Fire & Flesh are a hard-hitting metal outfit, based out of the East Bay Area, CA.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Justin-Vox

William- Guitar/Backup Vox

Alexander- Guitar

Chace- Bass

Rudy -Drums

How long has the band been around?

Fire & Flesh was established in 2013 as Justin's solo project after he quit his last band. Instead of hiring a vocalist to feature on the debut Ep, he decided to attempt metal vocals for the first time himself. He felt at home on the mic, welcomed the challenge and decided that he could pull it off with some effort, so he pulled members to form a band.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

The name has never been changed. Justin came up with the band name in reference to how his throat had felt on fire after tracking vocals for the first time in the studio. Being his first attempt at the screaming game, he went into it blindly with no idea wtf he was doing, and just winged it on that first EP haha. If you listen to that first EP [Origins], and compare it to the ones that followed, you can see an intense difference in his vocal ability where he went from not knowing jack shit about scream technique, to figuring it out and forging his own powerful voice and style.

 Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

Justin and Alex are the main songwriters. They have been the two guys that have steered the ship and weathered all the storms this whole time. Justin, is of course the lyricist. We have a catalogue of about 40 songs, and the subject matter ranges anywhere from songs of self-reflection, personal empowerment, to rage, disgust and hatred, and even some social/political issues. Justin doesn't really stick to just one main theme when writing lyrics, and he will write about whatever he happens to be inspired by at that moment in time. He’s known to offend at times... and can be very outspoken in the lyrics, but he always aims to inspire. He once chilled with a dying buck that he found on the side of the road in the middle of the night, and wrote a song about the experience watching it die. It’s called “Creature of the Night” So yeah, the themes/topics are always changing.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

We all listen to different shit, and I think it would be hard to pin-point exactly what bands inspire the music writing. I would say that when we write, we just write what comes to mind and what sounds good to us. We don’t wish to copy-cat or mimic other bands. We try to do our own thing as best as possible, and keep it metal. Alex and Justin have always had a philosophy of never writing the same record, and you can really hear that diverse range of sound in our music.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

As a band we usually have a light rehearsal the day of, but with no vocals because of Justin’s personal routine that he does religiously. We also never have a rehearsal the day before a show as a rule. And.. because I live 3 hours away, I have to drive down to San Diego a day or two before. Luckily, when I can’t make a show, we have a good fill-in guitarist that steps up to the plate for me. Shout-out to Luis! We have so much gear, so a huge part of prep is getting organized.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

I’d say it was the DIY tour the band did in 2015. Unfortunately I was away studying to be a nurse, so I missed out on that, but I know for sure it was a highlight for everyone. The band came back with great memories, and profit, proving that we could do it and not go broke. Relocating from the Bay Area to San Diego to position ourselves for better opportunities, was also a huge highlight.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

That’s a hard question. Too many great options to pick from hah.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Don’t hoard toilet paper!

Shout-out to Peter, who runs RiotScene. He threw us our first bone when the band relocated to San Diego a couple years ago. He’s such a huge help to everyone in the local scene down there.

If you are in the area, look up @RiotScene on IG for the best local shows. 

Shoutout to our producer and sound engineer Aaron Hellam for always bringing out the best in us when recording, and keeping it real. A true GOAT.

 Please check out our new single “The Art of Living” on Spotify and AppleMusic.

We are also sitting on a new record that we will be releasing later this year, so it’s something else to look forward to. 

Thanks for the time!

-William

FIRE & FLESH

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