Prizefighter just released a new single that comes through with an anthemic rock force to be reckoned with.
"An Afterthought" has a breathing and building quality to it that separates it from the rest.
THe track boasts a colorful and energetic fists in the air alterntaive style with just the right amount of edginess.
This is a single that you can stand up and sing along with as its built from emotion and has quite an electrifying drive to it to go along with some really creative but perfected guitar work.
You can hear that pop-punk undertone and influence just beneath the surface and it surely has affect on that main chorus that really sinks its teeth in deep after even the first one.
This single has guts and a certain passion behind it that helps it really shine.
This is part of why its so good. It's clearly coming from someplace real and thats infectious. People can hear and feel that.
It makes you want more. Which is good since Prozefighter is planning on giving us more.
With the release of "An Afterthought" we wanted to have a chat to find out where it came from and what actually might be on the horizon.
Here's what happened.
Buzz Slayers: Okay so let's start with "An Afterthought". This track has a killer alternative edge to it. Where did this song come from?
One sleepless night at about 4 am, insomnia drove me to try and lull myself by playing guitar. I snuck out of bed and into my home studio and the main riff just came to me. I ended up firing up my recording gear, setting a metronome and tracking a majority of the rhythm, bass and lead guitar parts. Before my fiance left for work early in the morning, I was setting up drums, amped my guitar parts and finished the instrumental by sunrise. I passed out and didn't even listen to it for a few weeks, so the whole production really was an afterthought. When I did finally come back to listen I immediately had the chorus melody in my head and started writing lyrics.
Buzz Slayers: I'm hearing a number of different styles on this single. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
I always joke that I'm probably Spotify's worst account to have to make music recommendations for just because of how vast my taste can be. My day-to-day playlists range from Say Anything, Pixies, The Doors, Deftones, David Bowie, Wu-tang Clan, Minus the Bear, Balance & Composure, Logic, Nirvana, Violent Soho and many, many more. But I'm also highly influenced and inspired by the artists in my local scene and especially artists I work with as their producer / engineer.
Buzz Slayers: So, when did this all start for you? I've always had a love for music, I remember collecting CD's and cassettes like a hoarder in my youth. But it wasn't until 4th grade where I learned cello that I really fell in love with making music. Flash forward a few years in my first real band, I was just a baby on the bass playing with 18-19 year olds. From there on I never stopped writing music and bounced between a handful of bands ranging many genres. Somehow I always ended up in the "producer role" for each project, and eventually focused more on writing with/for others and producing records. PRIZEFIGHTER is my rebirth and debut as a solo musician.
Buzz Slayers: What's next for you as an artist? Anything in the works even now?
I'm very proud to announce that An Afterthought is only the first single with another to follow soon titled 'Empty Eyes'. I will be teasing that and the upcoming album in the wake of both releases.
Buzz Slayers: Do you produce your own stuff?
I did! I'm very proud of that. These were originally just going to be bedroom demos in a form of private self-expression, until a friend heard some of them and urged me to share my songwriting and encouraged my singing voice. I had always dismissed myself as a background singer at best, and more of a poet than a vocalist. But with that push I spent most of late 2020 and early 2021 writing them out, finding my voice, and tracking everything as both engineer and the musician to create a handful of songs I'm actually really proud to share!
Buzz Slayers: What are you actually performing on the single? I wore every hat on this and the upcoming songs. So every keystroke, drum hit, string struck, and vocal melody sung is solely me. With encouragement from some friends and my love for writing lyrics/poetry I just really wanted to go for it.
vWhat are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I'm a lucky man with a supportive, loving fiance, three great dogs and two cute cats, so we're very animal oriented. I'm also really into urban exploration and photohraphy - which if you are unfamiliar - is exploring and shooting derelict and abandoned buildings. Been all over New England and some exploring hospitals, asylums, mansions, and more. I photograph my journeys on instagram.
Buzz Slayers: Can we expect any music videos coming from you this year? Yes! My next single, 'Empty Eyes', has a music video that will support its release in the New Year. The video was made with the help of my fiance's incredible oddity shop, The Coven's Craft. Using some of their larger skull pieces and dead roses as well as my own studio as a backdrop with a lot of cool light tricks. I won't say much more just yet, but just know I am so excited to share it.
vDo you do any live performances?
I honestly haven't been on stage outside of behind a soundboard or a stagehand in almost 10 years. I'm hoping to inspire and teach some select musicians and maybe form a band. Either way, I'm happy writing and releasing music from the comfort of my studio. I would like to make this a regular part of my worklife and continue to release music as PRIZEFIGHTER - band members or not.
Buzz Slayers: What really inspires you to write?
Understanding and releasing. I think most artists write music as an expression of an emotion, and in turn that helps them phrase and understand that emotion. Be it pain, happiness or anything in between. It's like putting a face to a name but instead by putting a sound/lyric to an emotion/situation. Personally, I like to be loose with my perspective when fleshing out the narrative and rhyme schemes. Sometimes I'm telling my story, sometimes someone else's. Sometimes even writing contradicting perspectives in a head vs. heart kind of manner. I try to understand the feeling, be it mine, or placing myself in another's experience. It's really therapeutic and helps me understand myself more and be much more empathetic.
Buzz Slayers: Who are you listening to right now?
I'm really into a few albums this year, in no particular order here's my top 5 of 2021. PÆRISH's Fixed It All, Free Throw's Piecing It Together, Spirtibox's Eternal Blue, Thrice's Horizons / East and Mick Jenkins' Elephant in the Room. I've been listening to those a ton lately.
Buzz Slayers: You wake up in the middle of the night starving. What's your go-to midnight snack? (a question of character here) I am a sucker for a good bowl of cereal. Honey bunches of oats are my go to.
Buzz Slayers: This single feels like a big undertaking. Is there any advice you have for other up and coming artists out there?
It is a BIG undertaking, and I wouldn't suggest trying to wear all the hats but instead find the right people to build a team with to help you make your visions a reality. A good team is talented musicians, a smart engineer/producer, a photographer/videographer with a vision, a creative graphic designer and a content creator with knowledge of marketing and running ads. I was the sole force and wore all of these hats, but luckily I have had experience doing each before and really just wanted to put my knowledge fully to the test and not just in my coaching with artists. Once the dust settles on my upcoming album and I'm finished with all of my marketing campaign later in 2022 I plan to release a small book detailing all of my efforts. Going heavily into the backend of marketing, content creation and running ads, but also speaking into my DIY approach and how I accomplished it all. I have a small beta version available on my website for free, but want to go really in depth to help artists see what did and didn't work for me as a way to push the artist I work with. If I could do it by myself, you guys can do it too!
Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
I wanted to make something that people can find themselves in and relate to. An Afterthought was a cathartic release to write, so I hope that it can be just as cathartic for anyone listening. If you liked An Afterthought, I have much more in store and will be revealing all of it very soon in the new year.