Firestarter - Sound In The Signals Interview
Your new EP A Life Inconsistent came out not too long ago. Can you tell me a little about the recording process of the EP and how long you guys worked on it?
Recording A Life Inconsistent was definitely a new experience for us even when writing the EP. We sat down to write in the summer months of 2014 with our new guitarist, Tyler, and for the first time as a band, we all sat in a room together and wrote these songs naturally as they came. When we hit the studio that December with Jay Maas of Defeater, who in the past has worked with bands like Capsize, Counterparts, State Champs, and others, we didn’t know what to expect as this was our first experience without Mike Kalajian who produced and recorded all of our previous releases, but it all worked out great. We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience and result with Jay and we really hope we get to work with him again.
"Troubled Existence" is the first song on the EP and it's one of my favorite songs you guys have written to date. Can you tell me a little about writing that song in particular? What were some of the inspirations for that song lyrically?
“Troubled Existence” was the first song we wrote for A Life Inconsistent and from the start we knew we wanted to pull heavy influence from mid 2000s bands like Silverstein, Bayside, Senses Fail, Underoath, etc. and definitely think that shows. Lyrically, I (Matt LaPerche / Vocals & Guitar) pull from everyday experiences I have had with the ups and downs that come with life and the anxieties it can cause. Life can make you feel lost and leave you feeling alone, you’re the only who can determine how you deal with it.
The artwork for the EP depicts a ship in two different circumstances. Who came up with the concept for the artwork and how does it represent this new EP?
The concept was a joint effort from the four us and was fully realized thanks to the wonderful Chelsea Beck who illustrated the artwork. Life can be inconsistent and honestly very comparable to a ship at sea on a long voyage and everything it goes through. One moment, it can be calm and beautiful, but another, it can rough and unforgiving. We are the captains of our ships so to speak and it’s up to us to point them in the right direction and out of the storm which is definitely a major theme of the EP.
The EP has been getting pretty positive reviews. Have you been pleased with the reaction thus far? Does anything anybody has said in a review or a fan reaction in particular about the new EP stick out to you and if so what is it?
We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better response from our fans and reviewers alike. The consensus seems to be that everyone favors this material more so than our previous efforts and we couldn’t be more stoked about that as we grow more and more musically as a band. One review in particular pointed out our theme as a band and on the EP to be “pessimistically optimistic” and besides it sounding cool, we feel it to be true. Basically translates to “Life can suck today, but tomorrow is always a new day”.
What are the plans for you guys for the remainder of 2015?
We recently announced a coast to coast US tour with NJ Ska band, Survay Says! which you can find tickets for at www.firestarterband.com/tourdates and we will also be playing this year’s FEST in Gainesville, FL on Halloween. Past that we are hoping to do more touring for A Life Inconsistent and maybe begin work on our full length!
I guess that about wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Check out A Life Inconsistent and come hang at our next show in your area if you can!
No comments: