Formed in the summer of 2007, Girl On Fire - Held, guitarist Nick McMahon, bassist Josh Mouser and drummer Harry MacDonald - have made good use of their time together, developing a sound and spirit all their own and a live chemistry that is undeniable. Repeat winners of local Ernie Ball battles of unsigned bands, the band's first taste of the big stage came on a Seattle Warped Tour stop - and they haven't stopped since, capturing early tours with the likes of Burn Halo, Hell Or Highwater and Get Scared on the legs of a 5-track Revenge EP. Setting up Not Broken, 2013 has already seen the band on runs with live powerhouses including Buckcherry, Filter and Otherwise, in a marquee slot on the inaugural JVC Mobile Entertainment Plugged In Tour: Road To Sturgis, and also on the Welcome To Rockville and Fort Rock festivals. Guitarist Nick McMahon talks about the signing and Not Broken release and latest single and video for "The Takedown".
1. Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Girl On Fire, and how long the band has been together.
Nick: My name is Nick and I play guitar in Girl On Fire. We've been a band for about five years.
2. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Nick: We are based out of Seattle. The music scene is a little all over the place here, with lots of rock, scene, and indie music in the mix. Some of my favorite Seattle bands lately are, The Head and the Heart, Macklemore, and Fleet Foxes.
3. How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
Nick: Our style is strait up rock! We love the Foo Fighters and Shinedown, but we also like lots of stuff from the 90’s like Third Eye Blind, and classics like The Beatles and Zeppelin.
4. What lyrical theme do you guys use in your music? What message do you want to send?
Nick: Lots of the lyrics are about our struggles and progression of things in life. An evolution of where we've been what we've done and what we have over come.
5. Why did the band come to call themselves Girl On Fire and does the word "girl" refer to an actual personal?
Nick: The name Girl On Fire has been with us since the beginning and really came about with us sitting in a room with a bunch of Bibles, dictionaries and a thesaurus for a few hours drinking beers. The Girl in Girl On Fire is not a reference to anyone in particular.
6. How did the whole thing with Century Media Records happen and how has it been being under their label, what runs through your mind, how does it all feel?Nick: The connection with the label started when we worked with Wil from Aiden. He helped us with recording an EP and set up a show for us at Chain Reaction in Anaheim. It’s been a few years and a long process but we are all happy with where we are and very excited about our upcoming record.
7. Can you tell me about the song and video for "The Takedown" and why you wanted this song to be the first single and video of your choosing?
Nick: We loved how The Takedown turned out and felt that it really hit. So choosing it as a single was sort of like showing the world who we are and that is basically what the song is about. The video is fun and shows us entering the world of rock.
8. Is there any story or concept behind the Not Broken title?
Nick: The concept behind it is the running theme of the record for us. The idea that we have been through a lot since we started this band and we are not broken and ready to keep fighting for what we love to do.
9. You worked with Jay Baumgardner and Howie Weinberg on Not Broken, what was it like working with them?
Nick: It was a crazy and fun experience. We learned so much working with Jay and are very excited about the record. Howie mastered the record and he is very professional and efficient. Jay is friends with him and they took care of that together after we were done recording and back in Seattle.
10. Who did the cover art for Not Broken and how much input did you have on it?
Nick: A very talented artist named Anthony Clarkson. We went back and forth on a couple different ideas with him before finally deciding on the final one. We had quite a bit of input and freedom with it which was nice.
11. Was your songwriting and recording process any different than usual for this CD?
Nick: It was a bit different, but mostly in the attention to detail and time spent on everything. Everything had to be perfect and even then it wasn't good enough. So before when guitars had been looped or drum hits replaced we hadn't needed to take as long as we did this time. Jays production on the record was also a new experience for us and very enlightening.
12. What's your favorite song on the album right now?
Nick: My personal favorite right now is probably Reminds Me of You. I like the lyrics and the groove. It is fun to play and always feels very epic.
13. What's your take on Not Broken as a whole?
Nick: I could not be more excited for it. I can’t wait for it to come out and the rest of the world to hear it. It’s what we've been waiting for and dreaming about for the last 5 years since we started this band.
14. What are your expectations for the CD?
Nick: I expect it to melt faces and burn fingers!15. What are your upcoming touring and plans?
Nick: We will be touring with Buckcherry in June and July. It also looks like we are going to be getting some more stuff right after and hopefully a few more rock festivals this summer!
16. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
Nick: I’d like a listener to interpret the songs for themselves and find meaning in them that they can relate to.
17. Any final words of wisdom?
Nick: It would be wise to come watch us play a show because we would love to see you!
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