Casting their own fusion of math and hardcore upon the senses, Fero Lux is a South Florida quartet beginning to spark richer attention. The release of latest album No Rest has played a big part; the raw but addictive sound it shares demands attention as in infests the imagination. Live the Broward County hailing band has similarly earned a formidable reputation so we thought it was high time we got to discover more about the band. With big thanks to vocalist Victor, we look at the heart of Fero Lux, its beginnings, that latest album and more…
Hello Victor and thanks for taking time out to talk with us.
Yo! Thanks for talking TO us.
Can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how it all started and what brought you all together?
We’re a band called FERO LUX from south Florida. When we started, we all played in other bands. Our guitarist, David, wanted to start a heavy, mathy band. So he recruited us all. I was in something else at the time that I wanted to take seriously, and realized this was more fun. So…over five years later, here we are.
So you have been involved in other bands before so has that had any impact on what you are doing now, in maybe inspiring style or change of direction?
Oh yeah. We’ve all been playing in bands for 12+ years. I think FERO LUX is a HUGE melting pot of all of those bands combined. Our sound certainly has an overall heavy theme, but we’re all over the place if you listen to our latest record from front to back.
What inspired the band name?
We were huffing the smell of 100 unwashed turtle tanks. And boom…FERO LUX.
Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the band and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?
Yeah, like I mentioned we started with a sound in mind, but after half a decade we certainly found what we were aiming for all along. I think it shows on NO REST.
Do the same things still drive the thoughts of band from when it was fresh-faced or have they evolved over time?
I think we’ve become more socially aware. We always wanted to be a band with something to say, and I think we’ve harnessed that a little better over time.
Since your early days, how would you say your sound has evolved?
It’s more refined. The song writing is far more structured, but there are still a lot of riffs you have to hear more than once to kinda fully understand; still heavy, still mathcore. Also, this line-up–myself, Ben, David, and Nick are the most cohesive we’ve had to date.
Has it been more of an organic movement of that sound or plenty of moments where the band deliberately wanted to try new things?
It was certainly organic. We just lock ourselves in our warehouse and jam until new songs come out. We don’t really vocalize how we want them to sound. They just…sound.
Presumably across the band there is a wide range of inspirations; are there any in particular which have impacted not only on the band’s music but your personal approach and ideas to creating and playing music?
At The Drive-In is one we all say we can agree on musically. They pushed it like no other. They mesh all sorts of ideas and themes into each record…and ALWAYS had something to say. We consider them a very brilliant and selfless band.
Is there a process to the songwriting which generally guides the writing of songs?
Nawh.
Where do you, more often than not, draw the inspirations to the lyrical side of your songs?
Global strife.
Give us some background to your latest release.
NO REST came out on March 25th, 2016. It’s about a bunch of different things happening all over the world and locally. There’s heavy stuff, and not so heavy stuff. I personally like to think it has something for everyone.
Can you share some insight to the themes and premise behind it and its songs?
The opening track is called No Insignia. It’s about the war crimes committed on Ukraine and Crimea upon the invasion from Russian soldiers who wore no identifying insignia. People were forced from their homes, people were killed, and we here in America cared more about what was taken off Netflix that month.
Are you a band which goes into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?
They’re finalized beforehand. I’d say the lyrics are usually 85% done beforehand and I just top it all off whilst in the studio.
Tell us about the live side to the band, presumably the favourite aspect of the band?
It’s certainly my favorite. Live, we like to jump on people and have them jump on us. What fun is a live show if everyone is just standing around? And when we’re tuning and whatever, I like to try to make people laugh. We’re a “serious” band who tries to not take ourselves too seriously.
It is not easy for any new band to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it your neck of the woods?
It’s hard in south Florida. We have to drive over 6 hours just to leave the state. We’re always envious of the north eastern states that can cross three or four borders in the time it takes us to get to Georgia. We’ve found the cities we do well in down in Florida, so it’s been cool to revisit them. But we’re planning some longer stuff for Fall and Winter and we’re very excited to share these dates with everyone.
How has the internet and social media impacted on the band to date? Do you see it as something destined to become a negative from a positive as the band grows and hopefully gets increasing success or is it more that bands struggling with it are lacking the knowledge and desire to keep it working to their advantage?
It’s honestly crazy. Bands that seem to know how to manipulate Tumblr and Instagram get huge. Unfortunately for us, we don’t know how to do either of those things. We also don’t know how to sign unfair record deals. So I feel like we’re destined to remain the size we currently are. But who knows…maybe Myspace will come back?
Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?
Thank you again! Check out our music and videos at https://www.facebook.com/feroluxmusic and http://fero-lux.bandcamp.com
As far as a reveal, not yet! But we’re doing a small run in August, so if you’re in the south east, come check us out!
Pete RingMaster
The RingMaster Review 21/08/2016
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Categories: Interviews, Music
The RingMaster Review 
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