The Fismits Unveil ‘Scars’, First Single from Upcoming EP ‘Falling Joy’, A Song 30 Years in the Making

The Fismits Unveil ‘Scars’, First Single from Upcoming EP ‘Falling Joy’, A Song 30 Years in the Making

South African indie-alternative rock project The Fismits return with their new single ‘Scars’, the first chapter of their forthcoming EP ‘Falling Joy’, due 26 June. Accompanied by a music video, the track presents the definitive recorded version of a song first written three decades ago and long regarded as a live favourite.

Originally composed in the mid-1990s by Bruce Barrett during his time with Mark Biagio in The Mind Theatre, ‘Scars’ developed a reputation for its shifting dynamics and distinctive rhythmic pulse. Biagio, now the driving force behind The Fismits, has revisited the song to give it the considered studio treatment it never previously received, bringing one of their early collaborations to its definitive recorded form

Reworked, re-keyed and reconstructed during sessions in 2024 and 2025 at Dirty Badger Music, ‘Scars’ emerges with renewed focus and emotional weight. Produced, mixed and mastered by Mark Biagio, the recording balances tension and melody with a restrained alternative rock sensibility that feels both reflective and immediate.

‘Scars’ is the first of three singles from ‘Falling Joy’, an EP that revisits Barrett’s mid-1990s material through a contemporary lens. The upcoming singles, ‘Independence’ and ‘When’, expand the project’s arc, while ‘Too Small A Word’ closes the release in darker, introspective territory. Rather than revisiting the past for nostalgia, the EP reframes it with clarity and resolution.

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’. With ‘Scars’, The Fismits bridge past and present in a release that feels measured, assured and long overdue.

• Stream ‘Scars’ – https://hypeddit.com/fismits/single-scars

• Watch ‘Scars’ Music Video – https://youtu.be/OmSLuY7tS_A

The Fismits – Mark Biagio – Photo by Melissa Kruger

• All Links https://linktr.ee/fismits

• Website www.fismits.com

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fismitsband

• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thefismits

• Twitter https://twitter.com/thefismits

• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@fismitsthe9640

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5nqgrxXIFkHTLuoUaAFkM1

• Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-fismits/1224848051

The Fismits – Mark Biagio – Photo by Ethan Biagio

The Fismits BIO

The Fismits is the Indie-Alternative Rock project of South African songwriter and producer Mark Biagio, an artist whose work is rooted in memory, lived experience and emotional honesty. Formed in 2016, the project began as a three-piece band before evolving into Biagio’s singular artistic vehicle, reflecting both his musical history and his instinct for reinvention.

Biagio’s musical foundations trace back more than three decades. During the early 1990s, while studying at university in Durban, he formed a creative partnership with songwriter Bruce Barrett in the band The Mind Theatre. Those formative years shaped much of the writing that would quietly endure across decades, with songs carried in rehearsal rooms, live sets and private recordings long before finding definitive form.

When The Fismits emerged in 2016, initially alongside long-time friends Nielle and Arthur, it was born from that same independent spirit. The trio had previously played in numerous South African bands including The Embers Band, 10 Drops of Valium, Son of Hendrik and Still Black at Sunrise. The name “The Fismits” is a play on the word “misfits”, reflecting their DIY ethos as three musicians determined to build something meaningful without waiting for permission.

The project’s debut release, the EP ‘Anywhere’ (2017), introduced a sound defined by melodic weight and introspective lyricism. This was followed by the full-length album ‘Before the Hindsight’ (2020), a body of work originally conceived as a series of EPs before ultimately becoming a cohesive album. The record explored themes of middle-aged life in South Africa, including family, responsibility, addiction, love, loss and resilience, and notably featured backing vocals from Biagio’s sons, reinforcing its deeply personal character.

By the mid‑2020s, The Fismits had evolved into Biagio’s solo platform. The 2024 single ‘Halen’ marked a sharpened continuation of his emotionally direct approach and opened one of the project’s most significant chapters. Originally written with the influential South African band Live Jimi Presley, the track had remained unreleased for decades. Following the passing of frontman Marc ‘Presley’ Feltham, Biagio completed and released Halen as both a tribute to Feltham and a recognition of the band’s enduring impact. In doing so, the song bridged past and present, preserving a piece of South African rock history while firmly establishing The Fismits’ evolving voice.

Releasing on 26 June 2026, the EP ‘Falling Joy’ represents both reflection and resolution. The record revisits songs written by Bruce Barrett in the mid-1990s for The Mind Theatre and reinterprets them through the lens of time. Recorded in 2024 and 2025 at Dirty Badger Music, the EP is not an exercise in nostalgia but a deliberate act of reinterpretation. Tracks such as ‘When’, ‘Scars’ and ‘Independence’ retain their original urgency while embracing a more restrained and mature perspective, and ‘Too Small A Word’ closes the project in darker, introspective territory. The title, drawn from a lyric in another Barrett composition, captures the EP’s central tension, with joy intertwined with the quiet acceptance of what has passed.

Across the catalogue, Biagio demonstrates a consistent commitment to craft. Songwriting blends alternative rock sensibility with subtle structural experimentation, as heard in the off-kilter rhythms of ‘Scars’, alongside stylistic fearlessness evident in the electronic textures and 1980s influences that shape ‘Independence’. Production reflects his depth as both a working musician and an experienced producer and mixer, combining tonal precision, dynamic control and spatial clarity with performances that retain their emotional immediacy. His sonic approach is finely balanced, delivering recordings that feel immersive, assured and authentically alive.

At its core, The Fismits is about continuity, between youth and adulthood, past ambition and present clarity, friendship and creative independence. What began as a three-piece band forged in rehearsal rooms has become a solo body of work that honours its origins while moving forward with purpose.