interview with Fyre
Have any of you played in other bands? Yes, we all have throughout the years. Zach and Tanner both played in The Wrongfully Accused. Sean and Joe both played in Becoming Friends With Lions. Matt currently sings for Pensive Fear, and has sang and been a part of many projects.
How is it that you started playing music? We all started as kids looking up to rock stars. We wanted to take that stage and entertain.
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you?
Matt Stoyanoff - Vocals - 30
Joe Earnest - Bass - 27
Tanner Kaurudar - Drums - 21
Zach Kensinger - Guitar - 21
Sean Stringer - Guitar - 29
Denice Stoyanoff - Keyboards - 25
Have you had other previous members? We had another drummer, Brent Christ aka Uncle Brent.
Did you make music even when you were young? Yes, all of us were writing music as kids.
Where are you from? Fyre is located in Bellwood, Pennsylvania. We are all from the surrounding area.
What year did the band form? 2014
What's your style of genre? Vintage Progressive Rock
What inspires you? The talented musicians who paved the way for us to do what we do.
How often and where do you reherse? We practice 2-3 times per week at Fyre Headquarters, which is an old fire hall. The basement is a nuclear shelter and provides plenty of sound deadening.
How have you developed since you started with the music? When we started we all had a general idea of what we were shooting for, or so we thought. At the beginning we were classified by many as a stoner doom metal band. We had a much slower pace, very simplistic in nature, much like original metal. After the 1st album we picked up Tanner on drums. This drastically changed the way we write and produce. Our sound became more progressive, our speed at times increased, and we composed things much more complicated.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? Many of us work on different projects outside of Fyre. Zach and Matt both work with Pensive Fear. Tanner creates and showcases his work on Instagram (@tanneroplanner) and Facebook. Sean works with BFWL from time to time. Joe is currently working on a drum and bass album with another local artist.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? We're interested in the idea of it. A booking agent would make things a lot easier for us. We currently manage and promote the band entirely on our own. If you've got a show, call us. If you're good at getting shows that pay and want to work with us, LET US KNOW.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? We would prefer not to sign onto a label. In this day and age its completely feasible to manage your own band, many mainstream artists are. If a label outside of the USA came to us with a leasing deal, that would be something we would likely consider. Marketing and distribution outside of the country is still difficult. If the right deal came about, we most likely would, but for now we'll stay independent.
What made you decide to make this music? Sean came up with the idea originally. He's a very talented writer and Fyre came from a story line he dreamed up.
What are your songs about? The first album consists of a story line involving a boy, his mother, and the devil. This young man wants to save his mother from the grips of cancer. He asks Satan to help him save her from deaths grip. From there things turn very dark. Satan asks that the boy taint his pure soul through murder and mayhem. What he doesn't know is that the boy is far more powerful than they both can conceive. The story follows the 3 murders that ensue, hence "3 Ghosts" as the title of the album, and the many happenings surrounding them. The second album... well you'll just have to wait.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? Matt writes the lyrics. We all compose.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? We start with an emotion that we would like to pass to the audience. Once we've got that squared away, the music is written. Whilst we write Matt gives us some direction as to how he would like to be able to use the lyrics in the song. We mold the finished product around those three things to write a song.
Do you compose in a certain invironment? We are all writing, all the time. Our best thinking is done in the bathroom though.
Have you done any covers live? We LOVE to cover Run To The Hills by Iron Maiden, Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria, Holy Diver by Dio, and Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath. Most of those are available on YouTube if you search.
What language do you sing in? English
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? Most, well over 100. Least, 4 people including the sound guy.
What ages are most of your concert attendants? They range from early 20's to retirees. Everyone can find a song they enjoy.
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? We vary from show to show. We love to open with Madness, its the perfect way to start a show, or your day.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? Yes, McGarveys Bar in Altoona, Pennsylvania is a regular spot for us. The owner, Rich McGarvey, is keeping live music alive in central PA. We couldn't be more grateful for the amazing opportunities we've had thanks to Rich.
What was your first gig like? It was at a christian center in Tyrone, PA. We were all extremely nervous but we made it through without to much issue.
What was your latest gig? Our most recent gig was at the Embassy Theater in Cumberland, Maryland. We had an amazing time there thanks to the local scene. We also set off every fire alarm in the building, how fitting for a band named Fyre.
Have you had to cancel a gig? Yes, we hate to do it but it does happen from time to time.
Where have you played live this year? The Tussey Mountain Amphitheater, State College, PA / Embassy Theater, Cumberland, MD / Delmar Inn, Hagerstown, MD / McGarvey's Bar, Altoona, PA / Diesel, Pittsburgh, PA + many many more
Where do you plan to gig the coming year? We are trying to reach outside of PA. We are planning a tour, this is actually the first public place we're mentioning it, from here to Chicago and hopefully a string of shows through the south.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? We started selling t-shirts shortly after starting the band. We now have t-shirts, stickers, CD's, and soon we'll have patches available.
Where can people buy your merchandise?https://fyretheband.bandcamp.com/releases Let us know you saw this here and you might get a little surprise in your shipment.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? We as artists would love for everyone to just purchase our physical album, but we understand that isn't the world we live in any more. Our music is available both as a download and as a physical album. There's nothing better than holding a fresh new album in your hands, opening it, and sliding it into your player.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? It's became a lot more cautious of how it puts things out there. It's also made it a lot harder for artists to make a living selling their material. A free download is always one click away.
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? We hope that it graces the eyes of someone looking for a band to listen to that isn't a cookie cutter sound. We hope that every interview at least reaches one person and turns them into a Fyre fanatic.
Do you have any role models or idols? YES
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? Older bands. Without their drive to be different we wouldn't have made what we have.
What have been your biggest obstacles? Finding venues that bring in crowds week after week. Managing our progress without being to hard on ourselves.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? PRACTICE. Get out, make friends, be a part of the music scene. People are more than willing to help you if you put yourself out there. Keep your head out of the clouds no matter how many people are praising you.
How do you get psyched for a gig? We have a few different ways. Our most recent was some vigorous exercise at the local jungle-gym.
Do you have any new material? We are currently recording our 2nd album and hope to release it early spring 2018
What are your web sites?
Facebook: Facebook.com/Fyretheband
BandCamp: https://fyretheband.bandcamp.com/releases
Instagram: @FYRETHEBAND
ReverbNation: Reverbnation.com/Fyretheband
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0qwT0E80k5PtX2kQEa3H1W
How can people reach you? Facebook is the absolute easiest way to contact us. We also have an email address that we check daily and a mailing address that letters can be sent to.
What are your plans for the future? Write music, tour, entertain the masses. This is only the beginning!
Do you have something to add? Many many thanks to Robex for speaking with us. We are so happy to have the opportunity to spread the word about what we do.
