Fight the Quiet

Fight the Quiet: Let Me In

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins, Relate Contributing Writer

Fight the Quiet hails from Flagstaff, Arizona. Founded in 2004, the band released its first album, “Lessons in Vanity” in 2006. 300 radio stations and MTV has played their music. They’ve played with Jacks Mannequin and list Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, The Killers, and classics such as U2 as influences.

“Let Me In” is the band’s third release. 40 songs were penned for this album, most of which were cut by producer Stephen Short (Augustana, This World Fair). With only six songs making it to the recording, the listener is treated to the very best the band has to offer.

The album starts strong with the title track of the cd. Nathan James, the lead singer, has impressive vocals that start the album off right. “Where’d you go? Would you let me in? Living without you, That ain’t living at all.” The band explodes into a solid rock sound, and they never let up. The stand out song is “Sway” which has confidence and enough rock and roll swagger to put more experienced bands to shame. Fight the Quiet has a current sound, but at times they are reminiscent of bands from the seventies, which is not a bad thing.

Nathan answered a few questions about the band and his experiences.

R: What inspired you to choose the name, Fight the Quiet?

FTQ: C.S. Lewis

R: What’s the best thing about recording?

FTQ: It’s great to have pieces you’ve been working on for months, possibly years, start to come together cohesively. The vibe in the room is amazing when you have everybody on the same page.

R: What is the best thing about performing?

FTQ: Performing a song and having it stop conversations, people dial in to what’s happening on stage. They pick up the album and the song becomes an experience for them. You’re creating a memory. I recall the first show that impacted me was a band called Project 86. I got to see the raw energy from the songs I had been listening to for months; from the people who created those songs. That changed the way I thought about music. I hope our songs can do the same thing for people.

R: What is the one song you’ve recorded that says the most about you?

FTQ: I think every song says something different about who we are as a group. Our song, “Won’t Let Go” probably says the most about me, but each member has a song that does that.

R: What is the best compliment you’ve ever been given about your music?

FTQ: I had a young man come up to me at a show with lyrics from one of our songs tattooed on his calf. That would take the cake.

R: What is the harshest criticism you’ve ever received?

FTQ: “You guys sound like a mix between Miley Cyrus and a dying hippo” or something like that; he was drunk. I guess you would call that heckling, though, not criticism, ha, ha.

Really, it doesn’t matter how harsh criticism is, if it’s right. In that case, you just have to take it and try and work on those things. Working with Stephen Short on the record came with a lot of criticism, which is what you want. It helped us get to an album that we are very proud of.

R: Name one song you wished you had written and why?

FTQ: Strange, but I haven’t ever really thought about that. The songs that have affected me at one point or another are unique to that song writer. I guess I wouldn’t have it any other way. But if I had to pick one song, it would be “Something” from Abbey Road by George Harrison.

R: Do you remember the first time you heard your music on the radio? What were you doing at the time, and what was that like, hearing yourselves on the radio?

FTQ: I got a phone call while I was driving (that was still legal then) and turned it to the station to hear the last line of the song ring out. It was Rob and Sam in the morning at the Eagle 103.7 in Flagstaff- “Thanks for the push, guys!” I felt like we had a support system, like we had people that believed in us. That is the greatest feeling in the world.

R: I read that you guys were pretty young when you started as a band. Do you think that made it easier or more difficult?

FTQ: I was 17, Tim was 19, and we just went for it. I think we made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, but I’m not sure if it had anything to do with being young. But we’ve had plenty of time to learn from them.

R: In the six years since, what has been the best thing you’ve learned about the music industry or about being in a band?

FTQ: Transparency is the most important thing in any industry. To be honest and trustworthy. Listen before you talk, and don’t talk if you don’t have anything to say. (I’m still working on that one. Ha, ha.)

R: What is the biggest goal you hope to achieve with your music?

FTQ: I hope our music impacts people, makes them feel something. Creates a memory for them. I think it has already done that for some, but there’s a lot of people in the world, and I would like them all to have a turn.

The band will be touring the west coast until mid-June. You can find more information about them at www.fightthequiet.com or buy their album “Let Me In” on itunes.

Because this interview was done via email, I didn’t have the chance to ask Nathan to expand on his answer to what inspired the band name; whether it was a C.S. Lewis quote or book. I did, however find a quote from Mr. Lewis that explains God often uses pain in order to be heard, that we usually aren’t listening until then. I liked Nathan’s ambiguity to my question. He answered without answering. I could make it mean what I wanted it to. Songs are like that. It means different things to different people. Take a listen to this band and decide what these songs might mean to you. Fight the Quiet wants you to have that chance.

Tags: C.S. Lewis, Fight the Quiet, interview, Let Me In, MTV, music, Nathan James, Stephen Short