An interview with the band Fosfín ahead of their appearance at the first LOUD WOMEN Dublin Fest on the 29th of August
Alright, can you introduce yourselves?
Paula: We are Fosfín, and I’m Paula. I play the guitar and I sing.
Anca: And I’m Anca. I play the bass.
Paula: And you sing!
Anca: And I sing, nowadays. I used to not sing.
How did Fosfín start?
Paula: I suppose Fosfín started as a solo project, in my bedroom playing songs. I got a drummer on board to finish composing the songs, and after that I decided I really wanted to turn it into a band. I was good friends with Anca, I had played in her solo project before. So one day I just approached her and said, “Hey, would you like to jam and see how things go?” That’s the genesis of Fosfíin as a band. That happened November 2024?
Anca: December maybe? December 2024. And we started rehearsing as Fosfín January 2025.
When did you start gigging?
Anca: We played one gig in Jacob’s Inn with Skyrocket Promotions. RIP actually, heard they were going on hiatus which is so sad. We played that gig around September last year. And after that we played Ireland Music Week! So yeah things went pretty intense but it was great. We wrote new songs in the process of preparing the show for Ireland Music Week and it was really fun.
Would you describe Fosfín as two solo projects coming together?
Paula: Not necessarily. I think there are elements that come from both places but I think we’re just creating something new. I think I never wanted to be a solo project, I always wanted it to be a band. I was doing it in my bedroom not necessarily by choice, just because I didn’t know anyone that would want to play those songs. I’m very happy that I can share this now and turn it into something greater than I could have imagined.
How would you describe your genre?
Anca: Very Jammy, very organic in a way.
Paula: I’d say alternative rock, with some elements of psychedelia.
Anca: Paula also added some really cool Brazilian percussion, and I hope we’re going to use it for the next EP as well.
Paula: Hopefully!
Anca: I think there’s a lot of really interesting different sounds. Very dreamy at times and very noisy at others.
What do you explore in this project as far as themes and inspiration go? What’s the identity of Fosfín?
Anca: What I personally do, and what I feel really lucky to be able to do, is it’s a place where I can be more honest in my style of music. I don’t feel like I need to play a persona. What I wrote for the band was mostly about the mundanity of life, I found it really refreshing to be able to go smaller in a way. But more intimate, more honest. I took a lot of inspiration from the songs Paula brought in at the beginning, as a listener they seemed like very honest songs about her experiences. It set that trajectory and I just came in to do the same thing.
Paula: I agree with everything you said. I think life in Dublin too, because we’re both not from here as immigrants. So how we navigate our journey being away from home, both the joys and the challenges.
How did you hear about LOUD WOMEN?
Paula: Probably social media, because I follow lots of not only bands but people who write about music and radio DJs. I related to it straight away because it’s a community made by themselves, and that’s how Fosfín operates as well. We make everything ourselves, we record ourselves, do as much as we can, it felt like we had the same ethos. So many of the bands I listen to have either played at the festivals or have been featured in reviews. It’s an incredible honour to be part of this community in a way now that we’re playing the first festival in Dublin. It’s huge.
Anca: I joined the Facebook group maybe 5 or 6 years ago, so it was always in my awareness marginally. I was still living in Romania, doing music in my bedroom. It felt like a pipe dream but I was just kind of keeping a finger on the pulse. My friends, the band The Amniotics played in London last year and it started feeling a bit more achievable. The group was really resourceful, especially for info on being a DIY musician
What’s next for Fosfín?
Paula: We’re recording our next EP, we have 4 songs recorded, there’ll be 2 more.
Anca: And we’ll be giving a sample at the festival for those 4 songs, they will be heard!
What would your dream lineup look like? Who would you love to have on a bill with Fosfín?
Anca: War Paint, we should be on a bill with War Paint
Paula: I’d say The Breeders, but I like them so much. I think I’d just faint. I have to say I’m a big fan of Dose, I’m so happy to be on the same bill as them for this festival. It’s terrifying as well because they’re fantastic musicians. It’s like, how am I supposed to play my songs in front of you guys?
Anca: There’s a lot of really amazing talent in Dublin, a lot of them are our mates. I think that’s always the most exciting bill, if all our friends and all their bands could play together.
Fosfín play LOUD WOMEN Fest Dublin on the 29th of August in Fibber Magee’s. You can watch the music video from their debut single “Retornello” here .