An Interview with The Fall & The Fear

A new single release from The Fall & The Fear brings out a '90s rock soundscape that blends what I consider a cleaner grunge approach, along with a hint of pop rock and a lot of character, because the track shines lyrically. It is something you can easily connect with and paints a picture perfectly right from the get-go. So, you hold on to this premise and character throughout the song.

"Better Me" is a track that feels nostalgic for me, not just because of how the song is tonally, but also lyrically.

The guitar tones are clean but have a little bit of edge to them as they are drenched in this chorus-like effect that gives them a swimming watery sound, and are double-tracked, so they feel thick and strummed a little heavy-handedly, so you get that edgy sort of grunge underbelly coming through.

Now, having said that, the guitars aren't heavily distorted or anything. They are actually clean, but they do have that edge still.

The lyrics are brilliant to me simply because they're so straightforward and there's an element of humor to it because of that.

This is a classic breakup song and one that hit me particularly well simply because the way the lyrics are structured showcases a lot of things that you would think about if you were going to write a song to the person that you were breaking up with.

Lines like "could make a pretty great tragic song, hope you get to hear it on the radio" are inner thoughts that anyone who's ever written a song about someone has thought at some point in time.

Although he does want to ruin that person's day, if it doesn't, so be it. I love this approach just because it's so straightforward, and again, articulating every inner thought that you could think of when it comes to writing a song directly to a person that you are breaking up with.

There is also this youthfulness to it lyrically that connects with the nostalgia of the track in a different way.

The song is someone standing up for themselves to a certain extent. Just cutting things off and saying, look, this is it, time to go, I'm focusing on me now.

So, as I said, we've all been there. A lot of us don't know how to articulate those kinds of thoughts or situations into words, let alone words of music, so when you hear a song like this, it connects in a magic way.

For me and a lot of people like me, this song might as well serve as part of the soundtrack to a chapter in our own lives.

What a beautiful thing, honestly.

The vocal performance is great because it's not super over the top but has catchy melodies and matches the energy of the music perfectly.

Again, you get this sort of early to mid-90s rock feel from this track, and it is someone emotionally driven, but again, has this humor to it that makes it all okay.

It's coming from someplace authentic but doesn't take itself too seriously.

It's not easy to walk that line and balance those things, and this track does it so well that it all made sense to me.

The song brings out elements of color, edginess, rock, emotion, humor, personality, and just a bluntness that I feel others should follow.

I think it's great to have metaphoric lyrics, but there's something about a track with lyrics this straightforward that just hits differently.

This was a killer single that showcased how this band is able to put together a track that is memorable and speaks volumes for a band's presence and being able to write lyrics with no boundaries whatsoever.

The attitude comes through musically just as much as it does vocally, and everything falls together like puzzle pieces.

This was an awesome single, and with its release, we wanted to have a sit-down with the band to find out where it actually came from and what might be coming next for them.

Here's what went down.

Buzz Slayers: Let's talk about the "Better Me"! This was such a great grunge undertone but also felt influenced by classic rock! Where did this track come from?

It came from a heartbreak during Covid and just messing around with some simple chords. I have terrible luck with women haha.

Buzz Slayers: I'm hearing a few different approaches on this song! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

We just tell people: if Oasis and The Smashing Pumpkins had a baby and Nirvana was the mistress/homewrecker, you would get The Fall & The Fear.  Our sound is a blend of 90s grunge/rock with Britpop undertones, but we're not trying to           copy anyone--it just happens. But we still get The Smashing Pumpkins comparison haha.

Buzz Slayers: Are you guys performing live right now? Any touring in support of this release?

Yes! We want to perform as much as we can and continue to grow our fanbase and reach new listeners. We have shows coming up on May 17th in Montclair, NJ for Porchfest, as well as The Delancey in NYC August 16th and more that we'll be posting on our socials. We do not have a tour set yet, but we look forward to the day where someone gives us the opportunity to tour.

Buzz Slayers: Did you guys record this in a home studio setup, or did you go to a big studio for this?

"Better Me" was recorded at Fox Studios in Rutherford, NJ where Type O Negative recorded some of their demos. As soon as you walk in there you see pictures of the band with the owners.

Buzz Slayers: Now that this is out, what's next for the band?

We want to keep going. We have the drive to play live and release more music in the upcoming months. We have filmed live sessions coming up in Philadelphia in May where we will begin to work on our next single "Type of Way."

Buzz Slayers: Are you planning any music videos in the near future?

We recently got in touch with a talented cinematographer whom we're looking forward to working with on a "Better Me" music video. Stay tuned!

Buzz Slayers: Who's in all your headphones right now?

Broncho, The Marias, The Cure.

Buzz Slayers: Was writing and recording this track a big undertaking? How long did it take to finish this?

The lyrics and guitar parts for "Better me" were completed fairly quickly during Covid before the band was fully formed. Now the recording process was a pain, especially because we recorded live and wanted to keep that sound without sounding too overproduced. We spent a few months going back to the studio tweaking certain parts. It took about 5 months to get the song ready for release, and while it was a frustrating process at times, it was a fun learning experience.

No more Garage Band for us haha!

Buzz Slayers: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

They can expect a song they can relate to if they're going through a break up or need a reminder that they can do better on their own. The whole song is about being stuck in a toxic relationship....I was with an ex for 10 years: Trust me, I know haha.

Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?

To whoever listens to us and wants us to succeed, we appreciate you. We're 3 dudes trying to share our music and make people's lives bearable, just like other bands did for us growing up or when we have a rough day at work, etc.

Music is life man....without it, most of us wouldn't be here...

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