ASBO Meets: Fox Gunn

Barcelona-born, London-based Fox Gunn is a pop sensation determined to succeed. Having moved to London at 18 with the sole purpose of making it as a musician the now 26-year-old is preparing for her homecoming show a year on from the release of her debut ep. Leaving her home country at 18 she stayed at a youth hostel on arrival “serving margaritas at night and busking during the day”, she studied songwriting shortly at Bimm but found the formal and regimented approach drained her passion for music until the national lockdown led her to begin producing and reignited the flame that was nearly smothered. The singer has been in London for 8 years now and has plans to move on once she has cemented herself musically in the coming years. Fox Gunn is still in the early chapters of her story and has already seen so much success. ASBO spoke with the talented creator for what became one of the most interesting ASBO meets.

How would you describe Fox Gunn?

I would say I make alternative pop where you can hear the Catalan roots and also the rock in it. A mix of cultures and a mix of sounds. Also very queer, very very queer.

When did you first start making music and decide that music is what you wanted to do?

By the time I was 16, I was like I think I want to do this and then when I was 18 I was like this is going to be my career, no plan B I’m moving to London let’s see how this goes.

As much as I don’t look like it I started with classical music, so I played classical piano and I played cello in an orchestra. Then when I was 16 I was like this is not cool I want to play guitar. So I dropped out of music school and taught myself guitar which I really regret to be honest. It’s great that I can play guitar but it would be so cool to use cello and orchestral instruments and stuff like that.

Where does the name Fox Gunn come from?

I wanted something that was a bit in your face and androgynous, you have no idea what I look like if you just see the name. I wanted something completely different from my birth name and I was staying at this house in Spain a couple of years ago and there was this fox that was coming in every night and I ended up being like Fox is a very cool name. Gunn is a bit random, I wanted it to be two names and I was listening to Halsey who has a song called ‘Girl is a gun’ and I was listening to that and was like I’m a gun and added another n because I didn’t want it to be gun.

How did growing up in Barcelona shape you?

I think I get a lot of my being very friendly and open, talking to everyone is the Catalan culture, and also it’s always sunny so you are always happy. Also the flirtiness I feel like I just like flirting with people and I think that comes from that, just talking to people and smiling and all of that. I had a great childhood, to be honest, I didn’t leave because I had to or needed to, I wanted to move and explore the world. As lovely as Barcelona was I wanted to see more and make something of myself.

A year on from your debut EP, how do you feel it’s going?

My life has changed completely since then, and it feels very weird to me it feels like it came out years ago. I released it last July and did a gig where it was mostly my friends and people that I knew, a couple of months later my TikTok blew up so from that it’s just been crazy. I played at the same venue where I did the EP release show last month and it was completely sold out, people flew to London to see me. I can’t believe this has all happened in less than a year.

I think the EP shaped me as an artist, it was like this is me and from now I can be like you know who I am now I can do whatever I want.

How important are live shows to you?

Besides writing, performing is my favourite thing in the world I feel like I’m quite an anxious person but when I perform live I feel like it is the only time I’m present, so the fact people are showing up and planning things around me it’s the best feeling in the world and we’re slowly creating a very cool community of people that are not just fans. I’m starting to get to know them and they show up to every show and to me it’s like I feel this way about other artists and now people feel that way about me. It’s insane. That success to me.

What achievements or stages do you dream of reaching?

My dream is to do a world tour and just play everywhere. Spend a year or two just touring the world. I think it’s important to set goals maybe not This is when I’ve made it but to remind myself that I’ve made it I’ve done this, be proud be happy. There is this one venue in Barcelona called Palau Sant Jordi, it’s like 20,000 more or less, I watched some of my favourite artists there as a kid so I would love to sell it out.