The Faint
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. 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. The synth-driven albums Blank-Wave Arcade 1999 and Danse Macabre 2001 earned the group an underground following on the United States club circuit.
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.
History
Early years as Norman Bailer (1995–1997)
, Clark Baechle, and Joel Petersen formed the project in Omaha in 1995 and performed briefly as Norman Bailer. The trio spent much of its youth skateboarding until Fink's knee problems redirected their energy toward songwriting. Gigs around Omaha helped secure a contract with Saddle Creek Records, although the group's early singles struggled to find an audience.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.Matt Bowen joined for the debut album Media, then Jacob Thiele replaced him in late 1998, while Ethan Jones briefly handled bass duties. 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. 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.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. 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, 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. The group expanded its touring production during this period, pairing tightly synchronized electronics with a high-intensity light show.
''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. "The Geeks Were Right" led the release cycle, and a North American co-headlining tour with Ladytron supported the album. 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.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. 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.
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. Graham Ulicny of Reptar joined on keyboards in 2016, replacing Thiele and expanding the live arrangement. 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. Thiele died on February 13, 2020.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. 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.
Members
Current members
- Todd Fink - vocals, keyboards, guitar
- Clark Baechle - drums, percussion
- Dapose - guitar
- Graham Ulicny - keyboards, vocals
Former members
- Conor Oberst - guitar, vocals
- Matt Bowen - bass, keyboards
- Ethan Jones - bass
- Jacob Thiele - keyboards, vocals
- Joel Petersen - guitar, bass, programming
Timeline
ImageSize = width:800 height:300
PlotArea = left:80 bottom:120 top:0 right:30
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/2025
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:lines value:black legend:Studio albums
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:2
ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1995
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1995
LineData =
at:02/06/1995 color:black layer:back
at:24/10/1998 color:black layer:back
at:01/11/1999 color:black layer:back
at:21/08/2001 color:black layer:back
at:14/09/2004 color:black layer:back
at:05/08/2008 color:black layer:back
at:08/04/2014 color:black layer:back
at:15/03/2019 color:black layer:back
BarData =
bar:Fink text:"Todd Fink"
bar:Baechle text:"Clark Baechle"
bar:Petersen text:"Joel Petersen"
bar:Bowen text:"Matt Bowen"
bar:Oberst text:"Conor Oberst"
bar:Thiele text:"Jacob Thiele"
bar:Jones text:"Ethan Jones"
bar:Dapose text:"Dapose"
bar:Ulicny text:"Graham Ulicny"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:
bar:Fink from:01/01/1995 till:end color:vocals
bar:Fink from:01/01/1995 till:end color:keys width:3
bar:Fink from:01/09/1995 till:end color:guitar width:7
bar:Baechle from:01/01/1995 till:end color:drums
bar:Oberst from:01/01/1995 till:01/09/1995 color:guitar
bar:Oberst from:01/01/1995 till:01/09/1995 color:vocals width:3
bar:Bowen from:01/01/1995 till:01/12/1998 color:bass
bar:Bowen from:01/01/1995 till:01/12/1998 color:keys width:3
bar:Petersen from:01/01/1995 till:01/06/2008 color:guitar
bar:Petersen from:01/06/1999 till:01/06/2008 color:bass width:3
bar:Jones from:01/12/1998 till:01/06/1999 color:bass
bar:Thiele from:01/11/1998 till:01/06/2016 color:keys
bar:Thiele from:01/11/1998 till:01/06/2016 color:vocals width:3
bar:Dapose from:01/04/2001 till:end color:guitar
bar:Ulicny from:01/06/2016 till:end color:keys
bar:Ulicny from:01/06/2016 till:end color:vocals width:3
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
Remix albums
Compilation albums
EPs
Singles
Retail singles
Promotional singles
Splits
- Music Me All Over
- ''The Faint/Ex-Action Figures''
Remixes
- Radio 4 - Dance to the Underground
- Joy Electric - We Are Rock
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Y Control
- Nine Inch Nails - ''Meet Your Master''
Compilation appearances
- Nothing Left Fanzine No. 8 CD Sampler
- *Song: "Acting: On Campus Television"
- Messages: Modern Synthpop Artists Cover OMD
- *Song: "Enola Gay"
- Saddle Creek 50
- *Songs: "Worked Up So Sexual", "Take Me to the Hospital"
- Liberation: Songs to Benefit PETA
- *Song: "Agenda Suicide"
- Lagniappe: A Saddle Creek Benefit for Hurricane Katrina
- *Song: "Hypnotised"
- Injustice: Gods Among Us Soundtrack
- *Song: "This Is Is Is Is Pain"
Other projects
Vverevvolf Grehv
Vverevvolf Grehv 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.;Albums
- Zombie Aesthetics - Relapse Records 2008
Broken Spindles