From the diverse cities of Southern Ontario, Canada, Rock duo FIRE and LIFE is stepping forward with a fresh, trailblazing sound in the musical world of the 21st century.

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The complementary duo, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Eric Fisher, and head arranger, orchestrator, and producer Travis Golem, interdependently blend the powerful drive of Rock, the cutting, edgy riffs of Post-Hardcore, and the complex counterpoint of Classical Music, to create an immersive instrumental experience, in which smooth and versatile vocal performances thrive. Through the influences of both North American and Japanese Rock, listeners are served with passion and authenticity, as the melodic and harmonic interplay between the vocals, electric guitar, strings, and piano steal the show, while the bass and drums provide a propulsive foundation.

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Claim to Be Different (2024) is the duo’s self-released debut album, and is a mosaic of audible colours, genuinely and precisely communicating emotional rawness and transparency, through carefully crafted, idiomatic compositions throughout. Track 1 - Judge Me - bursts onto the scene with a fierce Rock commotion, as lyrics and music boldly and laughably invite onlooker criticism and unfair judgment. Bewildering awe towards closed-mindedness is the way Claim to Be Different begins, setting the tone for a wild ride of unexpected twists and turns. Track 2 - You Don’t Own Me (watch the Official Music Video here) - enters next with an intensely soft viola and piano intro, before launching into an anthem of independence from heavy-handed, type-casted predictions of one’s life-trajectory. Originally released as the duo’s debut single in 2022, YDOM has caught fire with international internet radio-play, and has racked up thousands of views on YouTube alone, striking chords in the hearts of fans across the globe. Track 3 - We Were Young (watch the Official Music Video here) - is on repeat for many fans, whooshing on in with a rushing burst of life-filled nostalgic joy, running with reminiscence, and also yearning for simpler times. WWY is an ode to Eric and Travis’ formative years, and is a testimony to their 25+ years of friendship together. Track 4 - Apology - quietly enters in next, with an extended piano intro, before a gnarly bomb of remorse explodes in the face of a victim of past faults. The use of a full string orchestra amongst the chaos helps communicate the weight of shame and regret being broadcasted towards the victim’s heart. Ending in soft sorrow, Apology flows right into Track 5 - Together - a song that shifts the journey’s energy, with a budding, light, feathery flow, as a moving, and expressive string quartet takes the stage. Two violins, a viola, and a cello unite to knit together a bed of classical delicacy, in which Eric’s Alternative voice firmly declares the commitment to, and presupposition of, unity, found in those ferociously loyal to one another, regardless of personal differences, supporting one another through life’s storms and serenities. The journey continues, with another mood shift into Track 6 - Perfect - the album’s title track, as a choir of voices precedes the densely epic return of the dynamic rhythm section, and full string orchestra. Perfect calls to attention the detrimental crime, as well as anxiety-inducing burden, of presumptuous expectations placed onto a person’s life, as they simply attempt to discover who they are, and identify what their place is in the world. “I know I want to be, claim to be different; but I’m not perfect!” Finally, Track 7 - Applause (Official Playthrough Video here) - caps things off with a high-strung, aggressive nod to the duo’s hardcore influences, as angrily zealous shouting, and insistently combative riffing, cry out for justice in the ugly face of pride. Applause ups the heat, along with the tempo, and its flowing vocal hook also has it on repeat for many fans. And, as listeners experience the album’s final vocal and instrumental syncopations, Track 1 is at the ready once again, for a second, third, or fiftieth odyssey through the world that is Claim to Be Different, picking up new discoveries each time.

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Through their music, FIRE and LIFE hopes to strengthen listeners with a “voice”, to boldly express their own feelings, thoughts, and desires, and to be confidently and collectively encouraged that we’re all in this together.

 

“Rock music is important, because it can teach us how to feel.” - Eric Fisher

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