Runcorn rockers THE FIREFLYS made quite an impression on NEW LEASE MUSIC with their single ‘Sever’ which stole the Song of the Month title in March. Frontman Lee Wylding took time out from his very busy schedule and jumped into the interview hot seat to give us the lowdown on the band’s plans for the year and more…happy reading!
NLM: Hey how you doing? Thanks for taking out the time to do an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC
TF: Hi Tracey! We’re fine thank you, and it’s our pleasure to be talking to you now. We’re incredibly busy rehearsing and recording our 5th We have 2 new members in Joe Forber and Phil Conway, who are filling out our sound a lot more with their guitars. Our rhythm section is tighter than ever too as Sam Bramhall and Andie Packer have such a great chemistry. Cannot mention our Keyboardist Chris Tann too, he’s there, keeping it all together.
NLM: How was The Fireflys formed?
TF: We formed waaaay back in 2007 initially just to play the songs I was writing to our friends. It’s our ten-year anniversary in May – but that’s not strictly true as I lived in Canada until 2009, so it’s more like 7 years of us being an actual fully –functioning band. The way I looked at it was – indie music wasn’t really saying anything or sounding like how it fundamentally should, I’m a sucker for verse-chorus-verse, not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything, if you’re an indie band then at least try to be one – that’s how we came about.
NLM: What’s the reason behind the band’s name?
LW: I was blown away by the Rob Zombie film “The Devils Rejects” how visceral it was, from the characters to the cinematography, stark sunlights and desert landscapes, everything about the film just kind of clicked with me, as I’m such a huge horror movie fan, I thought it fitting that I’d name our band after it. What does make me laugh is most people have said at one point or another that we’ve spelt the word wrong, but that’s how it was spelt in The Devils rejects and in turn “Duck Soup” by the Marx brothers who are name checked in the film. Also the thought of these cute little bugs seems nice – but in reality we’re named after a gang of psychopaths!
NLM: Your single ‘Sever’ (from the album ‘The Illumination of Everything’) went down a treat on NEW LEASE MUSIC. What’s the public’s reception on the track?
LW: That’s easily one of my favourite songs, and I’m very proud that you featured it. I think our fanbase like that song but we have maybe only played it live once, I need to put a bit more effort into getting back into our live set.
NLM: What’s your favourite track from the album and why?
LW: Well ‘Branches’ was the song that lifted us a few rungs up the ladder popularity wise, I think with Old Trafford Stadium, the Homeless Ashes movie, MUTV, That’s Manchester TV, Bay TV Liverpool, BBC Manchester, BBC Liverpool and literally hundreds of college radio stations playing it, we went from “Almost totally unknown” to “Cult Indie band” in the space of 6 months, so I’ll go with that song as my fave, in terms of what it’s done for us.
NLM: How would you describe your sound to potential fans?
LW: A lot of people say that you can hear many of our influences but we sound like none of them in our music, from City & Colour to Stereophonics to Gin Blossoms & Counting Crows, it’s a real melting pot of Americana & Indie music. I’d like to say we sound like R.E.M but I’m afraid they’re too legendary to be even considered in the same sentence as our band.
NLM: If you were to collaborate with just ONE chart-topping artist of today, who would it be and why?
LW: Great question! And I have a very quick answer because the charts and the top 40 are absolutely full of the same staid pop formula with all the fingerprints wiped away, if you’re a 14-year-old really getting into guitar music right now, the only hope you have is to rifle through your older brothers or dad LP’s. Search out Neil Young’s Harvest and The Beatles White Album and link them up all the way through The Smiths to Pearl Jam & Oasis, the charts now represents none of this I’m afraid, so my answer would be no-one! Guess that wasn’t such a quick answer after all. :)
NLM: So what other plans you have for 2017? Any upcoming gigs or album?
LW: Well we’ve just signed a record deal with the fabulous folks at Strawberry Moon Records, and they’ll be releasing our next single “Grace” in the coming months. We play Bowlers arena Manchester on April 14th and return to the brindley theatre in the Autumn. Basically we will be doing as many shows as we can, and trying to record our fifth. Very busy times.
NLM: How can potential fans reach you?
LW: Twitter mostly which is @thefireflys and facebook – facebook.com/thefireflys
NLM: Finally, if music didn’t exist, what would you do?
LW: Wow imagine if music didn’t exist! That would be horrible, no point living! When I was younger I was a cracking left back when I played football, so I think I would have really put the effort in to become a footballer for my beloved team –Manchester United!
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