First in Flight – SKELETONS

By starrymag | June 14, 2021

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

 

 

 

Q) How would you best describe your sound?

 

A) If My Chemical Romance is a shoulder to cry on, First in Flight is the pump up speech from your best friend that comes right after. We’re an 80’s fueled dance rock sound with the goal of empowering you to face your fears. Imagine if IDKHOW and Cobra Starship got into a bar fight on Polk Street in San Francisco. The sweetness of cotton candy in the middle of a mosh pit. That’s the sound.

 

Q) Who are your Top 3 greatest musical influences? 

 

A) These definitely change over the years, but as a band our current Top 3 musical influences are IDKHOW, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bring Me the Horizon. Others include Duran Duran, Rage Against the Machine, The Fixx or even Miley Cyrus. We started off drawing instrumental influence and even stage presence or wardrobe tips from 80’s bands and as our sound matures, we draw influence from these different groups for structure, sound, production, phrasing, and style. 

 

Q) Tell us a little more about the latest single “SKELETONS.” 

 

A) Our bassist David [Topete] was really into Miley Cyrus’ use of rock guitar and synths in her latest record Plastic Hearts, so he used that as the jumping off point. In the original demo, the bass line was a lot more prominent in the verses; however, it wasn’t until we brought the song to our producer, Marc McCluskey, that the song’s structure and progression really started to take shape. He guided us in giving the song a clearer direction that ultimately became the power rock anthem that it is.

As for the story, our inspiration is similar to a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde theme… everyone has a darker side they’d rather not show. Encompassed by embarrassment, guilt and shame, this dark version of you is fed by a fear that it can and will ruin relationships, friendships, and your reputation. “Skeletons” has you enter a sanctuary that allows you to be your darker (perhaps truer) version. Even in this space, anxiety of being “caught” and “discovered” still is high. There’s always someone hiding in the backroom. Good luck.

 

Q) Was there a particular line or aspect to the song that you found most challenging to create?

 

A) The verses were quite different in the original demo. There was no inherent chord progression and was driven mostly by a bass riff. While it was cool, it didn’t really flow that well into the chorus, and it took quite a bit of back and forth to really come up with what it is now. We wanted it to sound big but clear and if you notice… all instruments are doing completely different things. The bass is driving, the guitars are syncopated, there’s sequenced synth keys on top, plus there still has to be space for the vocal melody. Finding that balance was definitely the most challenging.

 

Q) With the release of “SKELETONS,” is there a potential full-length album in the works? 

 

A) Anything is possible! We are constantly writing any chance we get so we’re definitely open to the idea of doing a full-length. We also have a whole vault of unreleased music right now we are preparing for our next tour.

 

Q) What do you hope fans take away from the new single?

 

A) With the release of our new single, we hope fans take away two things. First, reassurance that we are present, working, growing and enjoying making music! It’s been a long time since we’ve released anything and, after a wild year, we hope a release of any kind is encouragement to our fans and enjoyment for their ears. Secondly, we hope they love the song. Our style aims to push listeners to take their next big step, and our lyrics typically paint pictures of the difficult situations life presents and the courageous actions required to overcome them. We hope these lyrics warn listeners to be aware of the consequences of their actions and surroundings… we’ve all been haunted by that feeling that someone is watching! However, while the lyrics can be quite serious, the production of this single was a lot of fun and the song has become a light hearted anthem above all else. 

 

Q) Your bio on your website mentions that your band is composed of two metal musicians and two jazz musicians, which is quite the mash-up! How has the diversity in your musical backgrounds helped you develop that distinct First In Flight sound? 

 

A) Our diverse musical backgrounds allow us to bring so many different sounds to the table. David can bring a riff to a writing session and Pat could take it in a different melodic direction we never thought of, and vise-versa! These contrasting sounds allow us to have the ability to evolve our sound as we want. Not being tied to any one genre is a big part of what makes us First in Flight.

 

Q) The band also has quite the following on social media, especially with over 280k followers on TikTok. How have you utilized social media in expanding your fan base and sharing your music?

 

A) Social media has always been a big weapon for us as an unsigned band. Our TikTok (and Instagram) blowing up the way it did was surprising. We got the idea for our now famous bathroom videos from an older music video we did. We had $0 budget for a music video for our single “It’s Cool,” so we simply did a one take shot of us performing it on a bed. It got 300,000 views on IG and was a massive success. We decided to one up that and see if playing in a bathroom would be funnier. Worked like a charm and was easy to repeat.

It’s easy to get lost in TikTok glitz and glamour without pulling real fans though. We’ve made sure after every video to comment with our email list information and how to get our first album for free. This allows us to actually capture which fans are most interested, and get in contact with them. We’ve seen thousands of new sign ups from this. We’ve also made sure to do livestreams, re-post music videos, and do a lot of follow up campaigns so people seeing us for the first time see us a lot more, and eventually buy a ticket to see us on tour. It’s by far our best tool for building the fan base.

 

Q) With live music making a comeback and mentions of a tour come this fall, what can fans expect at your upcoming live shows?

 

A) New music! If you’ve ever been to our show, you know the raw 80’s synth energy that flows from the stage, and that will only be amplified after not playing shows for two years after our last US tour. But now we have a whole slate of new music. From “Skeletons,” to an unreleased EP to other new tracks, our live show is going to sound a lot different. Plus, blue outfits are coming!

 

Q) What song is your favorite to perform live and what makes it so special to you? 

 

A) The song that’s my personal favorite to perform is “Syringe.” It was our first single ever released! I love the structure of the song and it builds up to an awesome breakdown at the end. It’s not on the setlist anymore, but I always get excited when we get the opportunity to throw it on.

 

Q) With the return of live shows, will there also be the return of the vlog? 

 

A) David is cinematographer by day and a musician by night, he always has a camera with him, so there is no doubt that behind the scenes content will return when the shows start picking back up again. We are also working on providing even more uncut behind the scenes content via the “Backstage Pass” on our website, so stay tuned for that. 

 

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters of your music?  

 

A) Thank you for supporting us and being a part of our community! We know many performers and figures say this, but we are truly grateful for you! We’re really excited to visit many of your cities and continue to release more and more excellent content with you; we’re so grateful that we get to do what we love with you. Don’t forget to get your free copy of our first album as a thank you from us here and check us out at https://www.instagram.com/firstinflightband, and https://www.tiktok.com/@firstinflightband! 

 

 

All Questions Answered By Pat McCloskey