Music Q&A with Skippy of Fire by Night
Photo courtesy of Fire By Night
Phoenix-based hard rock band, Fire By Night, recently released a new song titled “Obsessions” and in 2022, the band will be releasing more music! In this Q&A, Fire By Night co-vocalist and guitarist, Skippy, talks about the new song, mental health, AC/DC and more! “Obsessions” is out NOW!
Congratulations on the release of the band’s latest single, “Obsessions”! It’s a song that I feel will grab people’s attention that live on different parts of the musical spectrum. What does the song mean to you?
Thank you! “Obsessions” was written by our former keyboardist, Jasmine, and is about her struggle with anxiety and depression, and how her friends and family would either dismiss it or say things like ”it’ll get better” and “just try to think positively.” I have fought with those same feelings and know it can be very hurtful and seem dismissive because if we could just think positively, we would. Anxiety and depression usually make life seem hopeless and can’t just be turned off. The point of this song is to let people know they’re not alone in those feelings, at the very least. Even if the song won’t “make things better,” it’s meant to be a safe place where they can feel those things and know that they can process their emotions in their own time and way.
The past 18/19 months have been hard for people in different ways due to COVID. How do you feel that time period affected the band’s creative process?
We went through A LOT of change during this time. We have changed names as a band, lost a few members, gained a few members, and redirected our aesthetic and sound to be more fitting and true to who we are now. The thing that has taken the greatest toll is not being able to play gigs for over a year because that’s our favorite part about music. That has made it feel a bit less “real” because we based a lot of our other activity as a band around when our shows were. I’d say we’ve also probably written fewer songs, but I think the songs we have written have been more powerful and meant more to us because we had a lot of very real things to write about. Each of us have also gotten home recording setups so we can write and demo music more easily without having to be in the same place. We’re still figuring out how to adapt to each of us living in different states and during such an ever-changing era.
When was the first time you fell in love with music?
Gosh… I mean my first favorite bands were Backstreet Boys and Baha Men, but the first time I actually fell in love with music was during long roadtrips with my family when we went camping. We would listen to a lot of classic rock style music, from The Wings Greatest Hits to Pink Floyd’s The Wall to The Best of the Guess Who. The Guess Who became my first favorite rock band, especially their song “No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature”. I just thought it was really cool that they could basically write two songs in one. What really caught my attention about those classic rock bands was how they all had awesome guitar solos, and how the solos were so powerful and emotional without any lyrics.
What was the first song you ever covered?
It’s hard to say because the first time we decided to play covers, we learned 16 of them for a friend’s birthday party, but the one we started with during our first iteration of the band has stuck with us up to now - “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy".
Who has been your favorite band to see live?
It’s hard to beat my first show, which was AC/DC at US Airways Center (now called Footprint Center) in Phoenix because of all the theatrics and the fact that these old dudes still put on a kickass show, but more recently, I loved seeing All Time Low. I’ve seen them several times and they always have consistently amazing energy.
If you had a chance to interview any of your musical heroes, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I would love to interview Jack White! He’s got such an interesting mind, and he and I come from the same hometown of Detroit. I love his philosophies on life and music, and how he tends toward analog recording. He just seems so down-to-earth and has always stayed true to himself throughout his entire music career.
What is your favorite thing about making music?
Music is a universal language. The same song can mean completely different things to different people, and they can listen to it together, feeling their own ways at the same time. A room full of people with entirely different upbringings, ideals, values, political views, religious beliefs, etc. can be completely at peace with one another for several hours as they watch a band perform, with no commonality other than their enjoyment of the music. And as someone who makes music, I can invite others into my life and my mind and express something in my own way, and they will interpret it however they will, but we can both share a moment of personal healing. I love that music has the power to provide those kinds of unifying experiences, and I feel honored that I get to be someone who creates in that medium.
How do you stay positive?
Hah! It’s not always easy… Lately, I’ve been trying to practice a lot of balance and self-care. I usually work myself to burnout because I feel like my self-worth is in my accomplishments, but in the last few months, I have learned to remind myself that baby steps are still progress, and that it’s okay to take a day off or be intentionally unproductive. This not only keeps me from hitting burnout, it’s also teaching me self-forgiveness and grace, and keeps me from putting my worth in what I do and instead in who I am. It’s easier to stay positive when I acknowledge I am enough as I am.
Any last words or final message for the readers?
We really appreciate the opportunity to spread the word about who we are and what we stand for, and truly hope that you get something from listening to our music. Please seek professional help if you struggle with anxiety, depression, or any other emotional/mental unless, because you are worth taking time to take care of yourself. Don’t be afraid to hit us up if you enjoy listening to our music, we’re always looking to make new friends.