Interview with Future Fires: ‘Our next single, ‘Still Time’, is about when you wonder if you can still achieve your dreams’

Birmingham-based band Future Fires will release their beautiful, wistful single, ‘Still Time’, next week (2 October), their take on evaluating dreams and friendships, marking the second single from their upcoming acoustic EP due out in mid-October.

The band comprises Adam Norman (vocals), Matt Levesley (bass), Jak Garrity (second guitar) and Alex Cowie (drums), who have been together for four years. They were brought together by their love for what they call ‘loud and lively rock ‘n’ roll music, big nights out and a strong desire to build something memorable and iconic’.

‘I finished that song on lockdown, ‘said frontman Adam Norman. ‘I had a lot of time to think about things. ‘Still Time’ is about when you wonder if you can still achieve your dreams. It’s also about looking back at friendships that maybe didn’t make it past school or uni and other things that might take their place.’

The lyrics really reflect that: ‘Sitting in a jazz club, twirling crushed ice in my glass, remembering our deep talks in the underpass. We waited ever patiently for the storm to subside, we shared our hidden truths and prayed the rain would never die. And as I held you close and felt the rhythms of your chest, I thought I’d always be the one who knew you best.’

In addition to ‘Still Time’ and ‘Holding On’, the moving first single from their upcoming EP, which came out earlier this month, the EP will also include ‘Keep A Secret’, ‘Far’ and ‘Infinite Life’. ”Keep A Secret’ was written by our old guitarist, it’s about temptation,’ Norman said. ‘Keep A Secret’ is a reworked version of the song we put out in 2018, it’s just got 3-4 chords all the way through. I had a cold in the original take, so I’m glad I could re-do it!’ ‘Far’ is also a reworked version of their single from 2018 with plenty of ‘jangly, honky tonk piano’ and ‘Infinite Life’, which came out earlier this year, is all about the ‘synthy bass’, according to Norman. ‘It’s a tribute to my wife and to finding that person who gives you that ‘infinite life’ but there’s some edginess in there, too!’

‘Holding On’, which was written before lockdown, was initially a very different beast

Interestingly, ‘Holding On’, which was written before lockdown, was initially a very different beast. A few months into lockdown, they realised that the themes of loneliness and separation were more poignant than ever and decided to rework the whole track, slowing it down, tweaking the lyrics, extending the middle section and adding a variety of pianos, violins and cellos to give the track more gravitas and emotional impact. ‘It’s less raucous, it’s proper stripped back but it still feels like us,’ he said.

Norman was inspired to write ‘Holding On’ after listening to Sam Fender’s track, ‘Hypersonic Missiles’: ‘I was thinking about there being some kind of disaster – like now, really, with COVID-19 – and your loved ones are far away but you’re thinking about them and hope they’re ok.’

As such, ‘Holding On’ is a tender look at life in isolation, exploring love and longing, yet containing a stoic message of resilience, unity and hope against a backdrop of comforting acoustic guitars, classical strings and a chorus of harmonious vocals. As the lyrics go: ‘Sitting in the dark, I brace and wait to hear the news, I can’t see the answers when I’m blinded by the clues, you’re reckless, rebellious, you bounce without a care, you’re the soul that goes to places others do not dare.’

‘Halfway Down’…’is an exploration of reckless behaviour’

I tell him that my favourite song of theirs to date is ‘Halfway Down’, which came out in May. ‘That one’s our favourite as well,’ he said. ‘It captures where we were at the time, when our original guitarist had left but Jak had joined us. We had a riff left over from a song that never went anywhere and Jak just started chugging away on it. It was a quick one, just a month from writing it to recording it the week before lockdown. The song’s a look a different phases of my life, becoming a man, it’s an exploration of reckless behaviour, inspired by The Catcher in the Rye (by J.D. Salinger). It’s also a reference to BoJack Horseman (an animated American web TV series about a humanoid horse lost in a sea of self-loathing). He’s about to die because of decisions he’s made, so the song’s a warning about what can happen if you continue with the recklessness – I like to drop hints!’

This year started off brightly for the band who made the most of a line-up change and landing their first major headline shows alongside their most widespread airplay to date, with exposure on Planet Rock Radio, Alt Press, BBC WM Introducing and Brum Radio.

Norman grew up listening to The Beatles and he’s a huge fan of who he calls ‘all the legends of guitar music – Oasis, The Cure, The Smiths, Arctic Monkeys and Nirvana’. He’d like to work with Miles Kane or Robert Smith: ‘He would be pretty legendary!’

(Photo from left to right: Alex, Matt, Adam and Jak)