Written by David Tauscher
Recently, we had the opportunity to interview FAZE, a five-piece neo-funk fusion band from London. They have a new single titled “Carried Away” out now on all major streaming platforms!
How and when did you form the band?
Ryan: We formed the band in 2018. We all met up via a music networking app called Vampr. Yazmine reached out to me and the rest of the band and the rest is history!
How’d you wind up on neo-soul as a genre to play?
Indigo: FAZE actually started as a function band playing feel-good party/disco tracks from CHIC, Parliament, and Earth Wind and Fire (to name a few), so I think a lot of inspiration came from that. It wasn’t long before we started writing our own stuff.
Personally, I found neo-soul on the London jam scene and started getting into more ambiguous dark chord textures. We all have similar influences/beginnings in common so the neo-soul sound in our original music came naturally!
What was your inspiration for the single? “Someone get me a sandwich” is probably my favorite lyric!
Yazmine: At a glance, the track is about losing yourself on stage and quite literally getting "Carried Away." The stage high is a real thing and the adrenaline rush you get after coming off of stage...there’s nothing else like it!
The chorus is very much about that, but in the verses, we wanted to dive deeper into the aftermath of coming off stage, the less glamorous part. Reality is after the best gig of your life you’ll probably wake up on the couch, having lost your voice, maybe even with last night’s clothes still on.
The pre-chorus is all about the build-up and getting ready for the big event. I often find that I forget to eat when rushing around to get ready before a gig. which is weird for me as I’m usually a very hungry person, so "someone get me a sandwich" seemed appropriate. (laughs)
I really enjoy the promotional artwork on SoundCloud, who came up with that?
Yazmine: Thanks a lot! I came up with the sort of psychedelic cat concept because every time I think about the performance high I spoke about earlier, I think of a crazy cat on catnip.
I scribbled the idea on a piece of paper and sent a terrible grainy photo of it to my friend Dermot Fowler who absolutely worked his magic and brought the design to life! I might be able to find the first sketch somewhere if you’d like to see it for some comedic value.
It really does show how artists are also magicians, thank you Dermot for turning my scribble into an iconic, lunatic cat! If you need a band poster, merch designs or cover art Dermot might be able to help you out; check his Instagram @posters4bands for his awesome work!
You mentioned there’s a funny story tied to each of your songs, so what’s the funny story behind your debut single?
Yazmine: I wrote the track after coming back from one of our first gigs, which we played at The Rebel Inn in Streatham. We had a late night in the pub after supporting our friends in Alex and the Wonderland and ended up going on a bender after the gig. I woke up the next morning (or should I say afternoon) a complete mess and very hungry for a sandwich! (laughs)
Starting a band is difficult enough, but things are tough right now for the music industry due to COVID-19. What are some challenges you have faced as a new band coming up in this pandemic?
Timmy: Things like recording, rehearsing, and making content definitely takes more thought than usual. There’s been a lot of postponed sessions and canceled gigs.
Finding a suitable time for everyone to meet up is tricky because we’re all hustling at our day jobs as well. You’re right, it is very tough for the music industry right now.
Listeners can show their support for live music venues and artists by buying gig tickets, merch, tracks on iTunes, and sharing new posts and news on social media. Fan support is what’s keeping most venues and artists/bands going right now and we so appreciate all the love!
What would you say are your future goals for the band in this mid-pandemic world? Any thoughts about doing some sort of virtual show?
Jonny: Yes, Instagram shows are dope! Right now we’re focusing more on our band narrative, who we are, documenting our process, and taking our listeners on a journey.
We want listeners to know who we are as a band and as people, by keeping it real and interacting a lot via social media. Of course, we’re continuing on with recording new music and planning releases, some covers are in the mix too. We want to highlight the people that inspire us and honor all the amazing bands that came before us, keeping soul, disco, and funk music alive!
What are your plans going into 2021? Any idea hen can we expect to hear more material?
Yazmine: We are just getting started! We're currently recording on our next two singles; our next track is called "MALIBU" and will be about going on vacation, since everyone’s holidays are canceled and their swim trunks probably don’t fit anymore...got to fake it until you make it, right?
We're aiming for the debut EP to come out in early spring with some fun music videos in the works too. Thank you very much for having us, it’s so fun when people ask us about our lyrics and stories!
Everyone check out Legends of Tomorrow for the latest up and coming artist news! Stay safe out there kids. Peace!
Huge thanks to FAZE for taking the time to answer these questions; you can support them by streaming their debut single "Carried Away" and following them on Instagram @FAZEBandOfficial. If you enjoyed this interview and want to see us talk to one of your favorite bands in the future, let us know by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
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