You know of super heroes, well now there are super musicians in our mists..... Blending together metal with metalcore to create a balance unlike any other, comes musicians from previous projects, who fought kicking and screaming, through the music industry and its music scene; to push back at everything with such aggression and progression, that a form of musical anarchy was made. Thus, the tough, heavy, loud, yet raw, power from each of its members, is so breathless that the blood, sweat, and tears can't simply' get any more real than Armada.
Jerimiah James - Vocals
Ryan Danley - Guitar
Mike Ferrell - Bass
Josh Lough - Drums
Tee Jay - Guitar
1. First of all, who are you, and what do you do in the band?
James: We are super cute and we hang out a lot. Haha, naw my name is Jerimiah James and I sing for the band.
Ryan: My name is Ryan and I play guitar.
Mike: My name's Mike and I play bass.
Josh: I am Josh and I play the drums.
Tee Jay: I am Tee Jay and I play guitar.
2. Let's talk a little about the history of your band. When did you originally form and is this the original line-up?
James: We formed in 2075 in space with on the moon. No actually this is a completely new fresh act, from the ground up and everybody, kind of had previous acts. Yeah so far this is the original line-up, it's only been a couple of months, so you never know. Some things happen but I am pretty sure everyone here is pretty solid and having a good time.
3. Do you remember how the idea of forming the band first came up?
James: Well.... quick story, Tee Jay and Josh were in very ready to rock style band called Ladder Down. Naw actually I met them on Craigslist, not on the personals section, on the real Craigslist under miscommunications.
These three, Tee Jay, Josh, and Mike, had all known each other beforehand, and I had came in, filling in for their other band. So I was like let's start a new thing, Ryan was in another band as well, and they recently had pulled the plug on some stuff. Then he had came over, so it's like a mini local super group I guess, of Orlando musicians.
Pretty much, so probably, we started me, Tee Jay, and Josh, started about 2 years ago, in change on and off with stuff, trying to get our personal lives straight. Now we really decided about 6 months ago to really kick it in the notch, built the whole home studio, from the ground up. Just been writing ever since then. Then Ryan and Mike came in and went forward with it and here it is, on it's way.
4. Which one of you was involved in other projects and are those projects still alive or dead?
James: Uh Josh.
Josh: Tee Jay and I were both in a band called Lit Up, that kind of came to an end, about 1-2 years ago? In 2015 we had ended that, then kind of started going on with bands, with the new style. From then, it's been progressing towards this, style of the now.
James: Mike what was your last band bud?
Mike: Uh last project I was in was called American Nothing. It kind of just fizzled out, always get that 1 or 2 band members, that's just kind of there, so that kind of happened.
Ryan: Yeah I was in I Woke Up Early For My Funeral, I think we actually did an interview with you too. Yeah like a year or so ago. The lead singer is a meanie, so I kind of put that to a halt. But I enjoyed our interview. :)
James: Obviously Natalie, you know me, we have known each other for years, in Modern Day Escape, for an ancient amount of time, then Tee Jay and Josh were both in Lit Up, not sure if we established that or not, we jumped the gun haha! Oh god, I felt like I was under the gun, it was not jump the gun, it was under the gun, who wrote that record? Yeah that was a B-Sides album. Now I am here, feeling a lot more stroked on the here and now.
5. How would you categorize the style of the band?
James: Uh what do you think?
Ryan: Uh like a Jazz band?
James: Poker jazz? Uh picture the Home Alone movie, where the mom is coming home on the Uhaul truck, with the band in the back. What's on the Uhaul John Candy?!? Haha! Yeah we are very John Candy. No I would say we are kind of a very aggressive and progressive like metalcore. I don't know genres have gotten so weird.
Ryan: Well I think there's a lot of good groove, to the music right? It's very groovy like yeah. It's kind of has that kind of vibe, where you play it live or see it live, you can just envision, the audience and crowd, either moshing or jumping around. Just getting into it, even though it's kind of technical, I don't think it's over people's heads, where there like what the hell am I listening too? Like you know what I mean, it's so blurry, it's so fast, so it's groovy, I dig it.
James: It's sexy dad music.
6. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there?
James: Music, that's all you guys, I have been out of it for a while now.
Josh: Both Mike and I, are from the Daytona Beach area here in Florida. We are all about an hour from the center of Orlando, the Central Florida pretty much is what I want to say.
Tee Jay: The scene itself, is pretty good, there is a lot of local good talent around here. There is a new sound that is developing, especially in Orlando. That will become a new wave, hopefully around the same zones as us.
James: Yeah I think I go out sometimes, to downtown and see things, if my mom lets me. But only once a week I am allowed to come out and play.
7. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
James: The band is called horsefly. This album is called "Bloodsuckers". Well since I was working with Tee Jay, Josh, and Mike, we went through a series of names, we couldn't settle on anything, it was literally a 2 year process, going through all of these names, because each one of our past projects was so, meaningful in our lives, being so connected to it. That to come up with something from the ground zero, was different because we have all been doing our own things for so long. We went through things, like a band name called Dead Fuse, a band name called Villain the Vowel, what else did we go through?
Fuse the Fire, I don't even know, we kept coming up with names, that I wasn't even stroked on. Each one kind of had its own flavor, it just wasn't strong enough. Then we got Ryan, then started going back and forth with him, then had come up with Deviled Armada, this whole thing. Then when we said the name Armada, there's like 50 other Spanish jam bands with the name, "something Armada." I don't even know or care, because that name just sank with us, and it lived within us. There was something strong about the word Armada. We look at it, as 5 guys coming together from separate things. The definition of Armada, is a union of ships that form together to create like a military type of thing. So with the Spanish word Armada, having us 5 guys, coming together as one, coming from different projects, we felt very connected to that.
It had just stuck, it was so strong, all of our friends we like "Oh man we love that name" "that's so sick!". So we are just going to stick with it, see how far we can go and go with it.
8. Who are your musical influences?
Ryan: Going around the room.
James: Name 2 influences per person.
Josh: 311 was number one, then I realized they were going the sucky route. Dream Theater and Sevendust for me.
Mike: I'd say Deftones and the newer Bring Me The Horizon, Trivum gota give a shout out to those guys, good friends of mine.
Tee Jay: I am from a much calmer background, punk rock, The Ramones, Richard Simmons sweating to the 60's. Every time I sweat is it not the same.
Ryan: So mine would be Jimmy Page as a guitar player and producer, and the other would be composer Danny Elfman, because I grew up on Tim Burton films and their soundtracks. Those two are a big part of my life.
James: Fuck! I was listening to all of them, and I stopped thinking. Damn! My dad! My dad influences me a lot. You know what, I don't really know, I am trying to think hold on, give me like 2 seconds.... alright I am going to say INXS. My mom had played the INXS records so many times, I can literally sing all of those lyrics from front to back. That's my old school reference, for my new school reference that would be Senses Fail.
9. Do you write your own songs and what are your songs about?
James: We actually pay a Hobo down the street, 15 pieces of cheese a week. and he writes all of our songs for us. We write our own songs right? Most of our songs Tee Jay writes. Him being the core write of the group. We try not to have too many cooks in the kitchen. Each one of us will come in and throw some stuff together here and there. We are in the middle of writing the record so, we're not too deep into it, to say anything cool about it. But yeah we do write our own stuff.Let's see.... pretty much our two singles that we have coming out, one of the songs is called "Bury the Wolf", our songs we try to keep, well in my old band it was about vampires, werewolves, zombies, video games, etc. But now, I am older and have grown up a lot, in the last 2-3 years I have been out of the music industry. Its stuff I actually go through, instead of pretending to be a Vampire, crawling around at night, hissing.
Our first two singles, the first song being "Bury the Wolf", and the other second single being "Wake Me Up". "Bury the Wolf", is about the day to day struggles that we all go through. Just trying to keep your composure, upon distraction and really, trying to stay calm because life gets really rough on all of us, and it's really hard to keep, a clear head in all of that.
"Wake Me Up", is actually a song we will be shooting a video for and are in the process of writing and working with directors right now. It's about pretty much, basically, getting lost in the moment, of each one of our, vices, of the things we each go through individually. Like I have an issue with anxiety, I am prescribed medicine for it, it's terrible and something I struggle with most of my life. That song being about, not getting lost even though I guess it may seem easy too at times. Just try to get out of it, I guess. Just wake up, if you will. That's pretty much where we are at with the two singles, but have a bunch of more other stuff, but that is a secret.
10. What are your plans for new music?
Ryan: Well, we will be releasing the two singles coming up, then pretty much have the record done, real soon. I think besides doing the record and videos, just kind of hit the ground with doing shows. That's the other important part about being in a band today. Just kind of hammering it out. Just getting out there, playing live, to the people out there. It's an important part these days. You can do a lot, with the internet, being online, social media, etc. But still there is that battle ground of getting out, getting to the cities so people can come out and see you live, party!
James: Yeah we are really pushing, instead of, like some of our past projects were more national and international, we don't want that pressure, we aren't rushing out to get signed or anything, crazy it's more, about really wanting to get back, to our roots, like go out on Monday and Tuesday, The Used is playing out here, and I am literally going there with a thousand flyers, I am going to be handing them out to people, "Hey look at me, listen to my band!" holding a little speak with our music playing, just going completely old school with it. Ya know? Just go out to Warped Tour, tossing CDs, stuff like that, so grill marketing. Mike has got the idea we are going with here. Just really get in and meet people, do it very old school fashion, the fan base has changed a lot, with some of our previous bands, being out of the game for a while. Just kind of get back into it, get on out there again. Ryan is probably the most recent, I don't know, about you Mike? When was the last time you played?
Mike: Yeah it's been a while, like a year or so.
James: Ryan knows the scene a bit more than we do. We are just kind of looking to get back out there and kind of just go with it. Refine and appreciate why and wanting to do this ya know?
11. Will we ever see Armada and Modern Day Escape playing a show or touring together?
James: it's going to take a lot of Bud Lights, to get me to that point. But no, I don't know. Probably not, honestly, ya know I pulled the plug on Modern Day Escape, in the latter 2014. So highly doubtful, like maybe? IF someone offers us like a shitload of money, and I can then buy a boat and wreck it. Then maybe I will play a show. But honestly probably not, the Armada is my main focus.
12. What does the band have planned for the rest of 2016?
Ryan: I think that ties into the music. But just shooting the videos, I think definitely working the grounds, like I had said with the grass roots kind of thing. Getting out there and playing shows.
Getting to certain markets and areas, ya know? Tying it altogether, you can do a lot online, that's great and all, creating a lot of people, but at the same time, getting yourselves together and being in the same room as them, letting them experience it firsthand. Is something that I think is kind of lost in today's music scene, to an extent, because not a lot of bands can get out and go play. So kind of just revive that a little bit. So people do more, instead of staying at home watching bands play on YouTube. They can actually go out to a show and really experience it. Hang out have a beer or two, 21 and over only, 18 to hang. But yeah there's so much bands have to do, in today's world, that bands have to do. So just keep it, on a good steady, course and pace with that, for us is kind of what we are looking for and continuing to do with the videos and music.
James: I am thinking like August, like around my Birthday. We are thinking about looking at. Hopefully have some kind of release. We are going to be doing a soft release, for the two singles, within the next month or two. We are really trying to refine and much sure they are good. We don't want to just record something over a telephone, put it out on iTunes and tell them all to go and buy it for $5. So I have been flying back and forth between studios, so pretty much release the video, the songs, maybe release a record? Independently you never know really.
Tee Jay: We want to bring fun back. Our old projects and stuff, it was very like when you work too hard. It gets all business, that you lose the fun out of it. You gota bring the fun back, bring out a smile every night.
James: We want to play cool music for cool people and have a good time doing it.
13. Do you have any last words for fans?
James: We are some of the sites? We got Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
Tee Jay: If you find our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ArmadaOfficialPage. Everything will be linked to that, so start from there, to find everything else.
James: It's https://www.facebook.com/ArmadaOfficialPage. Other than that, everyone in Orlando that hears us, hopefully we will be able to meet you guys, then maybe everyone out in the U.S. and elsewhere, we hope to meet you, and hang out with you all soon. Thank you Natalie, it's always a pleasure, it's been a while, that's about it honestly.
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