Interview: Alessandro DeCaro
Photo Courtesy of Hopeless Records
For Florida-based hard rock quartet Fame on Fire, evolution has always been the mission statement from day one. Initially formed in 2013 as a vehicle for the band to release captivating metal and rock-inspired covers of popular mainstream hits from artists such as The Weeknd, Halsey, and Ed Sheeran, among many others, Fame On Fire would go on to shake things up in 2017, releasing their own original material and begin telling their story on their own terms.
After inking a deal with the legendary scene-approved label Hopeless Records, Fame on Fire, which consists of Bryan Kuznitz (Vocals), Blake Saul (Guitar), Paul Spirou (Bass), and Alex Roman (Drums) would release two stellar studio albums including Levels (2020) and Welcome to the Chaos (2022), and it wouldn't take long for the band to amass a rapidly growing legion of fans drawn to their vulnerable lyricism, commanding guitar riffs, and infectious pop-driven hooks.
Now in 2024, Fame On Fire is gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated third studio album, The Death Card (Out Sept.6), a "loose" concept album inspired by Tarot Cards and the deeper meanings they possess both universally and personally to the band themselves. With the help of esteemed music producer Erik Ron (Godsmack, Motionless In White, New Year's Day), The Death Card shows the band firing on all cylinders in terms of songwriting, production, and theatricality, spanning twelve tracks that will take listeners on a deeply personal journey through the darkest depths of vocalist Bryan Kuznitz's psyche all through the lens of Tarot Cards.
In other words, The Death Card is a prime example of the evolution of sound done correctly, and the reception the band has received speaks volumes. Take, for instance, the album's lead single, "Nightmare (The Devil)," which is currently sitting at #15 on active rock radio, a massive milestone for a band that is now eleven years deep into their career with no signs of slowing down in sight. However, the most essential theme to take away from The Death Card is the band's pledge to set fire to the past to grow into their most impregnable form yet. It is safe to say that they accomplished that goal in every sense with The Death Card, and one can only imagine what the next phase of evolution has in store for Fame on Fire.
In an exclusive interview with The Pretty Cult, Fame on Fire vocalist Bryan Kuznitz discusses the creation of their Tarot-inspired third studio album, The Death Card, his songwriting process, radio success, and more.
When did you initially have the idea to write what is "mostly" a concept record with The Death Card?
Bryan Kuznitz: I like how you said it's "mostly" a concept record. It is "mostly" a concept record, but something about the term concept record still doesn't sit quite well with me. [Laughs.] The idea came from our bass player Paul [Spirou] when he got on the bus one day and asked, "What if we did a Tarot Card theme for the album?" I was into the idea but knew I had to explore the idea a little more. I don't just look into things; I really dive into them. Thankfully, my sister knows a lot about Tarot, and she helped guide me through certain things in the process. We all agreed that if we were going to do this, we couldn't half-ass it. Many bands will take imagery and influence and not commit to it or even know what they are talking about, so we knew these songs actually had to represent what the cards [mean.] Everything had to correlate, feel genuine, and ultimately be legitimate.
On the other hand, looking at a song like "Nothing Left (The Fool)," for instance, I had to write lyrics not only based on what that card meant but also on how it relates to me [personally]. That's why this album is not so much a concept album, because it's still about me. When I write lyrics, they need to be about me because that's how I resonate with the music I create. It wouldn't be fair to me or the fans to write songs I have no relationship with.
So, in some ways, the tarot card theme could almost be considered a template or overall structure to formulate all of your experiences and emotions into a unique and uniform package? It must have felt super liberating to have that creative prompt to go off of.
Kuznitz: Exactly! It made everything cohesive, whereas, in the past, it could sometimes be scrambled. We knew that the album was going to be named The Death Card because the meaning of that card is about closing one door, opening another, and killing off your old self to evolve. This was all very real to us at the time, and once we had that template, we chose to stick fully in that direction.
Touching on The Death Card and how it symbolizes leaving the past behind in an attempt to start anew and evolve, what were some things you wanted to change and leave behind as a band to truly kick off this new era?
Kuznitz: We were going through change-ups in management and within our entire team. As a band, we knew things weren't going the way we wanted them to go, and we knew we needed something big to happen for us. The core four of this band will always be on the same page, but we were evolving to a place where we were not only touring all the time but really needed to focus on this next step of the record. We closed off who we used to be to make things work and move on to Fame on Fire's next chapter. We also decided to work with a producer [for the first time] and began auditioning people to [fill that role].
Speaking of working with an outside producer for the first time, you enlisted Erik Ron (Godsmack, New Year's Day, Motionless In White) to be at the helm of this record after years of the band opting to self-produce the music. What was it like having Erik as a pseudo-fifth member of the band to help bring your vision and sonic offerings to life?
Kuznitz: We did the LA speed dating thing of [trying out producers], and though we liked all of the producers we worked with, when we got in the studio with Erik Ron, that was kind of the lightning in a bottle moment. On the first day of working with Erik, we wrote "Nightmare (The Devil)" from day one, from start to finish. Sitting down and working through songs with Erik was awesome, and he really helped keep things cohesive and on track. We can be very scatterbrained, but Erik helped us stick to the script and told us which direction to move in.
If there was a disagreement [amongst the band], Erik was always the deciding factor and would spread logic on the whole situation. Not only did he help with the songwriting and structures too, he also pushed the shit out of me when it came to doing vocals. This was the hardest I've ever been pushed before and the angriest I've ever been in the vocal booth. I was not a happy camper, but fast forward a couple months later, when it was all said and done, I can truly say he was so right about everything. [Laughs.]
You have always been open about the fact that Fame On Fire offers you the opportunity to channel a mix of personal emotions, ranging from anxiety, fear, and mental health struggles, into your music. What do you hope fans take away from the overall message?
Kuznitz: I want the fans to know that when making this record, or when I'm making any record for that matter, I go into a headspace where I live in this dark world for months. It's not a great place to be, but it's where I get my true inspiration and where my true thoughts come out. I'm not the best person to be around [when I'm there], but I need to do this to make my art and channel my emotions properly. I want my fans to know that if they are in those dark places as well, they are not alone. However, you look at us; many people go through the same things, and it's OK not to be OK.
For the people who don't necessarily feel those emotions and are just here to enjoy metal music, which is where I usually live when I'm not making an album, I just want those people to enjoy the music. I don't want to tell anybody how they should listen to it — If you want to listen to the album front-to-back, go right ahead, and If you want to listen to it only by your favorite single, go right ahead as well. Just enjoy it, give us a chance, and if you hate it, never listen to us again. [Laughs.]
"Nightmare (The Devil)," the album's lead single, is currently at #15 on active rock radio. Did you have a feeling that this song was going to take off the way it has? How does it feel to be nearly 11 years into your career and achieving more critical and commercial acclaim than ever, this deep into the journey?
Kuznitz: I am really happy that the journey has been as slow as it's been. If you're an overnight success, you will lose a lot of who you are and what you hold dear, so I'm happy with the pace we have been on. The melodies that Erik, Blake, and I created needed to be grabby and emotional and make me feel something. I was tired of writing sterile melodies that didn't make me feel anything, so the question was always about the next evolution of melodies.
Working with Erik in the studio, it wasn't just one person working on the melodies but a few people. Someone would start spitting something, and another person would jump off that idea, which is really how "Nightmare (The Devil)" was formed. It was beautiful and sad, yet also catchy, which is everything I could ask for in a melody. It feels great that the radio people are also enjoying it because radio is still very important for a career in the rock world. The fact that it's our highest charting song and our fans are streaming the shit out of it, it's everything we could ever ask for in a song, and it's not even our best one. [Laughs.]
I keep hearing the word "cohesive," and I think that really applies to the new music videos for this album rollout as well. It appears continuity was a huge focus in bringing the sonics of the music to life with a strong atmospheric aesthetic that really makes the overall project feel like a multisensory experience. What was the process like creating these videos and bringing that vision to life?
Kuznitz: We knew we needed to hire a creative director for this album to ensure everything was cohesive. We worked very closely with the creative director and wrote out an entire story, script, and sequence. We always wanted this mysterious, shadow-type figure [in the videos], so we created this black goo monster that we internally named "Goo Girl," who slowly evolves throughout the videos.
There's a reason why the "Spiral (Justice)" video came out before the "Nightmare" video. There's black rain falling from the sky, and then, in the following video, you see glimpses of the Goo Girl. In the video for "Suicide (The Lovers)," there is almost a love interest with the Goo Girl. When the final video comes out with the album, you will see everything the Goo Girl does to the max. If I had an infinite budget, I would make an entire movie sequence.
Upon completing the album, how has your relationship with Tarot cards changed?
Kuznitz: I don't do tarot card readings regularly, but the whole culture around it is super cool. I did a tarot reading once when we were making the album, and it didn't go great for me, but it did for everyone else. [Laughs.] However, when we were working on the album, I was reading and looking into it [extensively] every day, so I am sure people are going to ask me a lot of questions about Tarot on tour, and I'm happy to talk about it anytime.
Speaking of tours, you are hitting the road with Wage War this fall. What are you looking forward to the most about this upcoming run of shows and playing the new songs live?
Kuznitz: I can't wait! I'm so sick of playing our old music. I'm so excited to play these new songs on stage and welcome the new era. [Laughs.] We just played a county fair [recently] and had an hour-long set. I kept saying, "This is the last time you're ever going to hear this song because we're never going to play it again," and I fucking meant it. [Laughs.]
The Death Card is out September 6th, 2024 via. Hopeless Records
Watch the video for "Suicide (The Lovers)" Below
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