Firebug began their musical journey in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood by Juliette Tworsey and Jules Shapiro. Juliette and Jules found each other through a mutual friend who thought they should get together and work on music as they had similar musical tastes/influences. After adding a full line up the band moved out to L.A. and lived in Silverlake performing at famous venues like The Viper Room and The Echo. After recording their first full length release "Season For Change" the band decided to make a change and moved to New Orleans where they recorded their second full length released on Spectra Records "Wandering Soul".
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Firebug, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Thank you so much for having us Kamil and for giving us this opportunity to meet and speak with you!
I first got into music at a very young age. I knew by the time that I was six years old that I wanted to be a singer. Then, when I was a bit older, I heard Jimi Hendrix’s version of Hey Joe and it was even more clear from there that I had to play music in some facet or form.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
That’s a very good question. It’s all about balance, I suppose. I kind of have a routine (most of the time) that works quite well. Working from home helps a lot because the time that is not spent in traffic is time that is spent on getting things done. There are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, the routine seems to be working. I try to set aside time to play/practice every day.
Your latest song is 'No Return'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
The making and recording of No Return was a pretty seamless process. We recorded it with a great engineer (Charlie Stavish @ The ClockTower Recorders) and a great rythym section (Joseph Nobal on Bass & Matt Lucich on drums). We were really blessed to have such talented people working with us.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Enjoy life (and music, of course!) , work hard, play harder, and be kind to one another.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
I may have gone to school to study archeology or something cool and interesting like that. I had a fascination with learning and digging into the past as a young girl growing up. Fast forward to now, I’d likely spend more time learning various coding languages and tech-related technologies. I’ve become quite the geek over the course of the last few years. That was a turn that I never saw coming!
How do you know when a work is finished?
If it feels right and like it’s going somewhere, then it’s (usually) finished.
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
I can’t really recall any one specific performance that I would consider to be the best of them all. It depends on how you define what is deemed as the best. Playing at The Sonisphere Music Festival a few years back was a lot of fun and a great boost for our band. It’s always awesome to play in front of people in such a cool environment like that. In reality, I think (speaking for myself) that some of my best performances have been when that magic moment seems to occur from out of nowhere during the creative process. Sometimes those moments can make you feel like you are connecting with something bigger than yourself. I got that feeling once again recently when we were laying down some tracks on one of the songs that is set to be on our new release. You have to grab those moments when you can and go with them.
Do you have a mentor or coach?
Our dog Virgil is our guru! Seriously though, I don’t currently have a vocal coach, but I did study with Lis Lewis in Los Angeles for quite a few years. She is a great vocal coach. I have taken what I have learned from her and used that knowledge to keep myself in shape over time. I listen to lectures from various philosophers when I have the time. I sometimes look to them as de facto coaches that help to keep me grounded in this ever changing world.
Who is your favourite musician?
There are many!! To name a few: Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Blind Faith, David Bowie, Beck, BMRC, The Verve, Radiohead, R.L. Burnside, Otis Rush, Howlin’ Wolf, Delores O’Riordan from the Cranberries, Portishead, Simon and Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, U2, Van Morrison and more. There are many more, actually:-)
What are your plans for the future?
To continue on growing as a person and as a musician. To perform when we can and to do our best to connect with those who are willing to listen!