How has music changed your life for the better?
Listening to music has connected us with many of the friends we have made over the years. Discussing common tastes and showing off new music has been one of the best social lubricants for building relationships with like-minded people. This is as true for non-musicians as it is for
musicians. Playing music has similarly shaped our social circles and is directly
responsible for us meeting each other. It has also allowed us to meet other awesome
musicians who push us to improve beyond what we are comfortable with.
Do you pull from culture, or try to create in a vacuum?
It really depends on the goal of the song or how we are feeling. We live in an incredibly unique place in SLC with a strong divide between devout religious folk and the counterculture against it. Drawing inspiration from that is an endless well. The vacuum is good to zero in on while writing
as well because of the creativity it fosters. You must really jump out of your comfort
zone to create but it normally produces something incredible.
What would you say is the most distinctive thing about your new release?
We can assure you that there is not any other song out there that has a narrative quite like
FIREMOUTH as well as the little production nuggets thrown in. We will not spoil it for
you but put some good headphones on and listen through to hear the
different sounds and textures. You will hear something new almost every time.
If you could be creating music in another decade – the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s etc.…
Which decade would you choose and why? – We are all kind of nerdy when it comes to music
production. We love to come up with zany and wonky effects in our music, and we
love hearing stories about how bands back in the day would get creative and try
wacky ways to record new sounds. Like Queen tying an amp to the ceiling fan so that
it would move in respect to the microphone. Or how guitarists would “accidentally”
drop their amps to have a super cool buzzy sound that they played around with. While
today there is a plugin or pedal for everything, there is something magical about being
able to invent the analog version on your own. We’d like to be creating
music probably around the 70’s-80’s, the era of classic rock and roll, jamming with all
the greats and being true pioneers in music.
What is the most inspiring thing you have heard/seen recently?
Seeing the success of artists like Vulfpeck, Thundercat, and Snarky Puppy is a huge inspiration. I think there is a perception among many musicians that the music industry does not reward
creativity, originality, or experimentation. But the success of artists like these proves
that there is a sizable niche for music that pushes the medium in weird directions.
What is one thing we’re likely not to learn about you from listening to your music?
Our music is pretty angsty and rough around the edges, so you would expect us to look like a
bunch of unshowier, couch surfing punks. But listeners might be surprised that we
are all (mostly) functioning adults. Our drummer Cole has a degree in physics and has
worked on developing satellites for NASA. Jackson, our bassist, manages his dad’s
company and owns and operates a cool recording studio in downtown Salt Lake
City. Nick, our lead guitarist, has a degree in environmental science and lived in
Japan. Finally, Ryan, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist, likes to travel and he
speaks fluent Spanish. We think the main takeaway is that, yeah, while we might be
unshowier, and couch surf from time to time, just because people look a certain
way, or listen to certain music, doesn’t mean that they automatically fall into a certain
stereotype.
How do you blow off steam?
Jamming at band practice is an excellent way to blow off some steam after a good practice. There is something euphoric about being able to just strum, flail, and rock yourself to exhaustion. But eventually everyone gets worn out, so what do you do after that? Whether it is on the road, in the studio, or in rehearsal, we always have Smash Bros on hand. It is a great way to relax, blow off
steam, and kick the shit out of each other without having to throw a punch. In fact, we
have a scoreboard indicating the numbers of wins each of us has, and eventually
someone will be crowned champion – Donkey Kong main.
Ever tried skateboarding? Any history with Skate culture?
Yeah, Ryan (lead singer) was pretty involved in skate culture in his early teens but eventually hung up the skateboard to invest in the music scene. But a couple years ago he went back to the
local skate shop and picked up a new Enjoi deck and has been hitting the local
skatepark at least a couple times a week. Skate culture is something we’ve always
loved. It does not seem to matter how good you are, there is just always an instant bond
that comes from it. Some of the quickest friends we have made have been at the
skatepark. So much of our style and influence comes from skate culture as well- the
way we dress and even into our music. Skate punk is huge for us.
What is the best thing about being an artist in 2020?
The best thing about being an artist is 2020 is also the worst thing about being an artist in 2020: The Internet. The benefits of living in an interconnected musical world make it possible to have your music heard by virtually anyone with streaming access, as well as an opportunity to play shows with other bands you may have not heard of before. We have played with bands from Las Vegas, Tennessee, The UK, and even Australia – all due to the internet connecting our similarities as musicians. However, because of this connectivity, there are so many artists out there trying to be heard, making it difficult to compete in the war for attention. So, in an age where every band has a voice, our job is to make music that stands out to the listener as a new sound without removing the
familiar tone of our musical influences.
What is the next big thing?
The next big thing in modern music is raw, loud, genuine songs. Bands such as FIDLAR or Carseat Headrest have abandoned the idea that today’s music has to be crisp, clean, and heavily polished to fit in with popular music. These bands have dirty guitar tones crafted in an old garage, out of tune (yet emotional) vocals, and an overall sense of writing real songs by real musicians, not a
collaboration of 13 ghost writers trying to make the next #1 Billboard single. We, oh!no?ok. are striving to write music that is as fun for us to play as it is to listen to, without thinking of “the perfect song length”; or “the most ideal song structure”; We’re just here to make some noise and have fun doing it. – JENN
