From Skate Competition Gigs to Delaware River Hangout Spots: This is Fair Game’s 'Ponyboy'
Timed at just over 15 minutes in length, Fair Game’s debut LP Ponyboy is curated with seven sweet tracks ranging from angsty mosh-pit infused songs like “Chemistry” and “I’m Not Sorry” to indie-surf orchestrated songs like “I’ve Been Alone This Weekend” and “New Jersey”. The debut stands as a short but sweet intricate look into the life of Will Sawyer as a new artist.
Growing up in Pennsylvania on the Delaware River bordering New Jersey, Will Sawyer using the pseudonym ‘Fair Game’ for his music, discovered a way to unfold the stories from his teenage years using the lens of the power pop genre which has been flourishing out of the Philadelphia scene. “Even bands that aren’t labeled as power pop can be portrayed as such, like The Replacements. It’s just pop songwriting with a garage-punk instrumental. Catchy leads, catchy melodies and repetitive choruses,” Will says in regard to the sub-genre he paid omen to in his debut, Ponyboy.
Like many young artists, Will taught himself how to play guitar during the lockdown sessions of the Covid-19 pandemic but originally picked up the bass guitar at age 7 or 8. “I started writing songs and messing around with music making on Logic. I didn’t put anything out until my senior year of high school, which was my first ‘Fair Game’ release but I’ve been playing in bands since I was 11,” he says gleaming from his bandmates bedroom as we take our Zoom call from an ocean away.
Watching the world of New Jersey race by across the river, Will says that the inspiration behind the most popular track off of Ponyboy, “New Jersey”, spawned from his time in high school when he first got the taste of freedom after passing his drivers test. “After school we would all drive down to the shore. Me, my friends and my girlfriend would drive down to the beach all the time after school,” Will states, ushering in a wave of nostalgia that instantly hits me as I look back on those times in high school with my best mates. Ponyboy - although it might be cliche to say - revives a youthful sound that I listened to in high school from bands like The Frights and FIDLAR. Comprising the perfect repertoire for skate competition soundtracks, like the recent show Fair Game performed in New Jersey at Rowan Skate Courts on April 13th.
Moving from a softer indie sound that he created in his first batch of singles titled Love Your Friends to a more guitar-heavy attitude rocking the nature of Ponyboy - the gritty underground style is a sound that Will had always wanted to emulate in his music. “Ever since I heard the band Beach Goons when I was 15, I wanted to make that kind of music and Love Your Friends was just sort of me putting out music so I could start playing shows. I hadn’t really gotten a footing in what I wanted to sound like yet. I produce and record all of my music, so I found it hard in the beginning to make that type of sound and make it cohesive. I’ve always wanted to make my music like Ponyboy.”
As a debut album from the 20-year old musician, Ponyboy musically pulls together the aesthetics of skate rock music while promising a narrative of fun-youthful lyrics. From gaining an audience at skate competition performances and gigging with other Philly-based bands, Fair Game is now finding an audience that is returning to shows knowing his music by heart.
Although I can’t make it out to America to catch a Fair Game set, listeners in the local Philadelphia area can catch a show by Fair Game on May 4th at Rowtones Love City Scene Fest in North Philly - I promise this is one you won’t want to miss!
