Siblings Hank and Charlotte Fontaine are behind the L.A. new-wop pop group The Fontaines. They have a new EP coming out and have begun a month-long residency at the Silverlake Lounge on Sunset Boulevard. In the newest addition to our interview series The Dodgy talks to Charlotte and finds out the truth behind the band’s name, who would play them in a movie, what’s the after-show drink of choice and what they do when not performing (A little bit of riffin’, lovin’, and netflixin’).
The Fontaines
How long have you been a band?
We played our first show the night before I graduated from high school, in 2013.
So you’re siblings. Were you guys in different bands before?
Hank dabbled in more country-style bands before joining The Fontaines. I was still in school, but my mom would drive me to open jazz mics on the weekends. I was the only performer at those whose mother would come along and get in trouble for trying to photograph the performer on stage.
What’s the origin of the band name?
I came up with The Fontaines after watching “The Godfather” for the first time. Johnny Fontaine. What a stud. (In the film it’s actually spelled “Fontane” but screw it, the band’s spelling is cooler).
When is the release of your debut EP?
March, 2015! (Not sure if I like the sound of “2015” yet…) We’re slowly crawling into YouTube with new music videos for each single up until then though.
Have you toured outside Los Angeles?
We’ve played in San Francisco before, but we’re really looking forward to touring soon. We’ve got the residency at the Silverlake Lounge, so we’re excited to have a permanent place in LA for now!
Who else makes up the band?
Members of local bands, Quote Unquote and Street Joy. A punk rock group and an indie band. Quite the eclectic bunch…with thoroughly memorable hairstyles, if you ask me.
What do you guys do for fun when not performing?
A little bit of riffin’, lovin’, and netflixin’. I’m also guilty of crossing onto the “weird side” of YouTube (we’ve all been there). Did you know someone got addicted to drinking paint??
I see you like The Cars. Did you like their most recent album?”
I’m just getting into The Cars myself (per Hank’s word), so I’m mostly sticking to their late 70’s and mid 80’s albums. “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Drive” are my favorites.
Have you picked up any celebrity fans? Which celebrities do you think would enjoy your music?
I know I’m a few years late to the party, but I just began listening to Vampire Weekend. So I hope Ezra Koenig would dig our sound. And Cameron Crowe. Based on his film soundtracks,I think he has great taste in music, so I would hope he would like us! That “if you could have a dinner party with three famous people, dead or alive…” question comes to mind with answering this…
What did you think of the film “God Help The Girl” if you saw it?
I haven’t seen it! I’m not a huge movie person… The highlight of my day was ordering “Happy Days” on Amazon earlier.
Are you both single or married? Do you get relationship offers at shows?
We’re both currently single, and contrary to popular belief at live shows, we’re a brother-sister duo, not a married couple!
Who would play the two of you in a film?
Hank says Joaquin Phoenix but in more realistic stature terms Josh Hutcherson. I’m not sure, but I would request Danny DeVito to be my stunt double, since he’s height appropriate.
After show drink of choice?
A tall glass of milk.
What can people expect during the Silverlake residency?
We are really, really excited about our residency. We’re gonna be bringing out new songs, old songs, other people’s songs. We’re looking forward to having a great time, and we hope the audiences do too!
Check out The Fontaines at thatfontainesound.com.
The Dodgy 