Friendly Fire was formed in 2016 in Jacksonville, Fl as an excuse to play around guitarist and song writer, Josh Sanders' neighborhood bars and 'temporarily' named after a jawbreaker song on the eve of the first of those very bar shows. The band started taking things a little more seriously with the addition of guitarist and recording engineer, Chad O'Quinn, Now being able to record and release music, the band decided to record a full length. Tragically, O'Quinn passed away unexpectedly before the vocals were recorded and 3 weeks before, the band was set to play FEST in Gainesville.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Friendly Fire. How was your band formed?
I formed the band essentially as a collective to play shows with my friends, a couple years later Cheyenne joined as a drummer/ singer/ writer, then Mike [guitar] and Chuck[bass] came along and filled things out.
Who inspired you to make music?
Lots of people inspired me to make music, at the time of forming friendly fire I was most inspired by Frankie Stubbs and leatherface.
Your latest release is 'Beyond The Neverglades'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
We had the idea of writing each song about a specific event in Florida's history, we ended up making it a little more loosely Florida affiliated.
Can you shortly describe each of the tracks that are on the album?
I can describe the ones I wrote words for haha.
Blind Blake- is about a lesser known bluesman from our town, Jacksonville in the 1920's.
Headphones- this is essentially about the importance of finding refuge in music while growing up.
Nucleus- a song about embracing the things you need to grow.
Aging kerouac/ death of a poet- this is my imagining of what burnout must have felt like for jack kerouac after years of traveling the world and partying essentially, then his eventual death.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest musical trends?
We are all voracious consumers of music and constantly digging thru the old music as well as finding the new stuff. Whether it be at the record store, on YouTube or on the dreaded spotify haha.
What makes you different from others?
I think our influences are pretty diverse and we really don't stick with a specific sound. I'm sure every band says that.
What’s an average day like for you?
Usually work, where I drive and listen to music all day, then a nap, then maybe a bike ride around riverside in Jacksonville, then a drink, then if all goes to plan I'm inspired to write something or pick up my guitar.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans.
We talk at shows, interact thru social media. A couple of days ago a girl posted that we had been her top artist of the year on spotify so I contacted her and told her she could have her pick of anything on the merch table the next time she was at a show.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Be respectful to everyone and remember to have fun.
What are your plans for the future?
Keep playing shows, put the record on wax, make friends, have fun.
Singer/Guitar player - Joshua Sanders