The 1980s were a decade that gave us a lot of memorable moments and quite a few not so memorable. The music from that era seems to take a gut punch from the critics, back then as well as now, as being cheesy or lacking substance. Now, I will admit that, just like in any era, there were a lot of bands who just didn’t cut it and they fell to the wayside very quickly. Yet, the era of the hair band seems to live on and inspire a new generation of rockers today.
Farewell, My Love are five guys who share a common vision to combine the glam look from ’80s metal, combining a modern rock sound with catchy hooks and infectious rhythms, while sharing a positive and uplifting message along the way. Throw in a very theatrical stage show and this band brings a complete and solid entertainment package into a seemingly stagnant industry. If you ever wondered what would happen if Poison and My Chemical Romance had a love child, then I think you have your answer in Farewell, My Love.
The band consists of Ryan Howell on vocals, Röbby Creasey on guitar, Chad Kowal on drums, Charlee Conley on bass and Logan Thayer on guitar. I recently talked to guitarist Röbby Creasey about what lies ahead for this promising young band.
Johnny/RR: Hi Röbby, how’s it going man? You guys are an arsenal on all the senses and definitely have a distinct look and sound that’s glammy and a throwback to the ’80s metal scene. How did the five of you come together to form as the band you are today?
Röbby/Farewell, My Love: Well, I met Chad in 2010 and he had just left the band he was in and I had just parted ways my band, so it was perfect timing. I had the idea for Farewell, My Love and Chad had the same idea as well. We wanted a band with a really cool image and the music needed to be upbeat, fun and relatable as well as portraying a message. It’s kind of crazy because at the time, we were the only two musicians in Arizona who were wearing makeup and looking all glammy, so it was cool. Over time, we got Logan and Charlie in the mix and then our singer quit on us, right before our tour was about to start. That’s when we brought in Ryan from South Africa and that’s how we got to be where we are now.
Johnny/RR: Ok, you are going to have to explain to me how you guys are in Arizona and you found a singer all the way over in South Africa?
Röbby/FML: (laughs) You know, it’s kind of a funny story. Our old
singer left four weeks before our tour and we were freaking out because the tour had already been confirmed and we didn’t think we had time to solidify anything. We all started talking to friends to see if anyone knew of somebody who might be good for us. We went through hundreds of people and we were even online looking as well. Well, Ryan was in a band that I liked called The Monroes and they came to America in 2011. There was some sort of contest that they did in Nashville for the Vans Warped Tour that year. Well, they kind of died down a bit and I sort of forgot about them until we were looking for a singer. I came across The Monroe’s Facebook page and there weren’t too many current posts by them, so I thought that maybe they weren’t doing anything. So, I hit Ryan up and found out that he was all the way in South Africa. We talked and we found a way to get him here in three weeks and he literally learned the set and all the songs on the plane ride over.
Johnny/RR: Are you serious? Dude, that’s just crazy!
Röbby/FML: I know, it’s just crazy how all of it came together!
Johnny/RR: Well, it seems like you found the right guy for the job. He seems to be a perfect fit for your vision that you had.
Röbby/FML: He’s perfect! The Monroes also had a very cool image. They played a Halloween style music and Ryan has an extremely visual voice. He wanted to do the same thing that we did with the image and the solid, uplifting message. We want to make the fans realize that life is good with a positive message. It’s such a great fit as all five of us want that exact same thing.
Johnny/RR: It’s a rarity to get that lucky when you are trying to replace a front man. So, Ryan wasn’t on your 2011 EP A Dance You Won’t Forget, but he’s on the new EP Mirror Mirror that you just released, is that correct?
Röbby/FML: Yes, he most certainly is on the new one! We worked with Don Debiase this go round. We chose him to produce us this time because besides the fact that he’s one of the best producers on the planet, he is a Standby Records guy (the band’s label), plus he was interested in working with us when we first signed. We talked to him about it and we thought he was cool, so we decided to go for it.
Johnny/RR: I think it was a very wise move because he definitely captured your sound and vibe. You guys don’t sound like you have only been together for a few years; you sound very seasoned and mature.
Listen to “Mirror Mirror”
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Johnny/RR: I know you guys are heavily influenced by the ’80s music scene, so I was very intrigued when I saw that you did a cover of Bon Jovi’s “Now Or Never” on your EP. Is there a story behind that? By the way, two thumbs up on the cover; it’s pretty damn good.
Röbby/FML: Thanks! We all love Bon Jovi and the band was throwing ideas around about a year ago, just for fun and we focused in on that one song a bit. We never really did anything with it other than play it live. So, we kind of put it in our back pocket and then we went into the studio to record our album. Neil at Standby said he wanted to put out an EP prior to the album and asked if we wanted to do an exclusive acoustic song and cover for the EP. We knew we had to pull out the Bon Jovi song because it just fit in with the vibe of what we stand for; live your life and be happy because we won’t be here forever. It’s a classic, anthemic song and really fun to do.
Johnny/RR: What kind of touring do you have centered around the EP?
Röbby/FML: Well, we already had a small support tour for about two weeks, all around Arizona, up to Washington and down the West coast. Now we’re really looking forward to hitting the road for Spring and Summer on a few tours we already have lined up. The first one kicks off on April 12th with Snow White’s Poison Bite, Her Bright Skies, Joel Faviere, Late Nite Reading, CatchingYourClouds and will go through June 1st (check dates HERE). A lot of great bands, so we’re really looking forward to that. Then we have some other tours booked almost back to back. I don’t see us slowing down anytime soon!
Johnny/RR: I thought you guys came up with some really clever marketing things for the new EP. I read about the Valentines Day card promotion as well as calling your fans who bought the EP in its first week of release. Can you tell us more about those ideas?
Röbby/FML: Well, first off, we refer to our fans as our “Lovers.” Why? Because we love them and they love us! We were working with the Standby team and someone mentioned the theme “Lovers get what they want on Valentine’s Day.” Our EP was due to come out on February 19th, so we decided to do a contest where fans could get Valentine’s cards from the band. We thought it really fit in well with our name. We also did a promotion where fans would get a phone call from the band if they provided us with a screen shot of their receipt showing they bought the EP in the first week of its release along with their name and email address. Something we are doing right now on our Facebook Page is giving away a signed Farewell, My Love bass guitar that’s pretty sweet. (Sign up HERE to win!)
This is our first Standby release and we really wanted to thank everyone for their support. It’s a really big deal for us to give back to the fans and say thank you. We see all of our fans as family and we get to know them on a personal level. We talk to our fans all the time on Facebook and Twitter and we love them all dearly.
Johnny/RR: Any video plans yet and what’s this I heard about a full album? Can you let us in on that?
Röbby/FML: Yeah, we just shot the video for “Mirror Mirror” which should be out any time. As far as a full-length album, we have some ideas, but nothing confirmed just yet. We’re just totally focused on the EP and all the tours, then I’m sure we’ll get around to it – just give us a second to bask in what we have going right now! Just kidding with you…we’ll definetely be doing a full-length album as soon as we can breathe! (laughs)
Watch Behind the Scenes of “Mirror Mirror” Video
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Johnny/RR: So, who influenced you? Who or what made you want to pick up a guitar?
Röbby/FML: All of my family really loves music. My dad loves (Led) Zeppelin and the (Rolling) Stones and my 
mom loves Poison, Motley Crue and Def Leppard, so there was always music around when I was growing up. I think I was around 12 or 13 when my mom bought me Metallica’s Black Album. That’s the point where I decided that I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Actually, the very first song that I learned to play was “Master of Puppets” by Metallica.
Johnny/RR: It’s always fun to hear of musicians that had really cool parents growing up who exposed them to such great music.
Röbby/FML: Oh definitely, they are a huge reason why we’re all here; all of that great music growing up! Plus there’s no way that we could be doing this without our parents and all of our individual and collective family support. We are all very lucky to have that – to know that our parents/families are our biggest fans and truly want us to be the next big thing; to fulfill our dreams.
Johnny/RR: That is very cool indeed. Is there anything that you would like to wrap up with before we go?
Röbby/FML: Well, first off, thanks to Rock Revolt for wanting to talk to us. We want to thank all of our fans for their support and we hope to see all of you out on the road. Make sure to check out our EP Mirror Mirror and to hit us up on Facebook and Twitter too – we love to hear from all of you!
END OF INTERVIEW
Farewell, My Love’s EP Mirror Mirror is five song musical joyride which heralds back to the ’80s and the days of big riffs and big hair. It kicks off with the title track, which is also the first single. Lead singer Ryan Howell has a very unique voice with a wide range. “My Perfect Thing” is pure ’80s metal with its melodic approach and big hook. The band’s cover of Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” is pure musical genius and they totally nail it. “Just Another Soul” closes the EP and is an acoustic track which shows real depth and a bit of a tender side from the band. Overall, it’s a great EP that shows a lot of promise from this major up and coming band. I have high hopes for their full-length album which will be released sometime this year.
Farewell, My Love will be heading out on tour soon, so check to see if they’re coming to a town near you HERE and for ticket information click HERE.
By: Johnny Price, Senior Journalist – RockRevolt™Magazine
Promo Photos: Elizabeth Creasey (yes, Röbby’s sister) – Check out her Photography & Graphic Design on Facebook!
Live Photos: Against The Grain Photography – Check out the whole FML Live Gallery HERE!
Connect with Farewell, My Love
https://www.facebook.com/farewellmyloveofficial
http://YouTube.com/FarewellMyLoveVEVO
http://Twitter.com/Farewell_MyLove
http://Instagram.com/Farewell_MyLove
http://MerchNOW.com/catalogs/Farewell-My-Love
Get Mirror Mirror Here:
iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mirror-mirror-ep/id597201993
MerchNOW:
http://merchnow.com/products/153948/mirror-mirror-cdep
Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B00B83PV3O
Edited: Vlk\
