Kamtin Mohager
04/23/04, 11:35 AM
Stars Hide Fire are a band that just emerged out of nowhere. With no warning, everyone heard the band and instantly fell in love. As they have perfected the emo influenced punk sound, I knew I had confidence in once saying, "The bands bright sound is exactly what the scene needs, and it won't be a surprise to see these guys overpassing bands like Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and The Early November." As I had the chance to speak with Alex Rivera, we discussed the future of the band, Good Charlotte, and exactly how they ended up getting on MTV.
www.starshidefire.com (http://www.starshidefire.com)
*Kamtin - Hello, hello! Can you can let us who you are and what you do in Stars Hide Fire?
Alex - Hey, this is Alex and I sing.
*Kamtin - What's the history of the band? Can you give us a brief background on how the band started and where you guys are today?
Alex - Adam (guitarist) and I had decided to leave the band we were in and start something with a more serious direction. Danny (guitarist) had moved back to DC from Florida and had been playing in a couple of hardcore bands in the area, but nothing had materialized from that. We asked Danny to come in and play drums so that we could start writing new songs. It became clear that Danny was a great song writer and more suited on guitar. Both Danny and I knew Brodie (bass) from the DC scene and had played with him a few times for other projects. We asked Brodie to be in the band, but he was playing in Breaking Pangaea at the time, so we decided to practice with him when he was in town until we found someone else. We had tried out a million drummers and weren’t finding the right mix, so I asked Chris (drummer) if he would be willing to record our demo with us (basically just a studio thing). Chris was playing in a band called Rain Delay Theatre at the time. To our surprise the demo turned a bunch of heads, so we started playing shows here and there whenever Brodie and Chris were available. That summer Taking Back Sunday split up. Fred Mascherino left Breaking Pangaea to play guitar for TBS and Will Noon left BP to play drums in Straylight Run leaving Brodie free to play with us full time. Chris’ band also broke up and Stars Hide Fire became complete, we headed into the studio to record a new demo, which became The Shortcut To Loss.
*Kamtin - When can we see the full length record come out? The EP has become a favorite for many (including myself), and I know we're all waiting for the LP to arrive.
Alex - The EP has been a good introduction of the band. We had only intended for those songs to be demos. So for it to have gotten us to where we’re at is a big surprise. When we recorded the EP we were all coming out of other projects so we hadn’t really defined a sound yet. The past six months have been a huge growing experience for us. Right now we are really gelling musically. We have sat down and written what hopefully will be about half the record. The new stuff is a little more mature and definitely a better representation of us as musicians and more importantly as a band. Our plan right now is to go into the studio towards the end of the summer and cut the record and hopefully have it released sometime in early fall.
*Kamtin - How did Stars Hide Fire and I-Surrender Records get together? Were there any other labels that were interested in the band? If so, who were they and why did you end up choosing I-Surrender?
Alex - For those that don’t know I-Surrender is owned by Rob Hitt (drummer) from Midtown. We had been sending Rob demos of our songs since we first started recording together. Rob had started I-Surrender somewhere along the same time that we finished demoing the first 4 songs on the EP. He approached us and asked to release the songs, all in the same time talking to other labels about our band. Although we did get some interest from some labels, we decided that I-Surrender was the place for us, based in large part on Rob being so absolutely genuine and sincere with us. It really wasn’t a difficult choice for us to make.
*Kamtin - You guys were recently featured on MTV's "Advanced Warning." How did all of that happen and how did that make you guys feel?
Alex - We submitted our song “Fold” to MTV. MTV started playing it as background music on Total Request Live. Through that a few people on MTV started to get stoked on the EP (which was still unreleased at that time). Rob went in to MTV to have a meeting on Indie Labels and when he walked in we were playing on the Intercom. He met with MTV and they offered us a chance to appear on the Advance Warning show. So basically in two weeks we went from practicing at Adam’s house to a weekend up in NYC recording a video. It was all a little surreal and we most definitely felt out of place. But Christian Winters and all the guys at HiLo Films really made us feel at home and made the whole experience enjoyable and smooth. I’m not going to lie it was weird to see ourselves on TV. But it was a good feeling of accomplishment.
*Kamtin - You guys are still a growing band, but if you became over-night super stars (getting as big as Blink-182), who would you guys want to take out on tour to help out? Midtown seem to be helping Stars Hide Fire a lot by playing shows with you guys, and taking you guys out for some dates on their upcoming tour. If you guys were in that position, who would you like to help out?
Alex - Haha, if we were to ever get that big (laughs), I’d want to help out our friends Over It, Lux Courageous, Army Of Me, Descendre, Time and Distance, Washington Social Club, People Chasing People and Underscore.
*Kamtin - We know that Good Charlotte have taken an interest in you guys and have become fans of the band. Any chance of seeing Stars Hide Fire hit the road with GC in the near future?
Alex - That would be a great tour for us to be on. Right now we’re just seeing what comes our way. The guys from GC are good people and friends and have a lot of stuff going on right now. We’re happy to be from the same scene (Washington DC represent) and would be honored to go out on the road with them, but no plans for the near future.
*Kamtin - 2004 looks like a very promising year for the band. What are the main goals you guys want to accomplish this year?
Alex - Our main goals this year are to tour as much as possible, write an album that we’re proud of and the really reflects who we are, and to make sure that the full length drops before the end of the year.
*Kamtin - What does the tour schedule look like for you guys after the Midtown tour?
Alex - After Midtown, it looks as if we’re going out West for a couple of weeks, then dropping down to the South and Midwest, and then heading back to DC. We are going to try and be on the road straight until our Warped Tour dates in August. Then it looks like a week or two in Canada.
*Kamtin - Thank you so much! Any final words for the fans?
Alex - Come see us when we hit the road. We really make it a point to meet every single person that likes the band, and we’re always down to talk and get to know you. Our fans are our friends, if it wasn’t for them we’d be playing to a wall in someone’s house. We thank you and we love you!
Huge thank you's go out to Alex Rivera of Stars Hide Fire, and Rob and Alex at I-Surrender Records.
www.starshidefire.com (http://www.starshidefire.com)
*Kamtin - Hello, hello! Can you can let us who you are and what you do in Stars Hide Fire?
Alex - Hey, this is Alex and I sing.
*Kamtin - What's the history of the band? Can you give us a brief background on how the band started and where you guys are today?
Alex - Adam (guitarist) and I had decided to leave the band we were in and start something with a more serious direction. Danny (guitarist) had moved back to DC from Florida and had been playing in a couple of hardcore bands in the area, but nothing had materialized from that. We asked Danny to come in and play drums so that we could start writing new songs. It became clear that Danny was a great song writer and more suited on guitar. Both Danny and I knew Brodie (bass) from the DC scene and had played with him a few times for other projects. We asked Brodie to be in the band, but he was playing in Breaking Pangaea at the time, so we decided to practice with him when he was in town until we found someone else. We had tried out a million drummers and weren’t finding the right mix, so I asked Chris (drummer) if he would be willing to record our demo with us (basically just a studio thing). Chris was playing in a band called Rain Delay Theatre at the time. To our surprise the demo turned a bunch of heads, so we started playing shows here and there whenever Brodie and Chris were available. That summer Taking Back Sunday split up. Fred Mascherino left Breaking Pangaea to play guitar for TBS and Will Noon left BP to play drums in Straylight Run leaving Brodie free to play with us full time. Chris’ band also broke up and Stars Hide Fire became complete, we headed into the studio to record a new demo, which became The Shortcut To Loss.
*Kamtin - When can we see the full length record come out? The EP has become a favorite for many (including myself), and I know we're all waiting for the LP to arrive.
Alex - The EP has been a good introduction of the band. We had only intended for those songs to be demos. So for it to have gotten us to where we’re at is a big surprise. When we recorded the EP we were all coming out of other projects so we hadn’t really defined a sound yet. The past six months have been a huge growing experience for us. Right now we are really gelling musically. We have sat down and written what hopefully will be about half the record. The new stuff is a little more mature and definitely a better representation of us as musicians and more importantly as a band. Our plan right now is to go into the studio towards the end of the summer and cut the record and hopefully have it released sometime in early fall.
*Kamtin - How did Stars Hide Fire and I-Surrender Records get together? Were there any other labels that were interested in the band? If so, who were they and why did you end up choosing I-Surrender?
Alex - For those that don’t know I-Surrender is owned by Rob Hitt (drummer) from Midtown. We had been sending Rob demos of our songs since we first started recording together. Rob had started I-Surrender somewhere along the same time that we finished demoing the first 4 songs on the EP. He approached us and asked to release the songs, all in the same time talking to other labels about our band. Although we did get some interest from some labels, we decided that I-Surrender was the place for us, based in large part on Rob being so absolutely genuine and sincere with us. It really wasn’t a difficult choice for us to make.
*Kamtin - You guys were recently featured on MTV's "Advanced Warning." How did all of that happen and how did that make you guys feel?
Alex - We submitted our song “Fold” to MTV. MTV started playing it as background music on Total Request Live. Through that a few people on MTV started to get stoked on the EP (which was still unreleased at that time). Rob went in to MTV to have a meeting on Indie Labels and when he walked in we were playing on the Intercom. He met with MTV and they offered us a chance to appear on the Advance Warning show. So basically in two weeks we went from practicing at Adam’s house to a weekend up in NYC recording a video. It was all a little surreal and we most definitely felt out of place. But Christian Winters and all the guys at HiLo Films really made us feel at home and made the whole experience enjoyable and smooth. I’m not going to lie it was weird to see ourselves on TV. But it was a good feeling of accomplishment.
*Kamtin - You guys are still a growing band, but if you became over-night super stars (getting as big as Blink-182), who would you guys want to take out on tour to help out? Midtown seem to be helping Stars Hide Fire a lot by playing shows with you guys, and taking you guys out for some dates on their upcoming tour. If you guys were in that position, who would you like to help out?
Alex - Haha, if we were to ever get that big (laughs), I’d want to help out our friends Over It, Lux Courageous, Army Of Me, Descendre, Time and Distance, Washington Social Club, People Chasing People and Underscore.
*Kamtin - We know that Good Charlotte have taken an interest in you guys and have become fans of the band. Any chance of seeing Stars Hide Fire hit the road with GC in the near future?
Alex - That would be a great tour for us to be on. Right now we’re just seeing what comes our way. The guys from GC are good people and friends and have a lot of stuff going on right now. We’re happy to be from the same scene (Washington DC represent) and would be honored to go out on the road with them, but no plans for the near future.
*Kamtin - 2004 looks like a very promising year for the band. What are the main goals you guys want to accomplish this year?
Alex - Our main goals this year are to tour as much as possible, write an album that we’re proud of and the really reflects who we are, and to make sure that the full length drops before the end of the year.
*Kamtin - What does the tour schedule look like for you guys after the Midtown tour?
Alex - After Midtown, it looks as if we’re going out West for a couple of weeks, then dropping down to the South and Midwest, and then heading back to DC. We are going to try and be on the road straight until our Warped Tour dates in August. Then it looks like a week or two in Canada.
*Kamtin - Thank you so much! Any final words for the fans?
Alex - Come see us when we hit the road. We really make it a point to meet every single person that likes the band, and we’re always down to talk and get to know you. Our fans are our friends, if it wasn’t for them we’d be playing to a wall in someone’s house. We thank you and we love you!
Huge thank you's go out to Alex Rivera of Stars Hide Fire, and Rob and Alex at I-Surrender Records.