An Interview with Fighting the Silence

by Randy Raie

On February 27th, 2016 Fighting the Silence hosted a show at local beachside spot Monkey Bar with guests, and pals, In Motion. I have had the pleasure of hearing them before, but this time I was able to meet Fighting the Silence

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after their set for an interview. I learned of their struggle to be where they are today.

It was a casual Saturday night with a lively crowd under a dim light setting. Both Fighting the Silence and In Motion were mingling and enjoying the atmosphere before taking the stage. In Motion started us off with aggressive drumming and distinguished vocals that could be comparable to the throat of Kurt Cobain. This duo out of Hobe Sound, FL blasted on stage with a “wow” talent. They are a must see heart rock band that delivers powerful drum beats in tune with commanding vocals.

Fighting the Silence, comprised of Dallas/Bass and Vocals, PJ/Drums, and Jesse/guitar have a nostalgic 80’s emo sound with the musical acerbity of the hardcore essence. Their individual backgrounds and roots have helped them synthesize a collaboration of hip hop beats with emo infused rock. The sound they have created has developed into it’s own entity in our local music scene. Although for Dallas, PJ, and Jesse the pathway to this opus was not an easy one.

Dallas, PJ, and Jesse are all natives to Brevard County and have known eathother since their early teens. Jesse and Dallas grew up in the Cape Canaveral area and quickly realized their most common attribute, a love of music. “We’ve known from a young age that this is our passion”, Jesse stated. In one of their early garage punk bands, Dallas and Jesse were in need of a drummer, while PJ was playing guitar in another. As it would be, PJ sat in as their new

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drummer, finding that playing drums came natural. PJ said,“It felt so natural to play (drums) instead of guitar…and I gotta give props to my mom and dad cuz I would practice four hours a day and (they) never once said to quit playing.” They named their outfit Failure to Comply and the trio played through their school years, honing their talent and molding into what the rock scene seemed to be.

As young guys playing rock music in the party scene, there was an expectation of drug use. “Drugs took over the whole equation, and got really bad for us.”, Dallas said. PJ followed, “The way we grew up, a lot of the people we idolized…we kinda looked up to that, not knowing any better.” In 2002, Jesse moved to the Eugene, Oregon area. He rocked with a few bands there like, On the First Day…They were Kittens and Ninth Moon Black, where he learned what it was to tour and be on the road. Meanwhile, Dallas and PJ stayed in Florida helping to form a 4 piece rock band out of Palm Bay called A Stereo Bomb. This led to another group Dallas and PJ put together, this time as an acoustic 3 piece called Santos. This was now 2004 that Dallas and PJ hit the road for the mecca, the hub of cultural influence, NYC.

Positively, NYC is an experience that, I think, all musicians should know. The amount of exposure you can receive, on top of all the other amazing influences, can surely bring your attitude to the next level.  However, there are other influences in cultural hubs that draw a negative affect.  PJ admits, “It brought all of us to our rock bottoms. It took time to see it was destroying us and wasn’t the creative enhancement that we kind of thought it was”. Dallas and PJ made their way back to FLorida where, for a time, making music was no longer in their grasps. Drugs had a bear hug around them that just didn’t want to let go. With Jesse still out west, Dallas and PJ stuck it out through their habit, using one another to stay head above water. Dallas knew he had to battle through his addiction and decided to get treatment in 2011. He became an inspiration to PJ, even when PJ pawned his drums, to keep playing and to take control. They explained to me that during those times the music they played was true and from the heart, it was just the constant that they couldn’t maintain.

Jesse, Dallas, and PJ all stayed in contact with eachothers progress during their time of rehab. During Dallas’ treatment, he collaborated songs that he’d had and experiences of his addiction into new lyrics creating the first set of what will become Fighting the Silence. Coming out of treatment, “I’m gonna make something that’s going to stand the test of time”, Dallas said. With this state of mind and new found confidence Dallas and PJ began jamming again and creating new music. During this time they learned Jesse had cleaned up. “My rockbottom took me to some low places and I ended up back in FL”, Jesse explained. They reunited at a KRS-One concert, catching up and trading stories. After the show they rode back to the pad and as PJ said, “It was meant to be”. “After we put the drugs down and cleaned our lives up we were then able to see our creativity 10 fold”, Jesse added.

Apart from a decade of trials, addiction, and doubt Dallas, PJ, and Jesse were able to overcome the journey to find what they’ve always known, a love of music. The trio has now been Fighting the Silence for 2 years now, and have been playing the local scene with bands like In Motion. They are currently in the studio working on their EP titled Rebirth alongside merchandise, a full cd, and a demo available now. They can be found through their website, FightingtheSilence.net, as well as on Instagram and Facebook. They’ve definitely enjoyed the other projects and bands they’ve been apart of, but when I asked if there was a difference musically between then and now Dallas gracefully said, “We come from an incredibly pure place now.”

www.facebook.com/FightingTheSilence

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