Interviews: Blackfyre Rising

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Hard Rock band Blackfyre Rising from the UK. Check out the interview and follow this band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Did you plan it, or did it just come out like that?

Originally, we were playing around with the idea of ‘Liquifire’ or something in that region, but it just didn’t quite feel like the right fit. Eventually, the idea of Blackfyre Rising came to be, a combination of the original name idea and the Greta Van Fleet song name ‘Black Smoke Rising’. We’ve had people ask us if it’s some sort of reference to the Blackfyre Rebellion from Game of Thrones, but we can confirm this is not the case!

 2. Why did you want to play this genre? 

The idea for the band was initially spawned by our drummer Tom, who was (and still is) heavily influenced by big hard rock bands like Black Stone Cherry, Godsmack, and Nickelback, to smaller bands such as Stone Broken, Anchor Lan,e and Mason Hill. He already had our first ever single, ‘Chainbreaker,’ almost fully written before the band even came together, and that was the first taste of the music road we would go down.

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

Tom and Dave knew each other for a few years before Blackfyre Rising was put together, and they had also played in a band previously, so they knew each other very well by this point. James came into the fold after Tom was at an open mic night at The Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh, and he saw James on stage jamming with a couple of other players. James’s voice, combined with his high-level skill on the guitar, was enough to convince Tom to introduce himself to James and strike up a conversation about putting a band together. Tom was at college with the band’s original bassist Ryan, but further down the lin,e he decided to step away, and his spot was filled in by James’s cousin Magnus, also a brilliant guitarist, who was up to the challenge of swapping out the guitar for the bass for this band. 

4. Each band member's favourite band?

Safe to say Tom will always be a die-hard Metallica fan. Dave has put Alter Bridge at the top of his list for a long time. James may very well put Black Stone Cherry as his choice of favourite band, and something a little different for Magnus, who would likely say Opeth

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

Part of it is our love of playing live, and when we write songs, we’re always thinking about what would be both great for the song but also great for a live show, and what is really going to get the audience’s attention. We’re driven by the goal of playing bigger and bigger shows, and our fan base is growing with them.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last show was at the legendary Bannermans in Edinburgh supporting our mates in Holyrude Vault, who are also Edinburgh-based but have a much more classic, Guns n Roses type of sound. If you ever get the chance to see them live, please do.

7. Where would you like to play? 

There are countless venues in the UK we would love to play. Nightrain in Bradford, The Waterloo in Blackpool, The Garage in Glasgow, and we would also love to get into the UK festival scene and play festivals such as Call of the Wild, Breaking Bands, Bloodstock, and of course, Download!

8. Who would you like to support? 

We would love to share the stage with acts like Absolva and Kira Mac again, as we had a great time when we last shared the stage with them, but there are plenty of other touring UK acts we would love to support. Mason Hill, Stone Broken, Fury, Florence Black, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. There are too many to choose from, and that does not even include our main influences like Black Stone Cherry and Alter Bridge, of course!

9. Who not?

BABYMETAL, just no

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Of course! I think every musician does from time to time, some more than others, and definitely when you first start playing live for the first time. It can be terrifying, but it can also be the best high you’ll ever feel, in my opinion. After my first time playing live as a kid in high school, I was completely hooked. The more you get up on stage at open mics, etc, the easier it gets, and you start to overcome your fear.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

It’s all about great live acts for us. Bands like Black Stone Cherry are always the first to be mentioned in that regard.

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

At plenty of our hometown shows, somewhere in the back, there has been a heckle for our drummer Tom to get his top off; he has yet to oblig,e and it’s been going on for so long that I don’t think any of us are 100% sure where it started! 

13. What do you think of your fans?

While we might not have the biggest fan base in the world, everyone who has come to see us has been brilliant. Kind, encouraging, and happy to sing along when called upon. Can’t ask for more!

14. What do you think of our site?

The site looks great. Well put together, full of useful information on different bands, and full of new music to discover. Sounds pretty good to me.

15. Something to add?

We have 4 singles out currently, and they are available across all streaming platforms. Please go check them out! Also, our new single ‘I’m Alright’ is out and our EP is out on June 6th. Give us a like and a follow on our socials, it’s greatly appreciated!