N: What do you have planned for your album release show? (10/11 at Horsebrook Cafe in Plainfield, CT)
Y: Yeah, it’s coming up. Hopefully we’ll be able to play the entire album. I think it’s only 40 people, something like that, socially distant outside, no idea how that’s gonna look like but we’ll see
C: Props to Dwayne Eldredge and S.C.E.N.E Productions for putting on live music right now. I know they’re gonna have everyone at tables so they can’t intermingle and interact but he hit us up and we couldn’t get a date for the Summer but he said he had a Fall date for us and hit us up and said we could have it as our release show if we wanted. So, knowing a few of the people coming up I think it’ll be our best bet on actually selling some physical merch and mask up and say hi to people we care about. Who knows when we’ll be able to play again and while it is limited in terms of attendance and it’s gonna be an adjustment to say the least but hopefully we’re gonna see some heads bobbing even if it’s more than 6 feet away.
Y: Only other alternative is renting a venue for the night and doing a livestream but that just depends.
C: I feel like we could do a pretty sick livestream if we got a good sound, I feel there’s just something about how music sounds live that it hits you. Like we were saying, it’s that deep thunderous feeling.
KG: It’s been a long time for me, last time I played live was the first Fires show we did 2 years ago and before that was a year, it was the last time 60 Grit did a show at Cherry Street, then I got married and we just didn’t do shows. Yegor and I started to do Fires and I broke 60 Grit up because I just wasn’t pissed off enough, you know.
Editor’s Note: The band revealed their new drummer, Jordan Rippe, at this show. They made the following statement on Facebook on October 13th:
“We had an amazing time playing to our socially distant audience this weekend, a huge thanks to Dwayne Eldredge, SCENE Productions, and Sentinel Hill for playing with us!
For those of you that attended, you may have noticed a new face behind the drum kit. Going forward, we’d like to welcome Jordan Rippe into the band on drums! You can hear him playing in the live clip below.
Our departure with Kyle was amicable; he was and still is a staple in our development as musicians and we wish him the utmost best in his new ventures. The following statement will hopefully shed some light onto the decision:
‘To Fires in the Distance fans and everyone who’s supported me over the years. I decided a while ago to take a step back from drumming full time with the band to focus on new adventures in my life. It’s rough to say but I will no longer be drumming with fires. I had an amazing time working with these guys and am extremely proud of all we’ve accomplished together. By far the most solid group of individuals one could ask for. I am not quitting music or drumming completely. You will most likely still see me around gigs helping out any way I can. Fires has an amazing future ahead of them and I look forward to watching the band grow. Thank you all for your love of this album and this band!’ – KQ”
N: That’s fair man, sometimes you have to move on, just as long as you don’t start playing butt rock.
KG: No, never.
N: Now I remember seeing a snippet of an interview that Kristian did that you have more material underway.
Y: Yeah, a little bit, not much but I mean the first album just came out, so I have a decent amount of time to write so I’m not trying to rush or force anything. Right now, I’ve got, maybe 12 minutes of new stuff.
KG: That’s what we were doing today, we were practicing one of the new songs with the 7-strings, it’s a sweet song.
N: Even with the album out you’re still active on the writing front, nice.
Y: Well not “active” active, when it comes it comes. We all get writers block, I feel I get it more frequently than before, but right now we’re not on a deadline so yeah, but we’ll see.
