Editor’s Note: One of the cool parts of doing this is getting to sit down with some really cool bands that are just chomping at the bit for people to take notice and Portland, Maine’s own Fifth Freedom is certainly chomping at the bit. They’ve had opportunities opening for the likes of Shaman’s Harvest and Blacktop Mojo, and recently received the opportunity to play in New York City for the first time in their career. Check out Fifth Freedom at the following locations:
www.instagram.com/fifthfreedom
www.twitter.com/fifthfreedomftr
Madness To Creation: How has 2017 been treating you all?
Seth: This year has been epic for Fifth Freedom. We’ve had some cool opportunities like opening for Shaman’s Harvest and Blacktop Mojo and playing New York City for the first time. In August, we released “Heartbreak & Hellfire” on limited colored vinyl which is selling steadily and we’ve been pounding the pavement playing more shows than ever and venturing further outside of our home state of Maine.
M.T.C.: Tell us about the art behind Fifth Freedom when you all go in to write a song.
Seth: At the heart of all our songs is a story hard-lived. Our front man Alan Jones has the gift being a great storyteller and equally, the curse of channeling his pain and the pain of others, to write from a very personal place. Our songs serve as a way to vent, remember, honor, mourn and overcome life’s trials and tribulations. Musically, we collaborate on riffs and song structures. Guitars are a massive part of Fifth Freedom. Our guitarist Ian Dyer and Alan trade-off on bluesy solos in many of our songs. Rhythmically, our drummer Gary Marston and I (Bass), focus on delivering tight and concise grooves that serve the song. Sometimes that means playing lots of fills and counterpoints like on “Wise Man” and sometimes its being a solid anchor for vocal driven songs like “Standing Last”.
Check out the lyric video to “Midnight Rain” by Fifth Freedom below!
M.T.C.: What is the music scene in Maine like?
Seth: We have an interesting music scene in Maine. You can drive for seven hours from the bottom to the top of our state, but most of the population lives in southern Maine. Portland, our largest city, is growing and becoming more attractive for national acts. However, the local scene leans more heavily towards the college/indie and more artsy styles. It seems like the further north you drive, the more the people dig the rock. We will play anywhere the people want to hear us, many times its small towns in central and northern Maine but as our fan base grows, we’re getting more chances to make a splash in Portland.
M.T.C.: One reason why people should visit Maine.
Seth: The beer. We have almost a hundred microbreweries and more are opening as we speak. We’ve been joking about opening a brewery/jam space/pancake emporium,it might happen!
M.T.C.: One reason why people need to see Fifth Freedom in concert!
Seth: The energy. We’re a band that shows up to give our fans everything we have. Fifth Freedom is always a knock-down, drag-out hard rock show. We feel like, if we didn’t leave it all on the stage, we didn’t do our jobs.
M.T.C.: What can fans expect from the “Heartbreak & Hellfire” album?
Seth: The songs on “Heartbreak & Hellfire” range from heavy rock anthems like the albums opener “Battle Cry”, to earnest bluesy ballads like “Midnight Rain” that shout from the depths of frontman Alan Jones’ soul. The album captures how it feels to be heartbroken while at the same time, angry and determined to overcome. This album is more than 10 songs, it’s our statement of purpose. It represents the four of us putting our best foot forward to write the best songs we can and it bleeds with our aspirations and our work ethic to take our music further.
M.T.C.: Most rewarding aspect from creating music.
Seth: The most rewarding part is seeing something we created connect with someone else or help them in some way. It’s our outlet and how we communicate our ideas to the world. Though we are all unique in how we approach music and we have diverse influences, we are cut from the same cloth when it comes to feeling like we didn’t choose music, it chose us. In that sense, creating music makes us feel complete.
M.T.C.: What plans are incorporated to support “Heartbreak & Hellfire”?
Seth: Playing shows in as many new places that will listen. We are working hard on all aspects to grow and further our music. Heartbreak & Hellfire has exceeded every expectation of what we thought we could achieve sonically and in terms of sales and fanfare. We are beyond grateful for the opportunities the record has afforded us and we plan to keep the momentum going.
M.T.C.: Anything else you would like to add in regards to the band?
Seth: One thing we like to tell our fans at every show is: Never give up on your dreams! If you have a something you want to do in life that makes you happy, go for it! Fifth Freedom is the result of four dudes from Maine trying to do just that.
M.T.C.: Thank you for your time!
Seth: Thank you! We appreciate Madness To Creation giving us a voice to share our story.
And there you have it! Special thanks to Tom for setting this up and to Seth for taking the time to sit down with Madness To Creation! Go pick up a copy of “Heartbreak & Hellfire” if you haven’t done so here or check it out on Spotify here!
