home recorded edge, but the performances and mixes are way better. And now it’s available everywhere.
"A deeply personal, yet universal, soundtrack for our time." — Mostly Minnesota Music
"Without knowing it, Admiral Fox provided my pandemic experience with a perfect soundtrack." — Melodic Noise Media
"It seems like every new song takes on a new prescience during this age of quarantine. We only perceive music after it's been refracted through the prism of coronavirus. More often than not, it's forced and does the art a disservice. That's not the case for Nowhere is Safe, the new EP from Minneapolis alt-rock quartet Admiral Fox." — Ear Coffee
Written during the tail end of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak and the American government's sloppy response to it has given the paranoid political cuts on this EP a new sense of urgency. Tracks like "Salamander" and "So Proud" blister with irreverence, while "Pictures of Drones" conjures the pre-apocalyptic stress overload that none of us asked for and are all still learning to cope with. Fan faves "Lift My Spirit" and "Forest Dweller" round out the setlist here with an ode to depression and a supernatural love ballad, respectively.
Video by Walter Smits
Video by True Hallucinations
"A well written and delivered album that contains unique production as well as memorable melodies." —Divide and Conquer
Saint Cloud is a tight 9-track collection of songs that pushes Admiral Fox's sound into sonically richer, and weirder, territory. While still retaining some of the indie rock vibes of its predecessor, Saint Cloud eschews the more organic instrumentation of Winter in Limbo for synthesizers and electronic textures. While Winter in Limbo was lo-fi and fuzzy, Saint Cloud is a much more sleek, colorful, and psychedelic experience.
Video by Walter Smits
Video by Walter Smits