Farrah Fire
With her original new single ‘Potion Master’ rapidly climbing the charts, Farrah Fire and her unique brand of well-honed alternative rock is rapidly becoming a musical success story thanks in large part to her impeccable melodic instincts.
LAUREN: Let's just get this out in the open- What is the craziest thing that has happened to you in your music career?
FARRAH FIRE: Returning to my unfinished Rock and Roll business now is the craziest thing. I put down my music career ambitions in 2002 but Rock and Roll found me again in 2009 but not till 2013 when my latest dancer job name 'Farrah Fire' became my Rock band name also did I commit to do a band again. No more duel realities for family and public I finally just accepted my life's truth for what it was and still is. I put out the song 'Darkness City' in 2016 and now the song 'Potion Master' this August 2017. Both songs are from a record I pulled promotion from in 1993 choosing to be unseen and unheard on any major scale due to many issues. But lucky time is not a linear thing so when I felt it, that flame of inspiration again...I remembered those songs and that there was something special to them... so 'then' became crazy unpredictable now.
LAUREN: Your song ’Potion Master’ is receiving a positive listener response on radio. What was your initial reaction when you first heard your song playing on radio?
FARRAH FIRE: I was real glad I wrote the song about those times and knew that others going thru the same stuff now maybe listening and relating to it too.
LAUREN: What was the inspiration behind your radio single?
FARRAH FIRE: When I wrote the song 'Potion Master' I was facing a peak in my past drug addiction problems. We had no electricity, sold our TVs and any electronical stuff we had, my engagement ring and all other jewelry I had, his motorcycle, and all our savings. We had no phone and were living by candlelight. Every dollar I made went to drugs and I almost died several times but miraculously did not. I wrote the song 'Potion Master' about my relationship problems with my fiancé of two years a front lines Marine war veteran who fought in Desert Storm and our mutual drug addictions. Although we succeeded in getting off drugs together he then went back deep into the drug life and I made a choice to go on alone without drugs.
LAUREN: It is often said that great art arises from difficult experience. Is there something in your life experience thus far that you would describe as the ‘catalyst’ or ‘fuel’ for your desire to create music?
FARRAH FIRE: The world is a beautiful and natural place that has nourishment and a cure for all but the systems of power upon this planet pit good people against each calling it survival. Control systems and greed exploit every human's life from the day they are born forcing humane people into difficult choices. Music and being an artist gives me relief from that bull that life at one point or another can force us all to participate in. I arranged my life and made the sacrifices needed to have time to create music and art because it feeds my soul and without that I would be a miserable over thinking mess.
LAUREN: How would you characterize yourself as an artist/musician?
FARRAH FIRE: When I started out I was doing straight out blues progression Rock and Roll but it was getting interpreted as an alternative psychedelic sound with Metal, Punk and new wave influence. At this point the two singles I have released are getting played in the Rock and Roll or Pop Rock category on internet radio consistently. I would categorize myself more in the Hard Rock or Metal category but that's because I know my total body of work that I am sitting on. Also, I look at Heavy Metal in more an old school way not the way people categorize it now in today's music world where it is more like Thrash, Hardcore and even Emo and less like Stoner or Blues based Metal.
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LAUREN: What has your experience been like working with the other people on your team?
FARRAH FIRE: My band line up is Kid Lynch a deeply primal drummer who beats his rage out therapeutically thru the drums from my 1st neighborhood in Brooklyn. John (Kid Lynch) is the first hard rock drummer who I worked with consistently who had a full drum kit, we did several recordings and a lot of gigs going back to my 1st official band. The guitarist in Farrah Fire is Chris Savo a multi-talented native New Yorker who has a long history in the Rock and Roll music scene. I am happy to collaborate with these players who are real people from a similar page of the New York City Rock and Roll experience and are some of the sincerest players I know on this Rock and Roll trip. These and are my core people I trust to take this band to completion.
LAUREN: Did you come from a musical background? Are there other musicians in your family?
FARRAH FIRE: Growing up my Dad was quite social and bringing home various rock recordings he got at the Marine core house and as a hobby he was playing a bit on drums. My mother is very skilled at drawing and when I showed drawing talent as a child I was encouraged. I got involved in singing with bands as an extension of my Artistic expression.
LAUREN: What do you find most rewarding about being an artist? What do you find most challenging?
FARRAH FIRE: What I find most rewarding as an Artist is creating a clear view from my mind's eye and heart and turning it into a little mini story. Aligning lyrics and musical action with musicians who compliment my style and are sincere people. I love to churn that Rock and Roll stuff out hitting that zone of perfect unison, it's like time stands still for a second when it really clicks. I never forget those moments. What I find most challenging as an Artist is going public, I am breaking boundaries every day. I am not a kid and don't have time or money to throw away. Each band member needs to balance life and music ambitions to be able to give and create a show that will take us into the zone and make it all worth it for us and the audience. There is no time left to hurt our lives any further and add to the past damage of the Rock and Roll lifestyle we reaped upon ourselves.
LAUREN: Who are your role models in music?
FARRAH FIRE: My Role models today are Rob Halford from Judas Priest the guy is a true talent and will Rock your fuken' balls off absolutely unstoppable, Janis Joplin her intense passionate shriek singing and Wendy O'Williams her total Rock Goddess showmanship. They influence me as an Artist and their personal stories influenced my life as a human, the tragic suicide of Wendy O' and the drug overdose of Janis Joplin opened my mind to pitfalls to avoid at all cost. In The last interview, I did like this my role models were Grace Slick, Patty Smith and Marianne Faithfull.
LAUREN: Describe your best or most memorable performance.
FARRAH FIRE: My audition at CBGBs in the 80s a tragic set up, we were 2 guitars & a bongo player. I brought a 5 by 5-ft creepy painting on canvas I made with 3-dimensional witch heads sticking out w a trey under one of the heads w a candle on it. Everybody was screaming fire hazard but then they said ok. We had to play after this slick pro. band & we knew we were gonna be disturbing, still we got up there & went crazy. When I came for the review a smart alec kid said, 'your review is you sucked shit 'cept the guitar player was ok.' Then Hilly Kristal the famous owner of CBGBs said, 'What are you trying to do?' I said, 'I am creating a kind of atmosphere', then he said 'CBGBs books two kinds of bands, bands that are great & bands that suck shit' & he turned to the smart alec & said in a booming voice 'Book her again', that was the first of many many shows I played at CBGBs.
LAUREN: What advice would you give to young, aspiring artists out there who are unsure and need guidance?
FARRAH FIRE: Don't trash yourself, you need to think about the long game. Artists dying young and killing themselves happens way too often you need to set your life up so you can make good relationship choices. Do your Art out of a healthy human vessel eating right and exercising this will make you more productive and have more stamina, stage shows can be very strenuous.
LAUREN: What's next for you as an artist? Is there an album in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it?
FARRAH FIRE: Next in the works is finishing off the video for my last single 'Darkness City' and starting on a video for this single 'Potion Master' which I am quite excited about. Currently I am writing some new songs and look forward to collaborating with my players I have no deadline or specific plan about the future at this moment and am open to what life presents.
LAUREN: That sounds great! Thank you for giving us a peek into your life as an artist. I wish you continued success in your career.
http://www.theakademia.com/artistkit/FarrahFire-PotionMaster.html
https://www.facebook.com/farrahfire