The Faint is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, whose members blend dance-punk, post-punk revival, and new wave influences within the Saddle Creek Records collective.[1][2] Founded in 1995 as Norman Bailer by vocalist Todd Fink, drummer Clark Baechle, and multi-instrumentalist Joel Petersen, the project briefly featured Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst before solidifying its lineup and touring alongside labelmates.[1] The synth-driven albums Blank-Wave Arcade 1999 and Danse Macabre 2001 earned the group an underground following on the United States club circuit.[2]
Since 2016 the band has featured Fink, Baechle, guitarist Dapose, and keyboardist Graham Ulicny while turning down major-label offers to remain part of the Saddle Creek community and releasing the career retrospective CAPSULE:1999-2016 and the studio album Egowerk in 2019.[3][4][5][6]
History
Early years as Norman Bailer (1995–1997)
Todd Fink, Clark Baechle, and Joel Petersen formed the project in Omaha in 1995 and performed briefly as Norman Bailer.[7] The trio spent much of its youth skateboarding until Fink's knee problems redirected their energy toward songwriting.[7] Gigs around Omaha helped secure a contract with Saddle Creek Records, although the group's early singles struggled to find an audience.[1]
The Faint and Blank-Wave Arcade (1997–2000)
The group soon adopted the Faint name and began assembling songs around sequencers, drum machines, and analog keyboards, marking a shift away from the guitar-centered material of the Norman Bailer period.[7][2]
Matt Bowen joined for the debut album Media, then Jacob Thiele replaced him in late 1998, while Ethan Jones briefly handled bass duties.[7][2] Touring across the United States previewed the dance-oriented material that surfaced on Blank-Wave Arcade in 1999 and earned the band an underground reputation.[2] They also released a remix album, Blank-Wave Arcade Remixes in 2000.
Danse Macabre and underground success (2000–2004)
By the end of that cycle, the group had pivoted fully to a synth-punk identity, centering sequenced bass and a lighting-heavy stage production that became a hallmark of later shows.[2][3]
Jones left as the group developed Danse Macabre, so Petersen split his time between bass and guitar while new member Dapose added a heavier guitar presence.[2] Before releasing their next studio album, Astralwerks issued the 2003 remix album, Danse Macabre Remixes, which featured contributions from top electronic remixers, including Stuart Price (Thin White Duke), Paul Oakenfold, and Photek. Wet from Birth followed in 2004 after sessions with producer Mike Mogis, and longtime collaborator Conor Oberst later recalled that the band declined a major label offer in order to remain with Saddle Creek.[8] The group expanded its touring production during this period, pairing tightly synchronized electronics with a high-intensity light show.[3]
Fasciinatiion and independent years (2008–2016)
The Faint left Saddle Creek in 2008 and created the blank.wav imprint to release Fasciinatiion on August 5, 2008.[9] "The Geeks Were Right" led the release cycle, and a North American co-headlining tour with Ladytron supported the album.[10] Baechle and Fink simultaneously pursued remix work and DJ sets under the Depressed Buttons name. After regrouping, the band issued a new full-length in 2014, titled Doom Abuse, writing and recording quickly to emphasize a rawer, faster sound before returning to headlining tours.[3]
During this period, the band performed the song "Teach Me Teacher" on the children's program Yo Gabba Gabba! in the third season episode "School", which aired September 19, 2010.[11] Saddle Creek issued a deluxe edition of Danse Macabre on October 30, 2012 with remastering, outtakes, and archival video, and the band toured North America performing the album in full.[12][13]
Return, Egowerk, and reissues (2016–present)
Following their independent period, The Faint returned to Saddle Creek Records for subsequent releases and reissues. In 2016 the band released the retrospective Capsule:1999-2016, which included the new track "Young and Realistic", and toured with Gang of Four.[3]Graham Ulicny of Reptar joined on keyboards in 2016, replacing Thiele and expanding the live arrangement.[3] The Faint followed with a new studio album, Egowerk, in March 2019, returning to their electronic roots with a mix of new wave and synth-punk influences.[6] Thiele died on February 13, 2020.[14]
In March 2025 they released a twenty-fifth anniversary deluxe edition of Blank-Wave Arcade alongside a twentieth anniversary edition of Wet from Birth, each packaged with remasters, remixes, and archival recordings.[15][16] The band described the reissues as a chance to recontextualize the turn of the century albums and to circulate period-specific extras alongside newly remastered audio.[15][16]
Vverevvolf Grehv (pronounced as Werewolf Grave) is the brainchild of Dapose. The music of Vverevvolf Grehv combines the brutality of death metal, the tempos of speed metal and the sonic decimation of noise with the complexities of electronic music genres such as snare rush and IDM. He is influenced by Merzbow’s work, the writings of Howard Bloom, and numerous classical composers.
Broken Spindles was a band solely consisting of Joel Petersen of Omaha, Nebraska, who also played bass, guitar and keyboards in The Faint. Their music ranged from instrumental electronic songs to sparse piano pieces to rock-influenced pop songs. Broken Spindles originally started in 2001 as the soundtrack for a friend's film.
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