Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… This segment aims to bring you closer to the most exciting acts that have recently caught our attention and to explore what drives them. A key player in the growing Leeds scene, Fuzz Lightyear presents a formidable presence. Despite their family-friendly name, their sound lacks any feel-good sentiment; instead, this quartet delivers harsh guitars, industrial discord, and fierce vocals reminiscent of Joe Talbot’s early work with IDLES. Based on their singles so far, their upcoming debut EP, ‘Zero Guilt’, is set to be an intense and exhilarating mix of hardcore, noise rock, and post-punk brutality. Prior to its release, we catch up with frontman Ben Parry to delve into the Fuzz journey thus far and discover what lies ahead.
What were the first songs or albums that sparked your obsessions (and why)?
The first album I became truly obsessed with was The Wytches’ debut, ‘Annabel Dream Reader’. I had always loved ‘60s garage rock, but their dark and haunting interpretation of surf music lit up my teenage mind like fireworks. I found myself creating fan theories about all the characters in the album; it was the only thing I listened to for nearly a year. When we eventually played alongside them, I was so starstruck and intoxicated that I couldn’t bring myself to speak to them. They remain a mystery to me.
You’re all deeply involved in the Leeds DIY music scene, both as a band and individually. How do you believe being part of such a community influences or shapes your artistic process? Has the local scene evolved much since you began?
The Leeds scene cultivates a highly supportive environment. Everyone backs each other up, and the close proximity of different creative projects leads to cross-pollination of ideas. All the unique individuals come together, encouraging one another to create. This atmosphere challenges you to discover your uniqueness and pushes you to expand your boundaries.
In recent years, we’ve witnessed significant venue closures (RIP Chunk, Wire, Old Red Bus Station, Canal Mills, among others), yet new communities and institutions continue to keep the scene alive. Shoutout to Mabgate Bleach, Small Distractions Club, Private Records, Contact Buzz, Shooting Tzars, Stub Quarterly, and many more. It feels like the DIY spirit is more vibrant than ever these days.
‘Zero Guilt’ marks your debut EP, a project originally conceived just after the pandemic. How have the songs transformed during this time? Do you feel you’re artistically in a different place now compared to when they were written?
Over time, the songs have evolved to be noisier and more aggressive. Having played them for so long has ingrained their structures into our collective muscle memory, allowing us to unleash chaos and then seamlessly regroup on the downbeat. Listening back, their organized and precise sound feels quite surreal.
Artistically, we’re in a much different position now, not just because we’ve grown older and happier. The new material we’re creating feels more aligned with an electronic aesthetic, while this EP distinctly represents a traditional guitar-centric record. Currently, we draw inspiration more from 3L3D3P and Crimewave than from Preoccupations.
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