Anyways, with nowhere for myself to find a bio of these guys, it gave me more of a chance to dig a lil deeper into these guys and see what they are all about. I was fortunate enough to get a few mins with vocalist James Livingston to get in depth about FUD and his musical endeavours.
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The Band:
Hey James, much thanks for taking the time to hash these out with myself. Great timing since you guys had a release over the weekend! What is FUD up to today?
Well we just finished our second EP which we have been working on for about 6 months now. We
couldn't be happier with how it has turned out and we are now moving onto getting all our plans ready for this summer. We should be playing all across Ontario this summer and we are looking forward to seeing all our friends and jamming the new tracks for them. We are also in the process of writing more music believe it or not. We should be tracking another single this summer sometime and hopefully releasing a couple music videos for the stuff on the Give Up, Grow Old EP.
Lets start with some basics, where are you guys from and who is in the band?
We are all from Windsor, ON, Canada!
James Livingston - Vocals
Tyler Stenlund - Guitar
Levi Rogers - Bass
Dylan Sharon - Drums
Give us some history of how FUD became FUD?
We have been a band for going on 3.5 years now. FUD got started just as a fun project to hang out with friends and jam some tunes. Over time it has morphed into something more serious as we all realized we love playing shows, travelling, meeting kids and sharing what we believe. Over the last few years we have played all over Ontario and released 2 EPs and we are still really enjoying ourselves and evolving our sound.
What roots of music did you grow up on that made you want to start playing guitar and/or start a band?
I (James) grew up listening to a lot of Christian metal and hardcore bands off of Facedown and Solid
State records and that got me hooked on the genre and it was all downhill from there. Bands like
Blindside, xLookingForwardx, Norma Jean got me really stoked on heavy music and lead me to burst through the "Christian music" bubble and discover so many incredible musicians and so much passion in hardcore.
At what age did you realize you wanted to do music as a profession?
I've been playing in metal and hardcore bands since I was 16 years old or younger. I played drums for a long time but I started FUD partly because I wanted to try vocals so that is where I am at now. All along I have enjoyed the lifestyle of playing shows and meeting new people so if I can make a career out of this I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to do it and I know the other guys in the band feel the same.
"We're a Christian band that plays heavy music so we can make lots of cool friends." Do you make it a point to let people know you guys are Christian? Does your religious influences come out in the music?
Our faith and religion influences really everything we do but we try to make a big effort to show people that, just because we are Christians, doesn’t mean that we automatically fit into the stereotype they have in their head. The God that I believe in is not a fundamentalist American republican who loves war, hates gay people, music with screaming and people with tattoos but unfortunately this is the stereotype that the title "Christian" tends to get. These people get all the screen time on the news so that is all some people know of Christianity and I don't blame them for not liking it, I don't like that Christianity either.
Our goal as a band is to build relationships, to build friendships, with people because we believe that
when you really know someone only then can you really understand their point of view and that goes
both ways, us to them and them to us. So when you see us live you will hear me mention that we are a Christian band but it is always followed by an invitation to come and talk to us about what that means. If you read our lyrics you will see that they are full of politics and real world issues because that is where my faith has taken me, to caring about the world and wanting to see it become a better place.
How does FUD plan to "build a community that can make our city and this world a better place"?
We are firm believers in supporting local music. The only reason that there are signed and touring bands is because somewhere along the way they were given a chance to play live at some crappy, hole in the wall bar and they got hooked. We believe that by working together as a scene without the lines that we are always trying to draw between genres, or religious beliefs, or straight edge or whatever other thing you can think of, we can create a culture that promotes and grow musicians and fosters a feeling of oneness and unity.
We run a venue out of a church in Windsor that we call Hardcore Church and we run cheap shows (3
dollars for locals, 5 bucks for out of town bands) and all door proceeds go to bands (the church gives
us the space for free) and anything extra goes to charity. This set up allows us to bring in lots of bands from out of town for a cheap price drawing kids to a safe environment where they can be themselves and enjoy good music with their friends. At the same time allowing younger bands to get those first few stage experiences that we all need to get us ready for bigger things. Windsor has been plagued by a lack of consistency in venues as they open and close after only putting on shows for short periods of time. So by providing a consistent place for kids to hang out it slowly grows the Windsor music scene. Partnering with local promoters, bands and charities creates a feeling that we are all working together for something bigger than ourselves.
The Music:
So you guys just dropped a new EP ("Give Up, Grow Old") on June 9th via Bandcamp. Does each song in the EP tell an individual story or does it come full circle?
I tend to write each song as an individual story but I usually have an over-arching theme in my head even if that doesn't come out in the actual song. Our debut CD was full of mainly political messages directed at those who treat this world like their personal playground at the expense of the less fortunate around the world. The main thrust was that there would be accountability for their actions in this life or the next. Give Up, Grow Old our latest EP is a little bit more of a personal message talking about lessons I am learning as I try to live out the things I talked about on Coming Home. I am almost 25, I've been married for almost 2 years and so I am writing now from a bit more of a mature place talking about how I can continue to help change the world without becoming content the status quo or "settling down" as everyone kind of expects you to do at this point in your life.
Do you guys like the idea of lyric videos? Can we see FUD making them for most singles?
I love to see the lyrics of a song, they really effect my enjoyment drastically. I can enjoy good
musicianship but if I am going to love your album it's got to have something important to say, not just whining about your girlfriend. Lyric videos are a way to get those ideas out there so I am all for them. These days if you are not putting out lots of multi-media content on youtube and vimeo and such then you are falling behind and so we will be seeing a lot more lyrics videos from us and others in the future.
Looking at the credits from the YouTube lyric video for "Love Devoid of Feeling", it reads:
"Recorded at Warhead Studios with Ryan Croppo
Mastered at Monolith Studios by Chris Themelco"
I take it this is where the entire EP was done?
Yes sir. We recorded this all in one of my best friends basement then through the magic of the internet sent it off to Australia to be mastered. I've been friends with Ryan since I was 12 years old or something like that so we work well together and he understands this band. He is basically a 5th member at this point after recording two albums with him.
The Shows:
Any pregame rituals before a show? A shot? Special tunes to listen to? Workout?
Haha, not everyone in our band is of age so no shots (ahhh, bummer) but our pre-show ritual involves praying before we go on and lots and lots of stretching. I am not as young as I used to be so stretching is a must if I am going to give 100% for more than one show at a time. We also usually jam some Immortal Technique in the van before a show. Gets the energy right.
Have you ever been at a show/played a show where your music and sound was vastly different from the other bands on the bill? If so, What was the crowd reaction and how easy did you feel playing on that stage versus stages shared with similar genre bands?
We played a Christian festival last September that was headlined by female fronted pop and rock bands and worship bands and we were the odd ones out but we actually got a great response. Kids went crazy for the heavy music and the energy on stage and we ended up having a great time and making lots of friends when we expected to be playing to a bunch of disapproving stares. We have also run multi-genre show at our venue in Windsor with some decent success. There is no substitute for playing a club full of hardcore kids stage diving and moshing but we will play any line up we are offered. We all listen to more than just hardcore so we don't mind playing with other genres.
Let's talk about the music scene in Windsor. How is it going down there? Do you guys feel Windsor has been kind to you? Do you feel that Windsor is a great place for bands to start their careers?
Windsor has been my home since I was a kid so I'm a bit biased but I love Windsor. The scene has had some ups and downs based mainly on the constantly changing venue situation but in the last year or so we have seen some more consistency with venues in the heavy music scene which has helped a ton. On any given weekend you can go downtown and hear a metal band, a prog-rock band, a folk act and some synth-pop all within a few blocks of one another and that is something that is really incredible. It can be tough for a touring band since no matter where you are going in Ontario you have to climb all the way up the 401 but it's still a place that has done us a huge favors and we love to play at home, in our city, in our venue. No matter where we go with this band that will always hold a special place.
"Come to a show and join the family." Do you consider your fans and fellow bands alike to be a family?
Absolutely. Family lives life together and is there for you when you need it and we have always felt that our fans have been family like that to us. We have slept on countless couches, been fed meals, gotten free merch designs, photo shoots and videos from friends or even strangers to not feel like we are part of a family and we try and return that favor to other bands. Being on the road can be tough but with friends and family it can be a blast too.
Fun & Random:
Favourite album of 2012 thus far? (no bias! haha)
Oh man. This would be a huge argument at a band practice if you asked all of us so I will only answer for me haha. There have been lots of good ones on my playlist but probably at the top of that list would be Enter Shikari's A Flash Flood of Color would be at the top of my list. They write with a real disregard for what anyone else is doing and their last couple albums I have really enjoyed.
(Photo taken by Berry Photography)
One musician you would love to play with/record with?
Matt Embree of RX Bandits. Incredible musician and lyricist from one of my favorite bands of all time.
One band you would want to tour with?
A lot of the bands I would want to tour with are just bands I want to hear play all the time but don't really fit our genre like My Epic or Thrice or Minus the Bear. If I had to choose one heavy band it would probably be Hands, their last CD Give me Rest is my favorite CD of the last few years and they don't tour often so I want to hear it live as much as I can.
If you were not playing music, what do you think you would be doing?
Writing books, speaking to young people about making this world a better place. I do these things on the side anyways and they kind of connect to the band pursuits but those are long term goals.
Where can people find out about you guys?
Myspace: myspace.com/faithfuluntodeathmusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/faithfuluntodeath
Bandcamp: www.faithfuluntodeath.bandcamp.com
Email: faithfuluntodeath@hotmail.com
Other: www.faithfuluntodeath.ca
(Photo taken by Calum Noade)
The Bottom Line:
What's the next move for FUD?
Touring as much as we can this summer, music videos for our EP tracks and writing and recording a new single. Our musical direction seems to be solidifying a bit so we are excited to keep chasing after that artistic vision we have still yet to realize.
Words of wisdom to other musicians who want to follow in the footsteps and influences of FUD?
I would have to say "have a caring work ethic". We are not ridiculously successful but whatever success we have had is simply from grinding away and being friendly. When you play with other bands help them load on and off stage, help the sound guy get set up, be courteous to the staff and security, move your gear on and off stage fast, when your set is done stay for the other bands, mosh, learn the words, go out for beers afterwards and make friends. Anyone can be a rock star but who wants to be a dick? So yeah, don't be a tool.
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All in all, I am liking the perspective these guys have when it comes to their music lives. Its all about being band mates and making great music for people to enjoy and all the good vibes around it. Sometimes, its not about being that major rock star or getting that big fat contract deal, but sometimes just making music and showing the talents that you have. I have no doubt these guys will carve a name into the Ontario music scene for themselves and since the EP dropped over the weekend, I would keep an eye out for them making a stop into a town near you soon. Keep up the great work guys! Music is made to travel, but local always sounds better ;-)
As of July 12th, 2012, AFGM got a hold of FUD's new music video "Give Up Grow Old":
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