Who is Fabriq

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Do you know who is Fabriq?

Interview conducted on April 19, 2019

by Daniel Locke

Fabriq is a progressive pop duo comprised of LA natives Daniel Dávila and Cooper Bell. The duo released three singles in their first year as collaborators that racked up millions of impressions, 1.3m video views, 500k+ Spotify streams, and 73k+ Soundcloud streams. Dávila and Bell are inspired by the likes of Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, and Jamiroquai along with stylistic contributions of 70s and 80s artists such as Prince and Michael Jackson. The two released their latest video for “Get Behind the Feeling” in May 2018 with an exclusive premiere on Billboard.com saying it “evokes the soul-force of Prince and the pop-funk of recent Calvin Harris” while “the lyric is unique to the experiences of the 22-year-olds, as it critiques the limbo between fear of commitment.” In addition to their work as a duo, Daniel and Cooper both work as songwriters and musicians in collaboration with other artists and have shared the stage with artists including Kanye West, Little Big Town, Hunter Hayes, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder. They opened for Grammy-nominated act, Coastcity, at the Echoplex in 2018. The two came out with their self titled debut EP on April 11th, 2019.

Band Members

Daniel Davila & Cooper Bell

Dan Locke: How did the band start?

Fabriq: We were hired to pitch a song for a Tesla commercial. Our tune didn’t get picked, but we still really loved it and decided to release it. It ended up being our first single, “Electric Flow”.

How did you pick electronic pop as your music choice?

We’re huge fans of the iconic dance music of the 70s and 80s and the club culture that surrounded it. We feel like the best way to make that vibe modern is through electronic pop with R&B elements infused.

How did you pick your name?

We were looking for a word that describes the powerful relationship between a performer on stage and the audience watching him. We thought the word “Fabric” fit perfectly for this. We’re big fans of Musiq Soulchild so we added the Q on the end as an homage – ie “Fabriq”

Is your EP a concept album?

Yes! The first song, Serotonin is about falling in love. The last song, Get Behind the Feeling, is about falling short of the love you set out to create in the first place. The songs in the middle fill in the blanks between initial attraction and ultimate heartbreak.

How was it to performed alongside acts such as Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder?

Performing alongside music legends is not only a blessing but also an incredible experience that informs my personal artistry and direction in music.

Tell me about the concept of the video “Outside In”?

We were really inspired by a combination of “The Matrix” and ‘Mike TV’ from “Willy Wonka”. The concept was to play off of the song title and have a sense of both of our worlds being turned upside down. At the beginning of the video, you can see that Daniel is inside of Cooper’s TV; however, in the end, we see that it is Cooper who becomes trapped inside of his own world. With this overarching concept happening, we also made sure to have the video be as upbeat and fun and the song itself.

Cooper, you are from Malibu, CA. What are music clubs like there?

The most famous music club in Malibu is the old Malibu Inn, now called Casa Escobar. Legends like Bob Dylan used to play there. When you walk into the now restaurant you can still feel the history in its walls.

What is your feeling about Donald Trump signing the Music Modernization Act?

As musicians who work within the industry writing and producing as well as performing, we’ve personally seen the deterioration of industry support for working musicians. The music laws in our country needed a massive overhaul (as the 1999 DMCA was clearly outdated), and the MMA is definitely a step in the right direction.

You live in Encino, California. Have you ever seen Encino man and what did you think of it at the time you saw it?

I’ve actually never seen Encino Man. However, I was asked this all the time when I was growing up! I’ve got a plane ride coming up… maybe I’ll watch it then? 😉

If your band can join forces with any band who would you like that to be and why?

Earth Wind and Fire! We think their sound is timeless and Cooper wouldn’t mind playing unison bass lines with Verdine. We really feel like you can’t go wrong with these guys.

How is Malibu since the fire?

The landscape is coming back very quickly because of the rains. The mountains are as beautiful as I’ve ever seen them. But a lot of the community lost their homes, so it’s going to be a few years before the city feels full again.

How do you see your band in 5 years?

Because we also double as producers, we’d love to have our band continue to make records and play live shows; however, we’re also working toward collaborating and featuring on other artists’ projects. We really just want to be able to make as much music as we can in our lifetime.