There was a moment when Wisconsin-based Phox was on the verge of becoming the “next big thing.” The band’s 2014 self-titled debut was a gorgeously rendered collection of dreamy, heavy-lidded folk-pop highlighted by the stunning voice of Monica Martin, and garnered a metric ton of glowing regional and national press. For much of 2014 and 2015, it seemed Phox would soon shake its limiting—albeit proud—”Wisconsin band” status, and take the final steps in its transformation into a true national concern.
Sadly, that transformation seems to be on hold. This month, the group announced it will soon go on “indefinite hiatus,” citing band members seeking individual artistic pursuits. According to a press release:
Extensive touring on that first album spanned the globe and lasted well over a year, the band ended 2015 with a much needed break. In the months that followed it started to become clear to the band members that the time on the road has distracted from other creative pursuits and as they settled back into normal life, a conversation within the band started to slowly gain momentum; each band member had so many creative goals outside of the band that they were excited about pursuing, and the difficult decision was made to take a step back from Phox while band members got a chance to work outside of the band.
Happily, Phox will be coming back to Milwaukee before the break: On Wednesday, February 1, 2017, the band will play one of its final shows at the Pabst Theater, with support from Cuddle Magic. General admission tickets are $17 in advance, $20 the day of show, and go on sale Friday, October 21 at noon.