Fun – Live At Pinkpop 2013 – Past Daily Soundbooth

Fun – Live at Pinkpop 2013 – Recorded June 15, 2013 – VPRO-3VOOR-FM – Netherlands –

Fun to end out the week. A blast of Indie Pop from this New York aggregation by way of Holland’s legendary Pinkpop Festival in 2013.

Fun was formed by Nate Ruess (former lead singer of The Format), Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo), and Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train and Bleachers). They released two albums: Aim and Ignite in August 2009 and Some Nights in February 2012.

The band is best known for three hit singles from Some Nights: Grammy Award-winning “We Are Young” featuring Janelle Monáe, “Some Nights”, and “Carry On”. “We Are Young” reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Digital Songs charts. It also peaked at number one in the United Kingdom. “Some Nights” was released as the album’s second single in June 2012, peaking at number three on the Hot 100 chart and becoming their second Top 10 single, as well as the band’s second song to reach platinum status in the United States.

Fun’s song “We Are Young” won the Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Song of the Year in 2013. Additionally, they were a nominee for four other Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo or Group Performance (both for “We Are Young”) along with Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (both for Some Nights).

In 2014, the band announced they were working on writing new material for a then-upcoming and unnamed album, however there was no time frame. On June 18, 2014, Fun performed a new song “Harsh Light” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. This song was later released on Nate Ruess’ solo album, Grand Romantic.

On February 4, 2015, the band announced on its Facebook page and their official website that they were not splitting up, but were taking some time off to pursue other projects – to quote the band’s Facebook announcement:

First and foremost, to answer the question that has been raised most often: Fun is not breaking up. Fun was founded by the 3 of us at a time when we were coming out of our own bands. One thing that has always been so special about Fun is that we exist as 3 individuals in music who come together to do something collaborative. We make Fun records when we are super inspired to do so. Currently, Nate is working on his first solo album, Andrew is scoring films, and Jack is on tour and working on Bleachers music. The 3 of us have always followed inspiration wherever it leads us. Sometimes that inspiration leads to Fun music, sometimes it leads to musical endeavors outside of Fun. We see all of it as part of the ecosystem that makes Fun, fun.

Ruess’ debut solo album, Grand Romantic, was released on June 15, 2015.

I case you were wondering or if it slipped your mind, or if you just feel like blowing off steam on a Friday night, here is Fun as they were shaking up Pinkpop in 2013.

Crank it up.