Interview taken from Matt Black
GEORGE: Welcome to BeRock Radio guys, the most melodic place! I am George, please make yourself comfortable!
We’re glad to have you here. Toxic Federation are a band from Breaston influenced by music from the 70’s and up until now.
Jake Graham and JR Windsor started out with them before forming FAHRAN.
Tell us a few words on what inspired you regarding the band’s name.
MATT: The band name originates from a German verb “Fahren”, meaning “to go”.
We changed the spelling to make it more unique.
GEORGE: After a while Bass player Alex Stroud and Singer Nick Whitcroft having to step down from the band.
Later on, Josh Ballantyne (ex bass player for This Is Two) and Matt Black (ex singer for Serpentine) joined the band.
What are your thoughts on the current line up of FAHRAN.
MATT: We all feel that this is the strongest line-up we’ve ever had, there is more versatility
in our music and we’re reaching new heights with every song we write.
GEORGE: In 2014, with your current line up, you've released the excellent album " Chasing Hours".
Are you happy with the reviews and the reactions of the Rockers around the world?
MATT: We could not be happier. The reviews are wonderful, and we’re gaining new fans all the time online
and from each tour & festival appearance. Our current fans are very supportive of the new line-up and very
complimentary of our new product.
GEORGE: Will you tell us some information on the album? Was it hard composing the tracks?
How long did the recording sessions take?
MATT: We began writing for the new album almost immediately after releasing our debut in 2012.
We had so many ideas drafted for this album and it was really difficult to choose which songs would make
the final cut. We worked on the music together, many tracks sprouted from riff ideas by Jake or lyrics by Chris.
We all put our stamp on the ideas and we had lots of fun experimenting with the ideas and we spent a good
6-8 months perfecting the tracks in the studio.
GEORGE: You've released 2 brilliant youthful video clips from " CHASING HOURS ", the "Take This City Alive"
and "I Heard A Joke Once". Do you have any plans to release another video clip,
if so which song do you have in mind?
MATT: We are planning to release quite a few videos for this album, one more at least before this year is over.
We plan to tour excessively to promote this album for at least 2 or 3 years before we think about releasing anything
new. So expect many more videos.
As for which song next, you’ll have to wait and see!
GEORGE: What are the band's plans for the future?
Thinking of doing a tour?
MATT: We are just about to enjoy some short breaks and holidays to celebrate the album release then we get
straight back to work.. we have tours with EZ Livin, I AM I (featuring ZP Theart) from Dragonforce and we’re
appearing on the main stage at Hard Rock Hell AOR in March. We have lots more potential tours and festivals
in the pipeline so it’s purely a case of confirming these and then we can announce many more tour-dates over
the next 18 months.
GEORGE: How hard is it for an European band to make a tour through the United States?
And I'm not talking just about the great distance, but also the economic matter.
MATT: The distance alone for a new band in the UK makes things extremely difficult. But with the style of
music we play, it is certainly something we plan to do in future. Luckily, we are getting radio airplay in the
US & Canada at the moment and gradually building a following over there. So we’d like to hope at some
point in future the following is large enough to justify taking a full band, crew, merchandise & equipment
over there.
GEORGE: For the past 3-4 years, we’ve been seeing a bloom in Melodic Rock\Melodic Hard Rock.
Do you believe that rockers want more quality in the music and listen to more of this centre?
What is your opinion on this?
MATT: We’ve definitely seen more melodic rock music being produced since 2009 than we’ve seen in a long time.
With the popularity of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ coming back and many bands returning from retirement it
seems to have influenced many more musicians to play this genre. It means we are offered music from
experienced artists and also something fresh from new bands also. It can only be a healthy thing for the rock scene,
but also it does make it difficult for new bands like ourselves to get noticed.
GEORGE: The music industry in the recent years has changed. We see that a lot of people
prefer digital purchases, which is more convenient, faster and accessible.
What are your thoughts on the future of CDs?
MATT: Yes many people prefer to quickly buy a track, upload it to an i-Pod and conveniently carry thousands of
albums around in their pocket. But there are still many people who want to buy a physical CD as they want all the
inlay, booklet and it’s always nice to hold something in your hand when you’ve paid for it.
We’ve even had requests to release Chasing Hours on vinyl.
GEORGE: It’s not just the music industry that has changed over the years.
Nowdays, we see social media (facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, etc) become hugely widespread.
How much do these support a band and in what way?
MATT: Social Media is definitely a helpful tool. We find Facebook, Twitter & Instagram gains us just as many fans
online as we gain supporting a bigger band. It is certainly a good thing, and a great way to share your up to date news,
interact with fans, and also hear what they think about your shows or albums. We are happy to be part of it and enjoy
watching the numbers grow online.
GEORGE: Thank you for your time, I wish you all the best for the future!
The last words are yours for this interview.
Feel free to say whatever you want to all BeRock’s Radio minizine readers!
MATT: Thanks very much for having us!
Please check out www.fahran.com for our tour-dates (more to be announced soon) and also,
feel free to check in and say hello on facebook or twitter at “fahranmusic”.
We hope you enjoy the album and we’ll see you on the road!
