Murder FM's Norman Matthew's is Coming for You!

Dark rockers Murder FM have been around for a few years now and since then they have gone on tour, released several items here and there but what has the band been up too all this time? Well frontman vocalist Norman Matthew's or "The Gnar" spoke to me about the band's past, present, and future activities for Murder FM and indeed says that new material is in the works, aside from the new single/video "We the Evil", shows have been going on with way more to come and new material will continue to be in the making as well as videos to tide the fans over, both the old and new comers. He also went into discussion about the new rock school he came up with based in Dallas, Texas called The Sound Of Foundation. So yes Murder FM have been active just hidden away keeping things to themselves if you will but things are about to change in more ways than just one!

1. What type of band are you?

Norman: Probably the greatest band on earth is what we are. I'm kidding, no we're a dark rock band, I am so tired with so many genres and subgenres, but I am more tired of people putting titles on things, we are not a core or artsy thing, we just put our own thoughts into what we do because we are a dark rock band. I saw Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses, and Kiss, influenced by The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, we are just a dark rock band.

2. Can you please give us a brief history of your band and its members.

Norman: We got together in 2009, so we had been kicking around the idea for a while. So a lot of the band members being in different projects, going through things so just a hard time for us, a lot of crazy stuff. So we both had our bands going on, writing material at the time, then I decided to write the material for Murder FM and make this band happen. We've had a lot of different opportunities, jumping on the road with Dope, Korn, The Used, Escape The Fate, Black Veil Brides, it was full throttle from then on, never taking off the gas. So we started off with our first release and just been at it ever since.

3. What's the meaning behind the band's name?

Norman: Well Jade had come up with the name Murder FM, I thought it was cool but needed a cool meaning behind it. So something the audience needed to believe in and relate to so I thought MFM, Murder Fucking Music so we went with Murder FM. It's pretty simple dealing with our frustrations, politics, stuff like that. It's like what happened to music so we were on our own mission bringing back what music meant so everything just felt into our mission statement, I am not going to make myself one way or this way I want us to do this on our own time. In our time that we can do we will climb the ladder when we do so you just live the life your way is the real meaning behind our band.

4. How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?

Norman: Like to say haunted at times depending on the time of day you're listening to us. I'm not the type of guy who writes those epic 9 minute songs, but I'm to the point so I write the same way, just something dark, no thrills, what you hear is what you get, it's aggressive in its own way, our recording's and what we've released so far is cool, but you don't really get the full on effect until you see Murder FM live. Some bands sound great on record and then are awesome live. So it's hard to get the feeling of the two of those ya know.

5. What lyrical theme do you guys use in your music? What message do you want to send?

Norman: We're very passive aggressive, I like to poke at topics and things, ideas, my way of thinking really pushes the envelope or I'll be thinking of something that personally happened in my life. So I will see about the story, pushing it a bit, I think we need to address certain things in a whole another way. Like the TV show Dexter, wouldn't it be cool if it was this way having the boyfriend kill the girlfriend having that no one can have you method. I don't want so much of me pop out, a lot of the lyrics of today is all about I, I, I, or me, me, me, what happened to the lyricist or the writer, what about that dark side of things and have things be cool. So I've been wanting to write about the evil sides of things, rather than just that everything sucks ya know, it's kind of our whole deal just being the voice of the voiceless.

6. Why did you pick "We the Evil" as your single and can you tell me about the song?

Norman: We picked it because it is what it says, we've opened up going on tour and shows we do, so we've morphed into this whole new band. Listening to all these bands some bands sound different even if it's the same band like Metallica does. So I think it speaks and love what the band is so the lyrics for us were that dark anthem for this new generation. There's this whole cult of fans that follows us and for them they are who put us on the map so we needed a song for all of those people who have supported us so that was the whole process for it being the single.

7. Revolver Magazine premiered the new video for that single, what was it like to have Revolver do that and where did the idea for that music video come from?

Norman: It was amazing for them to do it for us. At first I was like alright we'll see if that happens  so it actually happened. On April 9th I had refreshed my browser on my phone and there it was right under Rob Zombie so that was more awesome. It was a beautiful thing for us and the video itself we pulled in people who really liked us and brought them in. So why get all of these strangers let's have real people who support us and share in that moment. It was really cool and real for us, even the camera man could tell that the audience adored us, just watching us it was cool and awesome, it was the director's idea of having a live audience and with Revolver again it was amazing to see the Tweets, Google Plus, Emails, Shares, it was all awesome and purely amazing to us.

8. It's been a few years since you've released an EP or full-length, why did you want to just release singles?

Norman: Right well the thing is this, the first problem is having to get on the road so much, we get offered to play here or open for this band. So growing our legion of fans who've supported us was offered and we kept getting offers that we didn't have the right time to release a full-length release. It was one of those things that we put our heads down until everything worked out and planned out the right way. Also the way people consume music nowadays is nuts, we don't get excited for releasing a 10 or 12 song release, we just take our time with it. Something usually always just gets left there when it comes to iTunes people wanting to just buy one or two songs so we had to cater to that and easier for us to release singles and videos at the same time. For the full-length records it kills, and yes our band has a lot of singles and videos so why not release them as a record but one at a time, every few months or weeks so everything to me, just lined up the right way at times. I don't want to do something if it doesn't feel right so when everything feels right we will put it out, we're not under the spotlight or a contract to put out a certain amount of records when I am ready to do it. No one has heard the new material yet, so I think if we had gone against everything what we had wanted to do nothing would have been done the right way. So we appreciate the support from the fans and know the wait will be worth it and the music will be awesome because it supports them, I listen to the material myself and it's just wow and so different. I have my own studio so everything lines up the right way when we want it too and how we want it to sound like and be able to grow as a band, even being a baby band in a way, so we explore the options going this way or that way finding our thing and ways of doing what we love, making it all fit into place. Just let the music tell its own story or concept, let the band grow on it's own.

9. Do you guys have any new music in the works?

Norman: Oh yeah we have the record on the way. I myself have never been so excited before and look at it like wow I didn't know I could do that. So we thank the fans for waiting and a lot of the singles will be remixed or re-done, on top of that this will include a DVD as well and just be a big whole thing which I am so excited about. We will bring everyone up to speed with this material, it's going to go the way we want it to with these various editions, deluxe, box set, whatever it is going to be awesome.

10. Tell me about the new rock music school The Sound Foundation. What made you want to create this institute and why?

Norman: Right because it's rock! My brother and I were 7 years apart so as a kid, I always had friends or cousins showing them stuff. So to me it would be amazing for me to witness kids starting their own bands being taught the right way to do. Like how I use to go to shows and see bands play that's what I wanted to do and bring. So I got tired of doing things, not really following orders, so I wanted to do my own thing, having the bands there be able to meet, record live, have a stage there, full lighting, mixing board, fog machines, this is where they can play like if they were at a real club. These kids are like 15 or 16 but can't get into the clubs or their friends can't come so everyone can do their own thing, hanging backstage or on the side of the stage, so the parents come in on a Friday night, knowing it's cool or I will have guest speakers like Gemini Syndrome or Device, more guest speaking friends of mine Sevendust, Coal Chamber wants to stop bye. I had guitar lessons that weren't all great so I couldn't do it when it came to a band we just did backyard shows. So I spend a lot of money and wanted the kids to experience something, 7 full time bands, The Neverending, The Bombs, Vannah Red, Peer Pressure, Blind Cororation, so many bands, it's just so cool with their Facebook and Twitter pages, really learning how it's all done. It's not like alright I want to learn how to play drums or guitar, its more than that and it's showing these kids how I learned it, it's not outdated information its more updated figuring out stuff on the spot sharing my own experiences, growing with them, I am blessed to be able to do this, it's just great and really cool and totally awesome! I am breathing future rockstars.

11. Do you have any other side projects happening?

Norman: I've often played with that idea like this other band I am a part of I get to play with that band and do my thing. So it's free for all, the lyrics and melodies I write out, so I throw my 2 cents in with working with this band or that band, like Murder FM, it's my life 24/7. Nine Inch Nails Trent had Pigface a side project of his with all these all star musicians but it was still a Nine Inch Nails style. I am always involved with various things playing guitar for this band, or doing a guest vocal, or remixing this or that, I am always keeping myself busy, I would love to have a tour of having myself switching between stuff, it would pretty exhausting but it would be really awesome to do.  I also have way more other stuff in the works, so I keep myself busy more than I should.

12. You've been doing shows on and off but are there any plans for an official tour or more shows?

Norman: That's something that's been needed and needs to work in or wanted. So in May we will be doing a headlining run in Texas. So everything is in the works just can't say too much about it, so everyone better get their evil ready, because we will be coming for you, because you asked for it so be ready!

13. What plans do you have for the near future as a band?

Norman: Just to release the new record and tour and hopefully just have everything arrange into place accordingly.  Wrap up the record, release it, push it, go back and write new material, because when writing music I have to connect with it, if I don't connect with it then I don't want to do it. I have to have a reason behind it. I like helping and being on the spot when it comes to things like this or even if we're talking to the record label or the manager I am always ready to go wherever that movement takes us or me. So there will be lots of touring, new music, and a lot more videos!

14. Anything more you'd like to add or say in general and to the fans?

Norman:  Is that a trick question because I always have something to say haha. I would just like to thank whoever is hearing or reading this interview, thank you. Thanks for all of those who may be becoming a first time fan or has been there just thank you. Thanks for changing our lives and just killing it out there for us. I completely 110 thousand percent appreciate it!

15. Is that your final answer?

Norman: That is my final answer!