Aaron Powell was only in high school when he dreamed up his solo recording project under the alias of “Fog Lake”. Now, seven studio albums later, the ambient pop artist is making a name for himself. With songs such as “Almost Fantasy” and “Side Effects”, Fog Lake’s music is as introspective as it is instrumentally unique.
On Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, Fog Lake took on Boise, Idaho’s intimate Shrine Social Club Basement.
Wednesday night’s show opened with “Foxes in Fiction”, a friend and collaborator of Fog Lake. While I was not familiar with the musical act, he put on a set that left the crowd in a trance.
Toronto-born musician Warren Hildebrand is the mastermind behind his solo project Foxes in Fiction. Hildebrand also owns the independent music label “Orchid Tapes”, which has released groundbreaking indie records such as Ricky Eat Acid’s “Three Love Songs” and Alex G’s “DSU”.
While Hildebrand had few interactions with the crowd throughout his set, he made sure to end his set with a thank you.
“Thank you so much,” Hildebrand said as he concluded his opening set. “I’m Foxes in Fiction, free Palestine!”
Between Foxes in Fiction and Fog Lake’s set, a jazz inspired interlude with hyperpop influences kept the audience in anticipation of what was next. Nostalgic home videos illuminated the artists throughout both sets.
Fog Lake entered the stage with ease, joking with the crowd about his last performance in Boise, Idaho.
“Last time I was in Boise, 10 people were here!” Powell said.
Powell wore a baseball cap and a Foxes in Fiction T-shirt. In a 2015 interview with Vice, Powell said Foxes in Fiction was a major inspiration for the creation of his Fog Lake project. He also noted modern day influence from musical acts such as Alex G, Grouper and Big Thief.
Opening the show with the ambient pop track “Inference (I)” from his 2017 album “Inference 3”, Fog Lake set the scene for a fantastic show.
Powell’s live vocals brought a raw, almost grungy edge to his typically dreamscape-like music.
While Powell played a varied mix of his discography, a large percentage of the setlist came from Fog Lake’s most recent release “Midnight Society”.
“Secret”, track five on “Midnight Society”, was one of the best performances of the night. As the track began, the warm lighting on the stage transitioned into a striking blue.
With lyrics such as, “You’re so beautiful / Got my heart breaking wide open / I let you in” and “It used to be beautiful / It used to be beautiful”, the record is a haunting testament to the intimacy within Fog Lake’s lyricism
If you’re at all familiar with Fog Lake’s discography, you would know that Fog Lake is not afraid to experiment with sound.
In a 2023 interview with Chris Marks of Start Track, Powell said keeping his work a solo project allows him to maintain his unique sound and identity.
“I can be as neurotic as I want and I only have myself to take it out on,” Powell said. “It was never supposed to become a career, but I have no regrets. I love making music and knowing I’ve been able to help heal others like music has healed me is the only thing that keeps me going anymore. Also using cheap microphones and unorthodox recording techniques. I personally don’t believe there are any rules to making music.”
Fog Lake closed his show with the unexpected — a melancholy acoustic cover of pop sensation Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck Babe”.
This show left the audience in awe from start to finish. With hypnotic vocals and intricate instrumental choices, Fog Lake brings a rare authenticity to the ambient music scene that Boise has never seen before.
