Contributor’s Note: Synth pioneer Feyer is exciting, passionate, and a bad ass key-tar player. His music has been covered on Buzzfeed and I was lucky enough to see him live and ask him some questions about his music and what he has coming up in 2019.
Fans can find Feyer at the following locations:
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
Hodgepodge. Mishmash. Fusion. Puzzle. Hard to pinpoint. Any word or phrase that describes taking different genres, styles and influences and throwing them together. In my case, my music is a hybrid of rock and electronic at its core, but I’m always interested in adding in other styles that can be just about anything, as long as it sounds engaging. I also draw influences from other mediums outside of music to add to my sound, such as film, TV, theater, video games and everyday life.
I feel that your music sort of has this early 00’s energy filtered through a healthy layer of glichy electronica. Who are some of your biggest influences? Do you feel your influences change from day to day or do you have certain “northstar musicians?”
My biggest influences are from electric classic rock acts, particularly groups and artists like Queen, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. I am also very influenced by more 80s and 90s prog and new wave acts such as Talking Heads, Rush, Genesis and Nine Inch Nails. However, in more recent years, I’ve had a deeper appreciation for modern alternative acts, particularly Passion Pit, Tame Impala, LCD Soundsystem, etc. This may seem like a random melting pot of musicians that have nothing to do with each other, what unites these bands is the desire to step out of the box and cultivate their own sound. They seldom imitate, they always innovate. Everything I hear can and does inspire me in some way. That is why I prefer to not limit myself in terms of the kind of music I listen to, let alone create.
How is your recent release, ‘Stuck in a Video Game,’ different from the music you’ve put out previously?
I spent more time working on “Stuck in a Video Game” than any track I’ve released in the past. I wanted to try something I’ve never tried before when writing a song: picking a specific tangible item and basing the composition entirely on that. I’ve always enjoyed video game music, and many fans have often told me that my work sounds as though it has a video game influence, but it wasn’t until this release that I used these characteristics to their fullest. The result is something much more electronic than I usually produce, and the production is very tongue-in-cheek. Unlike my previous work, the song’s message is much clearer and easy to picture. On top of that, this track was a real team effort, as I recruited some friends I had recently made to help with production, mixing and mastering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66xV3Yv6imM
Walk us through your songwriting process. How does a song go from an idea to being released?
For me, every song gets written differently. It can start anywhere from noodling around on an instrument, to coming up with a random phrase and building a melody around it, or just from experimenting with different sounds in my software. Once I have the foundation for a song, it will go through several lyrical, melodic and production changes until it becomes the best possible version of itself. It is essential that each song have something people will remember, whether it be lyrics, a vocal melody or a synth melody. I also believe that a song isn’t complete until it has some visual component to go along with it: a music video. This is important since in the age of digital media, most of what we consume and remember is in the form of a video. Sometimes, a video really sells the song, so with every single, I release a music video not too long after. Once the video is out, the process starts all over again.
Why did you choose to pick up the keytar? It’s such a fun instrument, but you rarely see it.
Although I play guitar, bass and drums, I consider keyboard to be my main instrument. I love synthesizers because of the diversity of sounds that they can produce. However, up until I discovered the keytar, I was convinced that to be a keyboard/synth player, I needed to stay put where I was. I was so jealous of those guitarists and bassists who could move around the stage with their portable instruments with ease. But then, after doing some research, I discovered the Roland Lucina, and from there, everything changed. Since then, it’s become my weapon of choice, the grand reveal at the end of shows. I’m here to show that the instrument can be just as relevant and timeless as a guitar, not just a gimmick from the 80s.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in the past year? How do you feel this upcoming year will be different?
My biggest challenges are often staying focused, staying patient and not getting discouraged. There is only so much time in a day to get things done, so staying focused is essential, and since I wear many hats with my project, it can be difficult to accomplish everything in a short period. Everyone in the arts scene has setbacks. Sometimes we don’t land that gig we’ve been looking forward to, sometimes songs don’t rack up enough desired plays, and with the market so oversaturated, cutting through the noise can be extremely difficult. But over time, I’ve learned that the opposite of success is not failure, it’s learning experience. In my attempts to stay resilient and determined, I feel that 2019 will be a solid year; I have a few new releases, videos and shows planned, and they’re all going to be a step in a new direction, so stay tuned for what’s in store!
And there you have it! Feyer has a couple of gigs in New York coming up. Check out the gig dates below.
Wed. 2/13- Pianos in New York, New York
Fri. 3/1- Trans-Pecos in Queens Village, New York
For tickets and further information on the gigs listed above, click here.
- Photo Credit: Justin de la Garza
