Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Q&A with Fire at Will
Punk-reggae mix
has positive vibe
Like the Clash, Bad Brains and Operation Ivy before them, Fire at Will plays the seemingly incongruous blend of punk rock and reggae. Unlike its forebears, however, the Roanoke four-piece (singer/guitarist Troy Sisson, guitarist Scott Akers, bassist Mike Zimmerman and drummer Will Mayo) has ditched the traditional nihilism and left-wing sloganeering in favor of positive songs about hanging out with their friends.
Q: Most punk bands are driven by either a passion for drinking beer or shouting about politics. What is your driving force?
| Song samples |
| (Real Player required). Dark Blue Sky — Heartbeat |
Troy: We write songs about hanging out with our friends.
Scott: We want everybody to have fun because we’re having fun while we’re up there.
Mike Z: We throw out the negative songs, which is probably why our shows are so high-energy.
Q: What are your influences?
A: Troy: The Bouncing Souls and Hatebreed. Will (absent from interview) is really into Sublime and Bargain Music.
Scott: Definitely Nirvana.
Mike Z: Refused, Mike Patton and Anti-Flag.
Q: You are almost done with your new record. Do you have any desire to make it it in the music biz?
A: Scott: It would be nice to make a living, but there are a lot of definitions for the words “making it.”
Mike Z: We’d be happy with the distribution of an indie label.
Troy: We really don’t care too much about the “music industry.” We’re doing this for ourselves. I’d rather just be playing than be signed to Geffen Records or something.
Q: As well as regular shows in Roanoke, you’ve also traveled as far as North Carolina and Virginia Beach. What’s the worst one you can remember?
A: Mike Z: The last show we did at the Green Dolphin. I was sick and felt horrible. Everybody else was drunk as hell. The show was packed, too.
Troy: I couldn’t even remember the words. Other than that, the shows have been getting better and better. We manage to work together when we’re on stage. It’s really much more of a family than a band.
HEAR THEM LIVE
8:30 p.m. Saturday at Factory 324, downtown Roanoke. XLIV, Guilty as Charged, Safe Sects and Brave New World open. All ages show.
On the Net: www.fireatwillrocks.com
