W: Mandy Morgan I:Cavey Veal
The dark new single ‘Ghosts’ is out now. It’s emotional, it’s loud, and it’s best played at night.
In the crowded landscape of the UK’s south coast music scene, Fever Rouge are carving out a space that is distinctly their own. They are a band defined by contrasts: moody guitars meeting funk-laden grooves, and a punk ethos clashing with introspection. Now, the four-piece—comprising Ollie Hughes, Oli Mooney, Alain De Gouveia, and Kieran King—are ready to unleash their darkest work yet with their new single, ‘Ghosts’.
What can fans expect from the new single? "It’s dark and emotional, one for the winter and one for the night. We love a huge ending and it definitely delivers on that." Ollie
Describing themselves humbly as "four mates with a Citroën Berlingo and a dream," Fever Rouge have quickly become known for unbridled on-stage energy. But on ‘Ghosts,’ the tempo shifts. Produced by the band alongside Rory Lethbridge (Bella Union, School Disco), the track is a brooding indie opus that builds from atmospheric tension into a cacophony of heavy chords and ripping guitar solos.
For the band, ‘Ghosts’ is more than just a sonic shift; it is a thematic deep dive.
"It’s a deeply personal record about family secrets—skeletons in the closet or ghosts, if you will," explains frontman Ollie Hughes. "It’s about the things that change your perception of your childhood and what you've experienced growing up. Everyone has their own ghosts and demons that we're trying to handle."
Musically, the track delivers on the band’s promise of "dark indie rock." It is a winter track, designed for the night. "It's one of our darkest and most atmospheric tracks," Hughes adds. "It is so fun to play live, especially with the explosion of the heavy chords in the end."
Attempting to pin down the Fever Rouge sound can be elusive. Drawing influence from industry titans like King Krule, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Queens of the Stone Age, the band operates without boundaries. When asked to describe their vibe to the uninitiated, the band offers a vivid image: "Bloc Party if they were held hostage by Josh Homme and Thom Yorke."
"We’re an Indie band, whatever that means," Hughes says. "But we’ve also got a lot of funk and noise within us. There aren’t really any boundaries to what you can do anymore in music... that's quite exciting but also daunting."
This eclectic mix is born from a collaborative, organic process. Ideas often flow from jams in the rehearsal room, where distinct influences collide—from the Britpop sensibilities of their track Weatherman to the Krautrock vibes creeping into their newer material.
The road to ‘Ghosts’ hasn't been without its potholes. The band faced a significant hurdle at the start of 2025 with the departure of their guitarist.
"It was the most uncertain and lost I’ve ever felt in making music," Hughes admits candidly. "It affected our friendship in a way that will be difficult to get over... I think a band is like a family and you’ve got to look after your family. It was definitely a learning curve."
Despite the setbacks, the band has rallied, fueled by their greatest strength: the ability to generate new ideas the moment they step into a room together. While they admit to being perfectionists ("our greatest weakness is finishing those songs," Hughes laughs), the new material for 2026 feels cohesive and exciting.
CATCH FEVER ROUGE LIVE
2025 DATES:
- Nov 28: Folklore Rooms, Brighton (Headline)
- Dec 13: Mumfest (Charity Festival), Green Food
- Dec 19: Falmouth (Supporting Die Twice)
- Dec 20: Exeter (Supporting Die Twice)
INDEPENDENT VENUE WEEK TOUR (JAN 2026):
- Jan 28: Green Door Store, Brighton
- Jan 29: Fuel, Cardiff
- Jan 30: The Finsbury, London
- Jan 31: The Garibaldi, Northampton