Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Fire Roots
Hi all, my name is Germán Brito, Vocalist of the Melbourne, Australia, Rock band Fire Roots. Our band blends different styles of rock with latin rhythms. We also incorporate pieces of Spanish in our lyrics. I was born and raised in Maracay, Venezuela and moved to Australia in 2016. Fire Roots has been together since 2021.
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Even though there are no musicians in my direct family, music has always been involved in my life. My parents, uncles, grandparents have always had a record player or radio on in their homes, cars and even jobs.
My earliest memory of connecting with music on my own would have been when I was about five or six years old. I can still remember it — it was the mid-90s. I was changing channels on a Saturday or Sunday morning on a black-and-white TV. I was looking for cartoons to watch, but I stumbled upon a channel that was broadcasting a concert.
I remember a very distinct guitar lead being played in a melancholic song, with a pace that wasn’t too slow or too fast. The singer had a great voice, and the vibe of the performance was like nothing I had ever experienced or felt in my short life.
When the song stopped, I kept searching for cartoons, then regretted my decision and went back to the concert — but the broadcast was over, and I never got the name of the artist. Since the lyrics were in a language I was not familiar with at the time, I had no idea who I had seen on TV. I remember singing that guitar melody to people, trying to identify the artist, but I never had any luck. Rock is not really big in the culture I come from, so no one had any idea what I was talking about.
It wasn’t until I was 11 or 12 that I found out it was Nirvana’s version of “The Man Who Sold the World.”
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I think I kind of created my own song when I was seven. I was playing with my dad and trying to rhyme things. When I was nine or ten, a Mexican band got on my radar. They were called Molotov, and they had a big hit called “Give Me Tha Power.” That song had a mix of rapping and singing, lots of swearing, and a very unique, new appeal for the time. Somehow, this song made me feel like I could write my own songs.
I started writing my own lyrics shortly after, and I have not stopped ever since. I think I started writing my own songs at the age of 15, when I got my first bass guitar. Being able to add instrumental music to the melodies and lyrics I was already writing was a game changer for me, and it’s something I have been pursuing ever since.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
After trying out for many bands in Melbourne, I realised that I had to make my own project if I ever wanted to be involved in the music scene. I don’t know if it was my accent, my ethnicity, or my lack of ability to express my ideas in English, but for a long time I tried to be part of different bands and always failed. After forming my own band and playing a couple of shows, I started making connections with people in other bands.
I eventually met Carlos, who was in a local band I shared stages with. He seemed driven and focused on his project and had values similar to mine.
We kept in touch over the years and always shared information about gigs, opportunities, and music-related things. Melbourne was heavily impacted by COVID. The city was in lockdown for two years, my band disbanded, his band dissolved, and we started working together.
We recorded our first four singles in his garage and started recruiting people to join us. Then we started playing shows, then festivals, and now we are writing our first full-length release.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
The short answer is Latin punk. The long answer is a mixture of rock styles with touches of Latin folk and pop sounds. We are a multicultural rock group that is able to show different faces across our catalogue and performances. We aim to write songs that represent and evoke different feelings, moments, and eras of life.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
That we are all different, and that is okay. I have learned that everyone has different styles of communicating and learning, and that it is key to be able to identify those differences if you want to collaborate with others in a consistent way. The more I work in music, the more certain I am that this is one of the main reasons why bands fall apart after a couple of months or years.
For example, when writing a new song, some people really benefit from being together in a room. Others like to have space and independence to work on it. Some prefer to have a concrete core idea and then develop it, while others need to understand the influences and inspiration behind the song before they start working on it. And some people need to be behind schedule and feel that pressure in order to come up with a genius idea in a matter of seconds.
The key thing is to identify who needs what and how to work best with whoever you are collaborating at the time.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I love this question.
I use REAPER to make my demos. I found a guitar plugin called Amped Roots that I always use. I love that one.
Google Keep, I write all my lyrics there.
Google Drive for demo sharing and organising ideas.
I have lately been learning how to use synthesizers. I found a free couple of VST’s that are easy to use, Podolski and TAL Noisemaker.
I usually use an electric guitar to start writing my songs.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I recently discovered a project called Gold Necklace, the main vocalist is Kurt Travis, who is a big influence for me. Listen to their album and you are welcome.
I have also been listening to Dischord, who is a Venezuelan band that resides in Ciudad de Mexico. Hard hitting harcore that will pump you up for the day.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
I have always written about personal experiences and feelings.
One thing that I am doing differently now is adding my background to my artistic vision. Fire Roots helps me embrace my culture in a way I have not felt before, being Latin, being South American, being Venezuelan. We also embrace Australian, Chilean and Peruvian culture in our band, since some of our other members are from those areas and we want to be a cultural melting pot.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope people feel every emotion possible. Fire Roots is made to make you jump, dance, mosh and cry at the same time.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
It taught me that I can create anything I want, and that I can be the best version of myself if I put my heart into it, because music always takes the best out of me.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
It was my dream to play in a venue called Chain Reaction in California, USA. Sadly it closed down and I can no longer play there.
I want to play at The Corner Hotel in my current city of Melbourne Australia.
I would love to play at the Good Things Festival in Australia.
I recently saw a new festival in Italy where some bands I like will play this year, it is called ‘Road To Bay Fest’, which seems like a fun one!
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I would love to collaborate with Fred Mascherino, former guitar player for Taking Back Sunday, and leader of Terrible Things and Color Fred. He is one of my favorite composers, I think his musical abilities would align well with our music.
I would also love to collaborate with Brian McTernan. For the specific genre that I love he is the GOAT of producers, I think someone like him could help us reach incredible things.
The band Chvrches, I love what they do.
There was a band from Madrid, Spain called ‘Nacen de las Cenizas’. I would love to make music with those people.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
@firerootsmusic on IG, TiK TOK and FB
Spotify:
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
We are currently recording our first full length album. The dream would be for it to be heard in different parts of Australia and the world.
We hope our music can take us to different cities across our country and overseas and share stages with amazing artists from everywhere.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I hope they can discover a pleasure for music that takes chances and might do some unconventional things. That they open their ears for different accents, languages and approaches.
If you want here you can add a representative Youtube video to insert below the interview 🙂
This is a live performance for our song ‘Leave You Behind’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JufXLLSUEno&list=RDJufXLLSUEno&start_radio=1
Our latest single ‘Promise Me’
