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Los Angeles-based indie quintet Fire In The Hamptons recently released their Chosen Ones EP, which showcases the band’s distinct combination of dance-centric 80’s beats, gritty synthesizers and intricate vocal melodies. GroundSounds recently caught up with the band to discuss their formation, EP, and more. Check out the interview below, along with their lyric video for “Chosen Ones.” Also, if you’re in LA – go check them out on Saturday night at The Viper Room!
How did you guys meet and form the band?
FITH was forged from the heat of seven volcanos, the intense inferno created a sonic boom that echoed throughout the heavens and woke a leviathan from the bowels of the Lexo Universe… Or maybe it was that after I recorded the first record I really wanted to play the songs live, so I asked some talented friends of mine to play, and they said yes. One of those.
I try hard not to ask this question whenever possible, but in cases like yours where your name is so unique, I’m compelled to ask…where did the name Fire In The Hamptons come from?
Our drummer Aaron was living in a cabin somewhere in the Sierra Nevada mountains. I was going through a tough time in life, and wanted to get away from the city and jam on some tunes which were the beginning stages of what would be FITH. We were tossing around names, I kept yelling “we’re the woods” before every song. He jokingly said “why don’t you call it something stupid like the Hamptons.” It stuck in my head and I started loving it. I love the cleanliness of the name “Hamptons,” I love even more picturing it on fire.
Tell us about your new EP Chosen Ones. How long did it take for these songs to come together?
I wrote the songs “chosen ones,” “home,” and “feelin” about two years before we recorded the EP. I produced them in my studio and they sounded good but not great. I needed them to be huge. Over the years I’ve reluctantly acquired the technical skills of engineering, but I don’t always love my results. I wanted another ear and brain to expand on what was there. It’s expensive to record music on a “professional” level, so we did a KICKSTARTER campaign, and raised $15k to pay for the process. Over all, it took close to three years to get the finished product.
What was it like working with Carlos De La Garza? What was the main thing he brought to the recording & production process?
Carlos has a real dope studio in Eagle Rock. He’s got some vintage synths and lots of toys. I could tell you what he didn’t bring to the process, but that would be an entirely different interview.
The song “Chosen Ones” is a powerful, instantly addicting track. What inspired the song?
The inspiration comes from a vision of the next generation of youth, kids that I hope will take over the world with their fearless excitement to create and innovate. The chosen ones will use their powers to shift the mind set of this world, and undue the relentless damage that we’ve caused to ourselves, and most importantly the carnage our neoliberal capitalistic machine has inflicted upon our Mother Earth.
What is your favorite song to play live?
Hard to say, it changes with every show. There’s moments in chosen ones that are challenging to sing and when it clicks, it feels real nice. We have a new song, unreleased called “Electricty” that we all have a good time playing. The crowd loves it when we get lost in a song.
Your music has already been placed in various TV shows & commercials. What has been your favorite placement so far? What would happen if they wanted to use your music for a show or product you hate? Do you get any say in that?
We have full control over where our music is placed. Logitech used our song “Kisses Are Candy” for one of their commercials, I liked the way that turned out. We had a song placed in one of the last episodes of “Gossip Girl” which was known for its tasty soundtracks, that was cool. Blake Lively is a babe.
When you need a break, where do you like to go around LA?
When we need a break we leave LA. Big Sur is one of our favorite battery charging locations. When we’re in town we like to frequent the Cha Cha Lounge for a pint. I love the arts district downtown. We run around Griffith Park a lot to get our sweat on. There’s a hidden forrest within the park that was created in the 60’s. It’s basically used as a film set. no one really knows about it, which is rad. It overlooks both sides of the city, from the valley to the ocean. Above the smog and the traffic, you can get a breath of slightly fresher air and soak in a vista. Lovely spot to spark an L.
What’s on tap for you in 2015?
Touring, worldwide exposure, stuff like that. We’re looking forward to taking the FITH ship out on a cruise. Adventure is key. We want to come to your town and party.
Fire In The Hamptons – “Chosen Ones”
