By: Staff
The homegrown central Texas band FM Rodeo has just dropped their brand-new single "Inhale." Let us tell you, it's an absolute banger!
Produced by the one and only Jon Norris, this track is packed with killer riffs and vocals that'll have your head banging in no time. Now, you might already be familiar with FM Rodeo's lead vocalist from his work with the metalcore outfit Kingdom Collapse. This dude's got some serious vocal chops, with 4 SiriusXM Octane 1 hits and a resume full of big festival appearances under his belt, so you know he's bringing that same high-energy, powerhouse performance to "Inhale." The song itself is a fantastic blend of heavy, driving guitars and melodic hooks that'll stick in your head for days. It's the kind of track that's perfect for blasting in your car with the windows down or throwing on at your next backyard BBQ to get everyone hyped up. Specifically, the guitar opening is movie-scene iconic and would be the best track to sustain any superhero movie scene where the nearly-killed crimefighter survives and walks back into the scene through the fire to finish the job and end evil! The vocals enter and are unique and absolutely a standout on this track. The slow and melodramatic delivery sells the song, making you literally prepare for the explosion that's undoubtedly coming. Right around the 1:37 mark, FM Rodeo delivers this explosion hard, as expected. The band sounds like they're cutting steel with this arrangement. As the song progresses, we get high and low points that swirl and fill our ears. This is likely to be hypnotized at live shows, and we think the fans will be standing still in absolute awe when this song is performed.
If you're a fan of high-energy, guitar-driven rock, you're definitely going to want to check out "Inhale" by FM Rodeo.
This kind of track reminds you why you fell in love with this genre in the first place. It's a total banger, and I can't wait to see what else FM Rodeo has in store for us.
Badass quote from the band:
“The song will resonate with the outsider - someone who doesn't belong but wants to at the same time.”
Wait, there's more!
We caught up with this exciting and emerging artist, FM Rodeo, for:
“The Cage” Music Blog, to talk about music and learn more about them.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
When did you start making music?
Johnny: Troy and I met in the year 2000, and he actually taught me how to play my first instrument (bass guitar) . We formed a band and played mostly covers at first. He started writing very shortly after that.
Troy: I was given my first guitar at age 11 in 1996. The first year was literally just me strumming and making up sounds that sounded cool to me. The next year this guy Aaron from my church gave me guitar lessons. I would learn as many songs as I could, which was usually what was on the radio at the time - lots of Nirvana, Green Day, Oasis. At around age 15 I began writing my own music.
Can you tell the fans something they might not know about you and why you create music?
Johnny: For me, it’s the love of the performance. I really dig people vibing to out sounds we are creating and the shared experiences. Production is fun as well, usually puzzle pieces to make it a bit more interesting.
Troy: For me it began as a way of release because I was no good at sports. I would soon become inspired by performances like Angus Young, Noel Gallagher, and Kurt Cobain and imagine what it would feel like to play to audiences the same way.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process and tell us where the inspiration comes from for this latest project?
Troy: The first part is and always will be the guitar riff for me. I’ll record riffs and come back to them later if they’ve become stuck in my head. The words and themes for the songs have always come after, sometimes years. People I’ve known, experiences lived through, heartbreak and indulgence provide an amazing canvas. This particular song came from a dark place, but as proven you can transform something negative into a relatable experience people can rock out to and enjoy.
What was the most challenging part of bringing this project to life, from the initial idea to the final recording?
Johnny: Searching for the groove and tempo. Most of our songs are punk style and a few moderate tempos, but getting Inhale not to rush the tempo was a bit of a challenge at first, but Troy locked it in with Jonathan Norris (lead vocalist of metalcore band Kingdom Collapse and producer of "Inhale")
Troy: It’s always the challenge of “well I like the way this song sounds, but will the other guys like it enough to add to the setlist?” I've really been lucky though. Johnny and I have played together so long that once we lock in on a song it doesn’t take long to get it nailed.
Is any part of your music's message or your personal purpose you feel fans should know more about? If so, what is that element, and why is it so important to you?
Troy: It’s important to me because much of the music is personal. As I’ve studied other songwriters I’ve found it easy to relate to their experiences. It can be therapeutic in ways. Not only are you alone in your thinking but there are a bunch of people who think and feel the way you do.
What has been the most motivating force in creating your music?
Johnny: Several things ... the gratifying feeling of people becoming legit fans, selling out of merch at shows, and the legacy left behind. Each track represents a different chapter of a journey, some smoother than others but the legacy will live on, and we can look back and tell stories about the creation process or era of shows.
Troy: We recognize the slow disappearance of rock music in the mainstream world. The songs that we play and their reminiscent sound of the 90’s is a style we feel is important and should never go away.
What part of the music-making process is the most stressful, i.e., the creation, the actual release date, etc.?
Johnny: The release for sure! So many moving parts and strategies to implement for something that may not takeoff right away, the gratification that may come later or sometime never at all. You want to double check all of your work, artwork, video edits, clips, social media feeds, and there’s not enough time in a day or amount of effort that can cover all bases that you would want to maximize your potential reach. And then there’s deadlines.
Troy: The easiest and most fun is playing the song in a jam space with just the band. The hardest part - will the listener enjoy what they’re hearing?
What instruments do you play? Which is your favorite?
Johnny: drums primarily, guitar, mandolin, bass, and piano. Right now I’m loving piano
Troy: Guitar has been my mainstay.
Where do you currently reside, and what is the live music venue scene like there?
Johnny: Blanco TX. It’s a rural area between Austin and San Antonio. And the rural areas country music is alive and well, you have blues and bluegrass as well. In the big cities, metal is really big in San Antonio and Indie is big in Austin. San Marcos, which is a smaller college town, loves everything. And most clubs will usually have DJs spinning trap and EDM music, and it seems like right now cover bands are trending.
Troy: I’m currently in Fredericksburg TX. Country music is a thriving business here and always will be. Rock music performers have to flee to surrounding areas like Austin, San Marcos, or San Antonio.
Tell us about the last time you performed. Where was the show, and what was your experience like?
Johnny: ballroom at spiderhouse in Austin! We’ve been playing with some national touring acts, Kingdom Collapse was great, it was their second night of the tour and they just released their new track! Those guys know how to party! We were also surprised that we were able to sell as many tickets as we did
Troy: We were only given a 30 minute set time but still managed to squeeze out a 11 song set, rarely taking breaks in between.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Johnny: play harmonica instead of drums. lol. Jk. I wish I would have leaned into playing with the metronome earlier on, as well as utilizing more dynamics for different styles. It would have been fun to get more video recordings before 2012
Troy: My first instrument to start learning was piano but at the time was way more into sports. After about a year I quit. Is still a big regret.
What is your favorite quote?
Johnny: It's more of a saying but “if you’re the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room!”
Troy: “You owe nothing to the past but wasted time” - Beck
What is your favorite method of connecting with fans?
Johnny: I like to engage with folks after a set. They are usually jazzed up and ready to buy merch.
Troy: I enjoy meeting people that have never seen us play/don’t know us but take the time to come up and talk to us after gigs. Always a great feeling.
End Interview
Check out this latest release and listen to more of FM Rodeo on Spotify & YouTube.
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