Throw The Fight is:
James Clark - Vocals | Ryan Baustert - Guitar | Jonathan Sutton - Guitar/vocals | Kyle Glidden - Bass/vocals | Jeff Baustert - Drums
Bullet Tooth Records is proud to announce the worldwide signing of Minneapolis Minnesota's, Throw The Fight. For the past three decades, Minneapolis has had it's finger on the pulse of the musical world. There's something about the Northern Midwest crowds that demand passion and energy from their musical acts. Throw The Fight continues that tradition, bringing an authentic display of metal-edged, hard rock. It's the kind of energy one hears on the band's newest album, the John Feldmann (Atreyu, The Used) produced, 'What Doesn't Kill Us.'
Recorded during a three week stretch in Feldmann’s own L. A. studio, the record runs the gamut, stretching across metal and alternative, to just plain-old, white-knuckled rock ‘n’ roll. Serving to example is the blinding intensity behind tracks like 'One Step Away,' 'Lifesaver' and 'Lights Out For Summer,' which are imbued with soulful, intelligent songwriting to accompany TTF’s brand of angst-ridden fervor.
The first single off the record, 'Not So Hollywood,' has already begun to pick up steam at radio stations across the country. The first being KXXR in Minneapolis which immediately added the track to full rotation. Since then, others are beginning to follow suit.
'Rock and roll is everything . . . To us, there’s nothing else,' proclaims guitarist Ryan Baustert. It's that same all-in, do-it-yourself attitude that pours from TTF’s essence; an ever-present force that drives exceptional live performance, fantastic studio work, and an ineffable mass appeal. Throw The Fight has the 'X factor' shared by successful acts like Killswitch Engage, Story of the Year, and Rise Against and the band’s onstage force has already been seen nationally on festivals such as The Van’s Warped Tour & Taste of Chaos, as well as with acts such as Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach, Sevendust, Drowning Pool, and Buckcherry, among others.
Members James Clark (vocals), Ryan Baustert (guitar), Jonathan Sutton (guitar/back-up vocals), Kyle Glidden (bass/back-up vocals), and Jeff Baustert (drums) are headed somewhere fast and “What Doesn’t Kill Us” is a standing testament to the band’s resilience.
TTF didn't just show up over night. These guys have been refining their sound and stage presence since 2003, when they dropped their first self titled EP. Below, you can check out their discography, as well as info on their latest album, "What Doesn't Kill Us", and its predecessor "In Pursuit of Tomorrow".
Discography:
Throw the Fight (2003) (EP)
The Fire Within (2006) (EP)
In Pursuit of Tomorrow (2008) (Debut Album)
What Doesn't Kill Us (2012) (Sophomore Album)
1. Bloodshot Eyes
2. Not So Hollywood
3. One Step Away
4. Makes Us Stronger
5. When the World Stops Spinning
6. Lifesaver
7. Run Away
8. Lights Out For Summer
9. I Just Died In Your Arms
10. You Can't Swim With Concrete Shoes
You can pick up your cop of the album from any of the following links:
Both album have had mixed reviews, but always seem to fall back on the fact that these guys cannot be ignored. They may have people (we'll talk more about this in the Q&A) who will not like their music, same as every other band, but much like Pringles... once you pop, the fun don't stop. I am not sure how to put it, other than the fact that both albums are the kind of album when you can pop it in and listen to it from start to finish, rather than just a handful of tracks. Consistency [I find] that makes an album great versus good, and TTF seemed to have found the right equation...
"There are many moments when this album shines, particularly in the five tracks I discussed above. Other tracks have potential to be as great as the rest, but unfortunately fall short. I feel that they play it safe at times. For example, the tracks “Makes You Stronger” and “Run Away” have less of the grit and thickness than their preceding tracks have, and I was ready to move on before they were over. I enjoy certain parts of some tracks, but the structures of some of the songs caused my interest to fluctuate.
Despite the few misgivings that I have with What Doesn’t Kill Us, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It’s been quite a while since I was able to listen to an album all the way through multiple times from the alt rock genre. I found this album to have qualities similar to Thousand Foot Krutch and possibly even Bullet For My Valentine at times. If you are looking for a fun, undemanding, easy-listening rock album that you can belt out the lyrics to, I recommend you give this a spin. It took me by surprise, and while I may not return to it on a regular basis, there are several tracks from it that earned a spot on my summer soundtrack. -The New Review
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"In Pursuit of Tomorrow" track listing:
1. Ready for War
2. Weakest Hour
3. His Blood, My Hands
4. The Wreckage Intro
5. The Wreckage
6. Stop Yourself
7. Delete Me
8. Into The Fire
9. It's For You
10. Vital Signs
The album opener, 'Ready for War,' is a thrash-inspired fast opener that doesn’t let down its tempo until the intro to 'The Wreckage.' There, it changes pace, a perfect fit to show of all their styles. Oh, don’t worry it picks the pace and tempo up again...just hit next track. The single, 'Weakest Hour,' is a refreshingly heavy single, involving sparked screaming and dually catchy and heavy guitars.
Unfortunately, there isn’t that much to take in from this release, as it clocks in at a close 34 minutes, which is far off from the 40 to 45 minute album lengths usually found in this genre. Some people might not like every track, as they do vary, and the album length forces you to fly through the CD fairly quickly. Overall, this is one good album to purchase if you are fans of alternative/hard rock music, as Throw The Fight shows it will not let down and throw in the fight. They, instead, will continue to grow and I will continue to watch.
Bottom line: The alternative hard rockers that make up Throw The Fight bring their debut in style. Fans of Breaking Benjamin, Black Tide, and Bullet for My Valentine should definetly check it out. -Metal Underground
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Now for the fun part of my blog, interviews! I managed to get in touch with guitarist Ryan Baustert for a quick Q&A of what the guys are up to, the process of the album and what the future holds for TTF...
What is a musician like you up to right now?
Very busy promoting our new record, ‘What Doesn’t Kill Us!’
First off, congrats on inking the deal with Bullet Tooth Records. Its always nice to see a record deal with a notable label such as that one.
Thanks so much! We’ve very happy with them and all the opportunities they have brought our way thus far.
Let's start with the basics for people just getting to know you guys. What is Throw The Fight's reason for rockin? How did the group come about to form what you are now? How did you guys end up with the band name?
We formed in 2003 when I was going to school at UW-Stout in Menomonie, WI and we’re based out of Minneapolis, MN. The name of the band is a tribute to my grandfather, who was a boxer back in the day. We’re simply trying to write catchy, fun, energetic rock songs. It’s all about the melody and the groove!
I've seen numerous photos and plugs for John Feldmann. How was working with a producer of that stature?
We’ve always been big fans of his records. Sonically, they all slam. So when we got the chance to work with him, we jumped at it. We went out to LA and tracked the album at his house. It was definitely cool to be able to leave home and not have anything to worry about except writing and recording music for a few weeks. We tracked for 12 to 15 hours every day and wrapped up the album in 3 weeks. It was intense.
Did you guys seem to work well in the studio? Was there anything that he brought to the table (when doing this album) that you guys may not have taken into consideration? (aka changing guitar tones, vocals, structure, etc.)
Definitely. Feldmann's engineer, Brandon Paddock, also does a lot of the heavy lifting. Arrangements, drums, and vocals were done with John. Guitars, bass, and also a portion of the vocals were done with Brandon. A lot of the songs changed in the studio and the end result is definitely different than the demos we came in there with. But that's why we like working with producers in the first place. A lot of times you work on a song for so long that it becomes hard to think of it any other way. You kind of develop tunnel vision. So it's good to have that outside ear from someone that isn't in the band.
A whole album in three weeks at Feldmann's studio!? It must have been very demanding trying to knock out all the tracks in that short of a time frame.
It was. We tracked for 12 to 15 hours a day. But we were there to work so we didn't want to be doing anything else except be in the studio.
"...do-it-yourself attitude that pours from TTF’s essence". Does TTF take care of a lot of it's own business? What else do any of you guys do besides write music? (aka merch, booking, co-producing, artwork, etc.)
Up until a few months ago, I was the guy that handled 99% of all the business stuff, booking, etc. I also own a graphic and web design company so I still do all the bands web design, album art, merch etc. I also handle all the social networking and day to day things. We have new management and a new agent now, so a lot of the burden has been lifted off of my shoulders recently. But we are still very involved with all aspects of the band and what it takes to keep everything running. We're very hands on.
Was "Not So Hollywood" your choice for the first single or the labels?
A little bit of both. The band liked the track and everyone we sent it around to in the industry felt that song should be the first single. So the choice was simple.
Was the writing approach for "What Doesn't Kill Us" and different from when you guys wrote "In Pursuit of Tomorrow"? Anything that changed in between albums?
When ended up letting our previous singer go in the middle of recording “In Pursuit of Tomorrow.” So when James came into the band, we already had all the music written and recorded. So we had to take a couple months so that he could write lyrics and melodies around all the music that was already completed. With “What Doesn’t Kill Us,” he was able to be a part of the entire process from start to finish.
Every band always gets haters. How does TTF deal with trollers and shit disturbers you see online more often than none?
We don’t concern ourselves with it. Let’s be honest, there is no way that we are going to please everybody out there 100% of the time. People are either going to like our music or they aren’t. If someone wants to post negative stuff online, then that’s their opinion and they are entitled to it. As long as they aren’t posting things on our sites that is vulgar or offensive, it’s all good. At the end of the day, we’re going to write and record what we like to write and record. That’s all there really is to it.
Being on the road for long tours such as Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos, you have sure seen your fair share of long days on the road. Are you guys used to the heavy touring by now? Does family and friends find it hard that you guys can be away from home for so long?
Being away from your family for extended periods of time is definitely the hardest thing about touring. But our families understand that we need to be on the road and touring to keep moving things forward. It’s just part of the deal and we all accept it.
You have shared the stage with notable bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach, Sevendust, Drowning Pool, Buckcherry and others. Can you give us a memorable moment with any of these bands (or others) that really made the show/tour that much better?
I’ll always remember the Papa Roach and Avenged Sevenfold guys being really cool to us. A lot of times bands at their level could really care less about opening acts, but those guys were definitely an exception.
What do you guys have on the go in regards to touring? Where can people see you in action?
Right now our schedule is fairly open. We’re going to be with Steel Panther July 27th in Minneapolis. We also have a show with Chevelle on Sept 7th in Minneapolis. That’s it for right now. Our team is currently working on touring opportunities for us so people can expect to see dates announced very soon!
Words of wisdom to musicians who look up to you guys and want to start their own band/make their own music?
People need to realize that nothing happens overnight. I think a lot of bands fail because they don’t treat their band as a business. It’s a huge commitment and takes money, dedication, talent, and a solid business plan, among countless other things to keep the train rolling.
What prompted the Cutting Crew cover of "Just Died In Your Arms"? I personally love when bands give new blood to an older track such as this 86' classic (shit, that song is as old as I am haha)
We’ve been playing our version of that track live for years and it always seems to be a crowd favorite at shows. So we wanted to put it on the record. The song is timeless and as soon as the chorus comes in, it’s something that everyone knows. We had never come across any other artists that covered it in the past, so that was another reason that we chose that song. It’s so slow, though! So we had to speed it up a bit and throw some solos in it, naturally.
Favourite song off "What Doesn't Kill Us" and why?
It would have to be a tie between "One Step Away” and “When the World Stops Spinning.” “One Step Away” is just really fun to play but the subject matter in “When the World Stops Spinning” really hits home for me. The song is about having cancer – something James and I both had to deal with.
One goal your band wants to reach but hasn't attained it yet?
We haven’t been able to tour over in Europe at this point. So hopefully we’ll be changing that in the very near future and making it over the pond.
One musician you would like guest on a TTF track?
Dan Marsala from Story of the Year or possibly Lajon from Sevendust.
Favourite album of 2012 thus far? (don't be biased! haha)
I’ve been listening to the new P.O.D, Janus, and I Am Empire records pretty much nonstop lately.
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Much thanks to Ryan and the guys from Throw The Fight for the opportunity to get some info about them during this busy and exciting time for the band. For more info on Throw The Fight, check them out at any of the follow official links:
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