South African indie-alternative rock project The Fismits return on 8 May with their new single and video ‘Independence’, the second from their forthcoming EP ‘Falling Joy’, due 26 June. Expanding on the foundation laid by the first single ‘Scars’, this track reveals an exploratory and sonically spirited side of the project, built on electronic textures, looping rhythms and a new-wave pulse.

Originally written in the early 1990s and carried through the years as part of the The Mind Theatre archive, ‘Independence’ is one of those songs that refused to settle into a final form. Decades later, it has been fully reimagined by Mark Biagio, who takes the track far beyond its original British indie roots and into more exploratory territory, blending alternative rock with synth-driven atmosphere, tonal contrast and a sense of creative freedom that defines the song’s identity.

Recorded during sessions in 2024 and 2025 at Dirty Badger Music, and produced, mixed and mastered by Biagio, ‘Independence’ reflects a deliberate shift in approach. Rather than preserving the past, the song was reshaped through experimentation and instinct, allowing it to evolve into something more dynamic and unpredictable. There is a looseness to its structure and a confidence in its delivery, giving the track space to move between restraint and release without losing focus.

‘Independence’ continues the rollout of ‘Falling Joy’, an EP that revisits Bruce Barrett’s mid-1990s material through the perspective of time, experience and reinterpretation. Where ‘Scars’ introduced the project’s emotional core, ‘Independence’ expands its sonic range, adding movement, colour and a more experimental edge. The upcoming third single ‘When’ and the tracks ‘Falling Joy’ and ‘Too Small A Word’ complete the EP’s arc on 26 June, bringing the project to a close that is both reflective and resolved.

Formed in 2016, The Fismits have built a catalogue that includes the EP ‘Anywhere’ (2017), the album ‘Before the Hindsight’ (2020), and the 2024 single ‘Halen’. What began as a three-piece band has since evolved into Biagio’s singular creative outlet, defined by independence, emotional honesty and a commitment to craft.

With ‘Independence’, The Fismits continue to bridge past and present, transforming a long-held idea into a confident and forward-looking release that captures the spirit of the project at its most open and exploratory.

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