Farewell Fighter
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Farewell Fighter

Nashville, Tennessee, United States | INDIE

Nashville, Tennessee, United States | INDIE
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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"FAREWELL FIGHTER – CHALLENGES: ALBUM REVIEW"

There’s a lot to say about growing up and trying to figure out exactly who you are, and the fact is, most of it’s a challenge. Still, Nashville pop-punk four piece Farewell Fighter are here to reassure that it’s all worth fighting for, despite the obstacles that constantly stand in the way. Their debut album Challenges navigates pressures that most can associate with and it is easily the cornerstone of their career. Built from the most lyrically and musically strong tracks of previous EP The Way We Learn, the album is compounded with six brand new songs that solidify the band’s already established sound. The carefully-thought out combination of new and old is tracked out perfectly as each song smoothly flows into the next. Farewell Fighter have easily picked up where they left off with the EP and set out to make a better, stronger, and more complete set of tracks – which they have undoubtedly accomplished.

“Well Wishing” opens the album with unwavering guitar behind the soft vocals of Ken Fleet. This track is short, sweet, and to the point. Lasting just over a minute, it opens up the album with the general idea of making wishes and trying to figure out who to be. Despite its abrupt end, it flows directly into “Growing Pains” with a burst of energy.

“Fall” is the first taste of new music on Challenges, and it packs a catchy punch and the reassurance that Farewell Fighter haven’t changed. The music is more cohesive and the vocals are stronger, but the overall sound is the same that we fell in love with on The Way We Learn. “Grow” is far more lighthearted and doesn’t quite hold the weight of some of the other songs on the album, but rather adds an easy-going spirit to the whole. It takes a turn in the last minute of the track, slowing down and becoming a sort of anthem that incorporates group vocals and gives the song a little more substance.

“Bridges” is fast-paced and energetic, filled with driven guitars, pounding drums, and a true display of Fleet’s powerful voice. He sings at the top of his lungs for the majority of the song, but the lyrics are pointed and strike home. One verse is particularly relatable as Fleet sings, “’Maybe you should be more like them’ / Well I guess I just wasn’t cut out to fit in / I’m over getting older / And I lack the strength of heart to start again.” Though the lines seem like giving up, the song takes its title from the line, “I’m ready to burn this bridge for a better way,” which sounds a lot like moving forward.

The sixth and center track is none other than “Love, Lust, or Losing It?” which is perhaps the band’s catchiest jam to date. Its fast pace and witty lines are just the beginning, because when the melodic chorus hits, there’s no way not to love this song. However, just after comes “The Bend,” which is the closest thing we’ve seen to a slow song from the band. The guitars are low and heavy below Fleet singing, “It’s not what we have that makes us whole/ It’s the things that we let go.” The last few moments of the song are simply Fleet’s slow, poignant chorus over a few guitar notes, but make for some of the most powerful moments on the album. Given their musical quality and lyrical strength, slow music could easily become a part of their repertoire and sure enough, “The Bend” leaves me craving a few acoustic bonus tracks.

“Epitaph” is the final new song, opening with a beat led by claps and staccato picked strings. It’s a lighter, almost pop track that provides a good change of pace for Challenges, even if almost at the end. The strings fade out by the middle and that edgier rock guitar streams back in once more.

The last song on the album is also the last song on previous EP The Way We Learn, and it serves as the perfect closing track as it sums of the ideas and message of both releases. The song is slow and steady throughout, and the lyrics are essentially a summation of the lessons learned the hard way. However, the final verse assures, “We are golden because we’re alive,” and, despite the mistakes made and those still to come, every day you are given a fighting a chance to keep going. In all, “Golden” is that beacon of hope in a tunnel of challenges reminding us not to give up.

Each song on the album has at least one notable guitar riff, cymbal-crashing drum beat, and catchy as hell chorus that stick with you from the first moment, but it’s the relatable lyrics that grow on you after so many plays that you’ve memorized them. Fleet sings about difficult feelings and obviously overcoming challenges, but they are the simple everyday experiences that most people struggle with too: fitting in, having worth, following dreams. Yet, despite the obstacles detailed in the lyrics, every song is hopeful. This album absolutely lays out a slew of challenges that can seem overwhelming, but the point of the record is not to simply point out these challenges but instead to prove that they can be overcome.

Rating: 4/5 - Idobi Radio


"FAREWELL FIGHTER – CHALLENGES: ALBUM REVIEW"

There’s a lot to say about growing up and trying to figure out exactly who you are, and the fact is, most of it’s a challenge. Still, Nashville pop-punk four piece Farewell Fighter are here to reassure that it’s all worth fighting for, despite the obstacles that constantly stand in the way. Their debut album Challenges navigates pressures that most can associate with and it is easily the cornerstone of their career. Built from the most lyrically and musically strong tracks of previous EP The Way We Learn, the album is compounded with six brand new songs that solidify the band’s already established sound. The carefully-thought out combination of new and old is tracked out perfectly as each song smoothly flows into the next. Farewell Fighter have easily picked up where they left off with the EP and set out to make a better, stronger, and more complete set of tracks – which they have undoubtedly accomplished.

“Well Wishing” opens the album with unwavering guitar behind the soft vocals of Ken Fleet. This track is short, sweet, and to the point. Lasting just over a minute, it opens up the album with the general idea of making wishes and trying to figure out who to be. Despite its abrupt end, it flows directly into “Growing Pains” with a burst of energy.

“Fall” is the first taste of new music on Challenges, and it packs a catchy punch and the reassurance that Farewell Fighter haven’t changed. The music is more cohesive and the vocals are stronger, but the overall sound is the same that we fell in love with on The Way We Learn. “Grow” is far more lighthearted and doesn’t quite hold the weight of some of the other songs on the album, but rather adds an easy-going spirit to the whole. It takes a turn in the last minute of the track, slowing down and becoming a sort of anthem that incorporates group vocals and gives the song a little more substance.

“Bridges” is fast-paced and energetic, filled with driven guitars, pounding drums, and a true display of Fleet’s powerful voice. He sings at the top of his lungs for the majority of the song, but the lyrics are pointed and strike home. One verse is particularly relatable as Fleet sings, “’Maybe you should be more like them’ / Well I guess I just wasn’t cut out to fit in / I’m over getting older / And I lack the strength of heart to start again.” Though the lines seem like giving up, the song takes its title from the line, “I’m ready to burn this bridge for a better way,” which sounds a lot like moving forward.

The sixth and center track is none other than “Love, Lust, or Losing It?” which is perhaps the band’s catchiest jam to date. Its fast pace and witty lines are just the beginning, because when the melodic chorus hits, there’s no way not to love this song. However, just after comes “The Bend,” which is the closest thing we’ve seen to a slow song from the band. The guitars are low and heavy below Fleet singing, “It’s not what we have that makes us whole/ It’s the things that we let go.” The last few moments of the song are simply Fleet’s slow, poignant chorus over a few guitar notes, but make for some of the most powerful moments on the album. Given their musical quality and lyrical strength, slow music could easily become a part of their repertoire and sure enough, “The Bend” leaves me craving a few acoustic bonus tracks.

“Epitaph” is the final new song, opening with a beat led by claps and staccato picked strings. It’s a lighter, almost pop track that provides a good change of pace for Challenges, even if almost at the end. The strings fade out by the middle and that edgier rock guitar streams back in once more.

The last song on the album is also the last song on previous EP The Way We Learn, and it serves as the perfect closing track as it sums of the ideas and message of both releases. The song is slow and steady throughout, and the lyrics are essentially a summation of the lessons learned the hard way. However, the final verse assures, “We are golden because we’re alive,” and, despite the mistakes made and those still to come, every day you are given a fighting a chance to keep going. In all, “Golden” is that beacon of hope in a tunnel of challenges reminding us not to give up.

Each song on the album has at least one notable guitar riff, cymbal-crashing drum beat, and catchy as hell chorus that stick with you from the first moment, but it’s the relatable lyrics that grow on you after so many plays that you’ve memorized them. Fleet sings about difficult feelings and obviously overcoming challenges, but they are the simple everyday experiences that most people struggle with too: fitting in, having worth, following dreams. Yet, despite the obstacles detailed in the lyrics, every song is hopeful. This album absolutely lays out a slew of challenges that can seem overwhelming, but the point of the record is not to simply point out these challenges but instead to prove that they can be overcome.

Rating: 4/5 - Idobi Radio


"POZ Review: Farewell Fighter - Challenges"

All too often, being young is considered more of a vice than an advantage. Society tells us that we have to grow up, become adults, and figure out who we are and what we want — not necessarily in that order.

Things are never that simple, though. As I prepare for my last semester of college, I realize more and more that I’m scared because I don’t have things figured out yet. And I’m not sure I’m ready to grow up.

When I first heard “Well Wishing,” the opening track on Farewell Fighter's new album Challenges, I was immediately drawn to it on a personal level. The song is a brief but powerful admission of all the fears I’ve been experiencing lately. In it, lead singer Kenny Fleetwood admits, “It’s not just a matter of who I become / I think deep in my heart I’m still way too damn young.” The song sets the stage for an album about being afraid to grow up, but learning to face those fears head on.

“Well Wishing” starts out quiet and slow, with muted guitars under Fleetwood’s velvety vocals. It builds up to its conclusion, which fades almost seamlessly into the song’s follow-up, “Growing Pains.” Unlike its predecessor, “Growing Pains” is full of youthful zeal and vigor, featuring an energetic guitar solo and playful alternating vocals.

As Challenges progresses, it’s obvious that Farewell Fighter favors certain stylistic choices. Many of the songs start out quiet, then blow wide open in a burst of passion. In “Fall” this fit arrives just before the first chorus, when the drums come charging in. Meanwhile “Bridges” features brooding vocals and an edgy, punctuated guitar melody in the first verse, before introducing heavier chords.

The greatest accomplishment on this album is Farewell Fighter’s ability to balance immaturity with insight. Challenges features cheekier songs like “Love, Lust, Or Losing It” and “Never Have I Ever,” while also providing mature material like “The Bend” and “Golden.”

“Love, Lust, Or Losing It” juxtaposes bouncy and lively melodies with recollections of the stress and anxiety of interacting with the opposite sex (“I can’t get girls to like me / If I don’t learn how to dance / And with my two left feet I know I’m out .”) Meanwhile “Never Have I Ever” pulls its name from a childish game many of us probably played in high school, as a not-so-subtle way of telling listeners not to let their dreams turn into their own “Never Have I Ever…”s.

“The Bend” is softer and less forceful, a break in the nearly relentless pace of the album. The guitars sneak in and the percussion rolls along, highlighting the harmonies as the band sings: “If every road could take us home / Nobody here would ever feel alone / It’s not what we have that makes us whole / It’s the things that we let go.” These lines never seem more fitting than towards the end of the track, when gang vocals take over and everyone finds their place.

The album wraps up with “Golden,” a slower, quieter song with understated verses that emphasize the vocals while the guitars remain sparse. “Golden” is all about taking charge of our own futures and going after what we want most. The band drives the message home in the bridge with recordings of little kids talking about all the things they want to be when they grow up.

None of us really has a choice when it comes to growing up. We can try to fight it, but it happens whether or not we are ready, and all that’s left for us is to make the best of it. Farewell Fighter seems to have realized this long ago. They share the lessons they’ve learned in their music, creating an album that is deeply personal but universal in a way that only music can be. - Property Of Zack


"POZ Review: Farewell Fighter - Challenges"

All too often, being young is considered more of a vice than an advantage. Society tells us that we have to grow up, become adults, and figure out who we are and what we want — not necessarily in that order.

Things are never that simple, though. As I prepare for my last semester of college, I realize more and more that I’m scared because I don’t have things figured out yet. And I’m not sure I’m ready to grow up.

When I first heard “Well Wishing,” the opening track on Farewell Fighter's new album Challenges, I was immediately drawn to it on a personal level. The song is a brief but powerful admission of all the fears I’ve been experiencing lately. In it, lead singer Kenny Fleetwood admits, “It’s not just a matter of who I become / I think deep in my heart I’m still way too damn young.” The song sets the stage for an album about being afraid to grow up, but learning to face those fears head on.

“Well Wishing” starts out quiet and slow, with muted guitars under Fleetwood’s velvety vocals. It builds up to its conclusion, which fades almost seamlessly into the song’s follow-up, “Growing Pains.” Unlike its predecessor, “Growing Pains” is full of youthful zeal and vigor, featuring an energetic guitar solo and playful alternating vocals.

As Challenges progresses, it’s obvious that Farewell Fighter favors certain stylistic choices. Many of the songs start out quiet, then blow wide open in a burst of passion. In “Fall” this fit arrives just before the first chorus, when the drums come charging in. Meanwhile “Bridges” features brooding vocals and an edgy, punctuated guitar melody in the first verse, before introducing heavier chords.

The greatest accomplishment on this album is Farewell Fighter’s ability to balance immaturity with insight. Challenges features cheekier songs like “Love, Lust, Or Losing It” and “Never Have I Ever,” while also providing mature material like “The Bend” and “Golden.”

“Love, Lust, Or Losing It” juxtaposes bouncy and lively melodies with recollections of the stress and anxiety of interacting with the opposite sex (“I can’t get girls to like me / If I don’t learn how to dance / And with my two left feet I know I’m out .”) Meanwhile “Never Have I Ever” pulls its name from a childish game many of us probably played in high school, as a not-so-subtle way of telling listeners not to let their dreams turn into their own “Never Have I Ever…”s.

“The Bend” is softer and less forceful, a break in the nearly relentless pace of the album. The guitars sneak in and the percussion rolls along, highlighting the harmonies as the band sings: “If every road could take us home / Nobody here would ever feel alone / It’s not what we have that makes us whole / It’s the things that we let go.” These lines never seem more fitting than towards the end of the track, when gang vocals take over and everyone finds their place.

The album wraps up with “Golden,” a slower, quieter song with understated verses that emphasize the vocals while the guitars remain sparse. “Golden” is all about taking charge of our own futures and going after what we want most. The band drives the message home in the bridge with recordings of little kids talking about all the things they want to be when they grow up.

None of us really has a choice when it comes to growing up. We can try to fight it, but it happens whether or not we are ready, and all that’s left for us is to make the best of it. Farewell Fighter seems to have realized this long ago. They share the lessons they’ve learned in their music, creating an album that is deeply personal but universal in a way that only music can be. - Property Of Zack


"Album Review: 'Challenges' by Farewell Fighter"

Despite their name, Nashville pop punk quartet Farewell Fighter are fighters -- and champions -- of the highest degree. According to their official Facebook page, the humble group of young musicians knew right from the get-go what kind of risks and determination are ever so often needed to become something in the music industry. Having shed themselves of nearly all of their physical possessions and at constant risk of homelessness after an appearance at the top of Alternative Press Magazine's top unsigned bands of 2010, Kenny Fleetwood, Lee Morton, Matt Hooper, and David Jahns took to the road on an entirely self-booked and self-funded set of 150+ shows across the country. Thankfully, the band sold over 6,000 copies of their debut EP, "The Way We Learn," as a result of their staring adversity right back in the eyes. With this success under their belts, Farewell Fighter took the next four years to develop and fine-tune their full album debut, "Challenges," released earlier this year.

With a band built upon such homegrown success in the 21st century as Farewell Fighter is, one would imagine that they'd have to be doing something right in order to be where they're at today, having gained appearances with well-established acts such as Hellogoodbye and We Are in the Crowd and a bevy of impressive album and tour sales. The one imagining that idea would be partially right. Farewell Fighter is doing something right in this industry, alright, but they're also doing a whole lot more somethings right than just that one something. They're a genuine bunch of young men who thrive off of their music because it is equally as genuine as they are. It is clear when listening to a Farewell Fighter record that this band of boys is creating exactly the type of music that they want to.

Some may call a performing band an "act," but they are far from good actors -- they're just four guys who just so happen to be in a really good place for themselves right now, and it's thanks to the music that they love, and that music is certainly something to write home about. In a world drowned by new independent pop punk releases, Farewell Fighter still dares to fight their way to the top of the crop with only the most clever of lyrics, the most cutting-edge of instrumentations, and the most killer, sentimental, emotion-ridden, effective, and on-the-money vocals that the business has to offer. "Challenges" is more than just one band's full debut -- it's a product of the men behind the music's incredibly hard work that they had managed to overcome.

The band's rags-to-riches background shines on this record through the pure compassion that they put behind every last square inch of the album's production. They dare to push punk convention beyond its highest limits and they seem to do so with absolute relative ease. As far as full independent pop punk releases go, "Challenges" by Farewell Fighter is a very worthy candidate for being the best that this year has to offer -- or even the best out of what the past several years have had to offer. It is a pop punk masterpiece just as much as Farewell Fighter is a group of talented, homegrown individuals who deserve every bit of the recognition that they are receiving and shall receive in the future. The sky is the limit with these boys, and it'll be extremely interesting to see where they strive to go next with their work.

Rating: 5/5

You can purchases "Challenges" from off of iTunes right here and right now for just $9.99 or listen to it on Spotify for absolutely free. Either way, you will be benefiting a group of young men who most definitely deserve whatever help and recognition that they can get moving forward. These guys are the real deal. You can also hit up their official online store where you can purchase a physical copy of "Challenges" amongst other merchandise here. - Yahoo Music


"Album Review: 'Challenges' by Farewell Fighter"

Despite their name, Nashville pop punk quartet Farewell Fighter are fighters -- and champions -- of the highest degree. According to their official Facebook page, the humble group of young musicians knew right from the get-go what kind of risks and determination are ever so often needed to become something in the music industry. Having shed themselves of nearly all of their physical possessions and at constant risk of homelessness after an appearance at the top of Alternative Press Magazine's top unsigned bands of 2010, Kenny Fleetwood, Lee Morton, Matt Hooper, and David Jahns took to the road on an entirely self-booked and self-funded set of 150+ shows across the country. Thankfully, the band sold over 6,000 copies of their debut EP, "The Way We Learn," as a result of their staring adversity right back in the eyes. With this success under their belts, Farewell Fighter took the next four years to develop and fine-tune their full album debut, "Challenges," released earlier this year.

With a band built upon such homegrown success in the 21st century as Farewell Fighter is, one would imagine that they'd have to be doing something right in order to be where they're at today, having gained appearances with well-established acts such as Hellogoodbye and We Are in the Crowd and a bevy of impressive album and tour sales. The one imagining that idea would be partially right. Farewell Fighter is doing something right in this industry, alright, but they're also doing a whole lot more somethings right than just that one something. They're a genuine bunch of young men who thrive off of their music because it is equally as genuine as they are. It is clear when listening to a Farewell Fighter record that this band of boys is creating exactly the type of music that they want to.

Some may call a performing band an "act," but they are far from good actors -- they're just four guys who just so happen to be in a really good place for themselves right now, and it's thanks to the music that they love, and that music is certainly something to write home about. In a world drowned by new independent pop punk releases, Farewell Fighter still dares to fight their way to the top of the crop with only the most clever of lyrics, the most cutting-edge of instrumentations, and the most killer, sentimental, emotion-ridden, effective, and on-the-money vocals that the business has to offer. "Challenges" is more than just one band's full debut -- it's a product of the men behind the music's incredibly hard work that they had managed to overcome.

The band's rags-to-riches background shines on this record through the pure compassion that they put behind every last square inch of the album's production. They dare to push punk convention beyond its highest limits and they seem to do so with absolute relative ease. As far as full independent pop punk releases go, "Challenges" by Farewell Fighter is a very worthy candidate for being the best that this year has to offer -- or even the best out of what the past several years have had to offer. It is a pop punk masterpiece just as much as Farewell Fighter is a group of talented, homegrown individuals who deserve every bit of the recognition that they are receiving and shall receive in the future. The sky is the limit with these boys, and it'll be extremely interesting to see where they strive to go next with their work.

Rating: 5/5

You can purchases "Challenges" from off of iTunes right here and right now for just $9.99 or listen to it on Spotify for absolutely free. Either way, you will be benefiting a group of young men who most definitely deserve whatever help and recognition that they can get moving forward. These guys are the real deal. You can also hit up their official online store where you can purchase a physical copy of "Challenges" amongst other merchandise here. - Yahoo Music


Discography

"The Winning Team" EP 2009
"The Way We Learn" EP 2011
"Caroline" Single 2012
"Challenges" LP (Easy Killer Records) 2013
"Epitaph" Single (Easy Killer Records) 2013 - Radio play on 102.9 The Buzz Nashville.

Photos

Bio

Most individuals would think twice before giving up all their physical belongings, cutting ties and risking homelessness & starvation. In 2011, Nashville pop-rock quartet Farewell Fighter did just that. After topping Alternative Press Magazine’s list of 2010’s top unsigned bands in North America, the band decided to take things to the next level by scheduling show after show in self-booked, self-funded tours across America; ultimately spending the next 12 months on the road playing 150+ shows in more than 40 states and selling more than 5,500 copies of their latest self-released EP entitled The Way We Learn.

With an undying passion for their trade, vocalist Kenny Fleetwood, drummer Matthew Hooper, guitarist Lee Morton, and bassist David Jahns seem to be the scene’s poster-boys for the ‘look what I can do’ attitude. While most bands in their genre struggle to create honest and catchy songs, FF do it track by track — and they’ve managed to stay humble doing it. Giving up everything you have for the good of a dream has a way of putting the world into perspective for a young artist. Feet on the ground, eyes on the prize, the sly foursome aren’t showing signs of slowing down. On-stage antics reminiscent of a band operating on a much bigger budget have earned them appearances with peers such as The Early November, We Are The In Crowd, Hellogoodbye, and a national tour with Twenty One Pilots.

In a convoluted music scene full of GarageBands and auto-tune, Farewell Fighter are hell-bent on proving that you don’t have to be pretty or have a record executive for an uncle just to be successful. They’re doing it through their music — and they’re doing it well.

The band signed with Easy Killer Records and released their first full length album titled ‘Challenges’ on 8/6/13.