FKB is a high-energy, four-piece, indie pop band based in Nashville, influenced by the mystique, glamor, and excess of the 1960s-1980s entertainment business.
Formed in Bonnyville, Alberta, the band is fronted by JUNO Award-nominated songwriter (2019), Drew Shalka, and features Travis Topylki (lead guitar), Derek Chalut (drums), and Alex Fedorouk (rhythm guitar).
FKB’s nostalgic, reflective single, “Mirror on the Ceiling” (2024) is co-written and produced by Shaun Frank (The Chainsmokers, Dua Lipa, Liam Payne). “’Mirror on the Ceiling’ is about the innocence of youth and wanting to live in those moments forever,” says Shalka. “Sonically, we wanted to express a feeling of longing by combining a variety of influences from different eras like Prince, The Killers, and Bruce Springsteen.”
They connected with Frank as a result of winning the Jim Beam National Talent Search (2023). “We had performed a show at 9PM, found out we won at 11PM, and then had to get to another show to perform at 1AM,” recalls Shalka. “The next day we met Shaun and David Mohacsi for the first time at 10AM and we created the entire song from start to finish in 15 hours over two days.” In between sessions, FKB also performed at the Indies Awards (Toronto), and at the Canadian Music Week conference. Since 2017, they have performed over 300 shows across North America.
FKB appears as themselves in the feature film, Moments in Spacetime (Oct 2020), performing their single, “My Bedroom” (2018). The film stars John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones, James Bond, Lord of the Rings), Patty Srisuwan (Misfortune) and Sam Gittins (EastEnders, Call The Midwife, Await Further Instructions).
Shalka produced the band’s previous single “Color Blind” (2023), with the majority of FKB’s music being produced by JUNO Award, multiple CCMA and SOCAN Songwriter of the Year recipient Clayton Bellamy. Bellamy has produced eleven of the band’s songs including “Beautiful Fantasy” (2021) and ”Glow” (2020), with Dan Davidson; “Casual Love” (2018), released via KnightVision Records (Amsterdam); “Bright Lights” (2017), which was nominated for Adult Alternative Recording of the Year at the Edmonton Music Awards; and FKB’s debut EP, 123 FKB, which featured the Alternative and Active Rock single, “Crystal Ball.”
