FOILED FISHING PLANS | INTERVIEW + TRACK REVIEW

Foiled Fishing Plans aren’t here to give you all the answers—just enough space to let you fill in the blanks yourself. With the release of their latest album, the Central Coast, NSW-based indie crew have doubled down on their signature sound: atmospheric, a little ambiguous, and full of unexpected left turns. What started as a pile of demos has turned into a project that highlights collaboration, experimentation, and a real knack for letting the music breathe.

In this interview, the band opens up about spontaneous creative pivots, childhood memories that shape lyrics, and what their music might look like if it were a room (spoiler: it includes a bird bath and Cat in the Hat on DVD). Dive into the world of Foiled Fishing Plans and get to know the minds behind one of the most intriguing DIY releases of the year. This is a paid collaboration with 'Foiled Fishing Plans'.

TRACK REVIEW

“My Song 35” opens with a gentle, hypnotic groove—calm and spacey, like the sun setting on a long weekend that you’re still emotionally processing. There’s a clear nod to Tame Impala and Mac DeMarco in the way the warm, jangly guitars meander and blend with dreamy, reverb-soaked vocals. It feels effortless, but underneath the relaxed exterior is a deep well of introspection.

The lyrics hit with raw, unfiltered honesty—lines like “Waste away and die alone” and “I know I’m a fucking joke” land hard but authentically, mirroring that post-holiday haze where you’re left with your thoughts and the quiet ache of time passing. The guitar work adds so much personality—slightly loose, a bit unpredictable, but incredibly textured and expressive. It keeps the track moving without ever rushing it.

There’s a freedom in how this song flows—like it’s not trying to impress anyone, just speak its truth. And that’s exactly what makes it so affecting. “My Song 35” feels like a sad, familiar thought wrapped in a haze of woozy indie rock. One listen is definitely not enough.

LISTEN HERE

Your new album just dropped, how does it feel to have it out in the world? Were there any unexpected responses from listeners so far?

We’ve been super stoked with how people have responded to the album. There were some tracks on here we were unsure on how people would respond, specifically Down by the Rails and Fences in the Sun, cause they were the first songs where we had our guitarist and bassist singing but the feedback we’ve gotten has been generally positive.

Was there a central mood or idea that guided the making of this album, or did each track lead you somewhere new?

Creating this album wasn’t something we had originally planned. We were originally planning on working on a heavier, more grunge adjacent project but we’d accumulated such a large backlog of indie demos that we all spontaneously made the decision to shift into making that into a complete project, which eventually became the album.

Are there any songs on the album that changed significantly from their original version? What sparked the shift?

Ghanaian Cowboys is a track that changed heavily from the original demo. There’s an entire second half of the track, one that's really ambient with spaced out distorted guitar and fucked up effects. We’re still tossing up what to do with that second half and whether or not it’ll ever see the light of day.

What role does ambiguity or open interpretation play in your creative process? Is it something you aim for or does it just happen?

Lyrically we definitely have set meanings for each of the tunes but I think we try to phrase them ambiguously to let listeners fill in the gaps in their own mind and create a more personal experience. I also think ending Ghanaian Cowboys so abruptly was the musical equivalent to the ambiguous lyrics, having it end where it did hopefully lets listeners envision where the song could go from there.

If someone could only listen to one track from the new record to get what Foiled Fishing Plans is about, which one should they start with, and why?

Down by the Rails. It's the most collaborative track we’ve released and I think that it’s the best demonstration of the different sounds we tap into. 

Did you have any particular rituals or routines during the writing or recording process for this record?

I wish, we're probably the most unorganized group of people on earth. The tunes usually just work themselves out somehow, we’re not complaining though.

The album feels deeply atmospheric, are there any specific places, visuals, or films that helped shape the sound or feeling?

For songs like Fences in the Sun, our guitarist mainly had his childhood home in mind specifically when writing the lyrics. Other than that, we like to associate our albums with colours. There’s hot debate within the band on whether or not our previous album Lucky to be Here is blue or green (blue being the correct answer) but this album we all had deep greens in mind.

If your music was a room, what would it look like? Feel free to get weird with it.

There’d be a bird bath in the middle of the room, not too sure what else but there’d for sure be a bird bath. I don’t think there’d be too much furniture either, maybe a chair or something. If it is permitted, a small television would also be nice, with the added bonus of a DVD player and a copy of the Cat in the Hat (starring Mike Myers).

What’s something you think people misunderstand about your band or your music?

We’re actually not too into fishing.

Now that the album’s out, what’s next for Foiled Fishing Plans? Any live plans, side projects, or just letting it breathe for a while?

Trying to sus out a couple more projects at the moment, specifically looking into releasing a single in the coming weeks. Other than that, Will and Lydon are both working on solo projects with Will’s first EP being on our YouTube currently. We’re also looking into doing some gigs in the near future. If people are interested we’ll be releasing any updates on our Instagram.

LISTEN HERE