Hailing from Albany, New York, Firestarter is a band to keep an eye out for. As they finish their national tour with Capstan that saw them play 16 different states, we were lucky enough to see them right before they headed out at NHBooking Fest '16 in Derry, New Hampshire. To say we were immediately impressed would be an understatement. The raw power and energy Firestarter brings is impressive. Combine that with amazing musicianship, clean beats and catchy hooks, and you have the potential for something special.
We had the chance to talk with vocalist and guitarist Matt LaPerche about the band, tour, their Warped Tour experience and much more.
Crowdsurf Central: How did the band form?
Matt: The band formed in 2012 after I moved up to the Albany, NY area after parting ways with my previous band. I began to write the songs from our first EP and shortly after found the principle founding members of the band including Matt Bliss, our drummer. We recorded New Beginnings in January of 2013 and haven't looked back since!
Who are some of your musical influences?
We all grew up in the heart of the mid-2000's post-hardcore, screamo, pop-punk bloom and we feel that's heavily reflected in our music. Some of those bands include Bayside, Silverstein, Saosin, Senses Fail, Armor For Sleep, Underoath, and the list could go on.
What is your writing process like?
Normally when it comes to writing, one of the four of us will bring a riff or even a bare bones song and we will start jamming it and build off of it. Once we have the instrumentals at a good point, I start writing vocal melodies and lyrics over it.
What was it like working with Jay Maas while recording 'A Life Inconsistent?'
Working with Jay was an absolute pleasure and such a great experience! Recording with him definitely helped us reach a new place with our writing process and overall sound as a band.
Tell me about your upcoming tour with Capstan.
We are hitting the road for a month across the country which started August 6th in Albany, NY and ends for us September 5th in Buffalo, NY! The tour has been an absolute blast and we couldn't ask for a better bunch of guys to be out with.
What are you looking forward to most?
Capstan just released a fantastic new EP called Cultural Divide and we really look forward to seeing it played live every night!
Is there a specific show/date you're most excited for?
Being back in California is definitely towards the top of the list. We always love going out there and haven't in a year so it was way overdue!
How do you survive tour?/What's in your tour survival kit?
Surviving on tour honestly isn't as hard it seems. Yeah showering can be sparse, but I always make sure to take care of myself as best I can, take a vitamin everyday, eat as healthy as I can (not really), and drink lots and lots of coffee. Coffee is king on the road.
How do you like working with Darth Fader Records?
Working with Craig over at Darth Fader has been great over the last few years! He helped us make having physical copies of our music as well as helped spread the word about the band
What was it like playing Warped Tour?
This was our second time playing Warped as a band, but this time was on main stage and that was absolutely insane to us. Such a great experience, we hope to do it again next year!
What's next for Firestarter?
As I mentioned before, we are currently out on the road with Capstan and once we get home for that, we hit the studio to record our first full length record! Keep an eye out for new music from us soon.
You can check out Firestarter's bandcamp page here.