Interviews: Her Name Was Fire

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Stoner Rock band Her Name Was Fire from Portugal. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

The band name wasn’t planned. After a few months of making songs, we started throwing a bunch of names around and we came to conclusion that, from a list of 4 or 5 other names, Her Name Was Fire was the one that best conveyed what we are trying to do musically. It has an element of mystery, danger and it’s clearly a rock’n’roll name that alludes to a femme fatale, so it was a winning combo for us.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We have always been rock dudes, influenced by huge array of genres inside the rock/metal universe. I had never had a stoner band and since I had been listening to more and more of it, it just seemed the natural path when I started writing some riffs with a 2 piece format in mind. In spite of that, we’ve been gradually doing things with less rules, and exploring new sounds, so I think that we just simply fit the label ‘Rock’, because in the end, it it’s what it is.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yes we did actually, we played together in another band (Rejects Untied) a few years ago, we remained friends and we kept hanging around, so when I had this idea of forming a rock duo and was looking for a drummer with the right vibe, Tiago came up to my mind and we had great chemistry playing together right away on the first jam.

4. Each band member favourite band?

That’s a tough choice since we have so many favorites, but from the top of my head, I would say Soundgarden is my all-time favorite and Tiago’s is Tool.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Well, all of the things that affect us through our life, heartbreak, loss, friends and even existential questions about life and death. It might sound like a commonplace, but for us making music and writing lyrics is a therapeutic experience, we need to let it out and rock music is the best outlet for us.

6. Where was your last gig?

It was in Cascais, our home town, for a summer festival in front of thousands of people. It was something special and the best way to end the tour of our first album “Road Antics”.

7. Where would you like to act?

All around, to be honest, we want to bring our music to people and have a great time with them, that’s the main thing. Apart from that, of course, we have those fanboy/music geek dreams about cool mythical venues like Saint Vitus Bar, Royal Albert Hall or festivals like Desert Fest or Roadburn. That would be amazing!

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

I think it would be fun to collaborate with Josh Homme in the Desert Sessions or Les Claypool from Primus, or even Trent Reznor that would be crazy.

9. Whom not?

Cardi B? That would be a weird collaboration.

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

I think everyone that has played live has felt stage fright to a certain degree, thankfully it has never gotten to a point so crippling it made me bail out on a gig. For me, part of the fun of playing live is conquering that fear. As tips go, well, remember to breathe, try to think you’re just there to let it all out, have fun and give your best. Or don’t think at all, just act on pure instinct with music in mind. Even if it doesn’t go perfect, there will always be another gig for you to do it better. I think the best tip I can give is, practice the music you’re going to be playing beforehand as much as you can, and visualize worst case scenario, so you’re prepared.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

So many but once again, Soundgarden, Tool, Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Mars Volta, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Death from Above 1979, David Bowie… I could go on…

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Since we are a duo, the most common weird request is to play bass with us, that’s a classic.

13. What do you think of your fans?

They’re great, we love them and we end up meeting a lot of them at our shows, so we get to exchange stories and whatnot, when time allows. I’d say our fans are cool, friendly, very enthusiastic, very loyal and supportive and they love music and rock’n’roll as much as we do. They also share stories about their lives and how our music might have helped during some period, and that’s very rewarding for us. They’re the best!

14. What do you think of our site?

It’s really cool, love the Countries/Discover bands from all around the world tab, I have found some cool new bands through there, so thank you for that! It’s very interesting to discover new music like that (even though it’s missing Portugal!).

15. Something add?

We are releasing our second album ”Decadent Movement” on April 3rd, in every digital platform. It was crafted with a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears so we hope everyone enjoys it as much as we enjoyed getting these demons out. We feel we’ve created something very special, we’re thrilled to share it with everyone, and we hope it feels special for the people who are going to listen to it, so, come check it out, the first single "Another Rodeo" is already rolling in youtube!