Girl on Fire is reigniting the Seattle music scene with their superb sound. (Photo courtesy of Girl on Fire)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
This band is on fire!
Girl on Fire is a hot alternative rock band based out of Seattle. Since their start in 2009, bandmates Austin Held, Nick McMahan, Nicholas Wiggins, Josh Mouser and Harry McDonald, have elevated their sound to perfection.
Since the release of their debut album, Not Broken, the quintet has gained a following on social media and continues to conquer the West Coast through their energetic and passionate performances.
In this edition of The Five Question Challenge, the guys shared the group’s origin story, the challenges that the group faced while recording their debut record and their favorite social media app.
Jacob Elyachar: Could you please share Girl on Fire’s origin story?
Nicholas Wiggins: In 2007 Austin, Nick and Harry decided to start a band after being sick of working at a popular clothing store (Austin Held: It was Hollister and it was horrible) in a mall. Shortly after jamming for a few months, Josh Mouser was brought in to play bass. They wrote a few songs and released them to get some traction and to help us get out of the garage and on to the stage.
AH: We played as much as possible, weekend warrior trips around the state, runs up and down the west coast. We had the opportunity to rock the Ernie Ball stage on some northwest dates of Warped Tour.
Nick McMahan: In December of 2009, we went into the studio with our good friend Will Francis (Aiden, William Control) to make a four-song EP. He then handed our EP to Century Media and we we’re show casing for them a few months later. A few months later, we signed with CM under their subsidiary Hollywood Waste.
Harry McDonald: We released our Revenge EP in September 2011 and began writing the songs for Not Broken in January 2012 when we moved from HWW to CM. We decided to add a fifth member to the band when we asked our friend, Nicholas Wiggins to join us on guitar in May of 2013. A bunch of touring, some videos, countless songs, a few drinks and tokes later here we are! Loving it just as much if not more than when we started.
JE: How long does it take the band to create a song from inception to release?
Josh Mouser: It really depends on the song. Sometimes it clicks really quickly and in a few hours we may have the song done. Keeping in mind that there may be a few adjustments made over time of course. Others may take weeks, months or even years! A big part that keeps us going is that we are never satisfied.
NW: We are stoked on everything we’ve created and let out into the world for everyone to hear, but there’s always room for improvement and always something new things to learn and try.
JE: Recently, you released your debut album: “Not Broken”. What were some of the challenges that you faced while recording the album? How did the group overcome them?
AH: While recording Not Broken, a major challenge that we faced was getting into studio shape (that is not a technical term). When we play live and when we write songs it is raw. Do not get me wrong we play everything accurately and know our instruments, but recording in a studio, and recording in a studio like NRG is a very high attention to detail. Even after having written the songs, played a handful of them live, and rehearsed almost everyday for the better part of two weeks each song still seemed to take ages to record. Occasionally spending five hours recording chorus guitars for one song was not an unusual day. Through excitement, frustration, boredom, and relief the record came to be its final product and we could not be happier with how it turned out.
JE: How has social media helped Girl on Fire grow as a band? What is your favorite social media platform and why?
NM: Social media helps a lot when it comes to connecting with our fans. When we’re in Seattle it’s hard to reach those fans in New York or London without it. People sharing our videos, posts or pictures are the bonus. It helps the artist more than people think. Personally, Instagram is the app of choice especially after adding the video feature.
JE: If you had the chance to meet with aspiring bands who want a career in the music industry, what advice would you share with them?
HMD: The same advice your mom, dad, or grandparents told you:
“Be good and good will come to you,” “Stay focused and strive to learn” and “Life is about growing and it is gonna hurt.”
To learn more about Girl on Fire, visit their website: http://girlonfiremusic.com/
You can also connect with the band on social media! Visit them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube
