Fazeshift
Syracuse, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Of course, The Academy Is… would not have had such an excited crowd if it were not for the two blazing performances that preceded the band. Fazeshift, a local Syracuse band, warmed up a relatively small crowd by playing a new song, "Make Up Your Mind," which sported a catchy beat with powerful percussions.
Setting the tone for the impending night of interaction between artists and fans, Fazeshift asked everyone to put their arms around one another and sway back and forth during their songs. "Gotta show some love," said the band's lead singer Joey Bolognone, a Syracuse native. - The Daily Orange
You get to work with great artists before the rest of the world catches on - Every great national band starts as a local group, often in the basement of a church or in the drummer's garage. I heard about rapper KJ52 a couple of years before he broke onto the national scene from a girl in Florida who heard him at a local church. And don't think that just because you're hiring a group of high schoolers that you're getting subpar entertainment. The last band that played at the Youth Extreme yesterday was Syracuse's Fazeshift. They had a Relient K pop/punk sound that may not be breaking new musical grounds from an industry perspective, but they were really, really good and a lot of fun. You don't need to book Relient K when you have Faze Shift in your own backyard. - Belief Net
FAZESHIFT
Album: The Everyday Broken Heart EP
Release Date: Fall, 2008
Members: Joey Bolognone – vocals/guitar/keys; Josh Salvage – drums/vocals; John Paul McLaughlin – guitar/vocals; Alec Gilfillan – bass
Recommended if you like: Mae, Relient K, The Postal Service
Name 3 bands that, had they not released a certain album at a certain time ... and you would not exist as a band.
The Beautiful Letdown by Switchfoot
Live at Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash
Catch for Us the Foxes by mewithoutYou
If there wasn't music, what skills would your members use and what would they do?
Alec has a BA in French Language and Literature so he’d be teaching that. John Paul would be a Major League Baseball player. Joey would be a writer and Josh would be a NY State Trooper.
What's a secret or little-known fact about your band (or one of your band members) that would make you the darlings of the music world if we all knew it?
We are super heroes. Josh is Batman, Joey is Spiderman, John Paul is Superman and Alec is Flash Gordon. When we aren’t playing music, we are saving the world!
If there was another band and another album that you could give everyone as a present for Christmas, what album would that be? Why?
Beneath Medicine Tree by Copeland. When we first started Fazeshift, we met Copeland after a show they played. They were great guys to talk to and we’ve been encouraged by their success since then. Everyone should listen to Beneath Medicine Tree because it has a deep underlying message about finding meaning and purpose in life.
What is one belief, conviction, idea, or passion that you honestly think might've been deposited inside you or given to you by God?
Compassion for people. We have a desire to help others see their own value, and to encourage them to change their lives and circumstances for the better, whether through our music, our friendship or our prayers.
What's one of the most memorable things (either good, bad, or funny) that's happened at one of your shows?
This scene, punk/pop band was opening for the show, and their guitar player was running across the stage, bashed into the bass player’s face with his guitar, and they got into a fight on stage in the middle of the performance for the remainder of the song. The other members kept going, ignoring the brawl commencing behind them!
If you had a chance to perform for most of the televised world and play just one song, which song would you play ... and why?
“The Ghost of My Good Side.” It’s a song about a person who loses sight of who they were. They’ve become self-absorbed and forgotten the importance of grace, and in doing so, damaged those closest to them. The song points out the importance of attempting to become that selfless person once again, restoring what was lost.
If a super surgeon removed all of your emotions and the ability to feel any emotion for the rest of your life, which one or ones would you most want to have back? Why?
Empathy. If we can wrap our minds around failure, and be able to comprehend forgiveness, we can also accept it for ourselves.
If you could ask God one question, what would you ask Him?
I would ask if we could ask 3 more questions. I need to know who shot JFK, if there will be Jamba Juice in Heaven and how long the Yankees will continue to be the best team in the MLB.
What's the best video on youtube (like, if our readers had to type in a word or a few to search it, what would the keywords be?)?
The funniest youtube video I’ve seen in a while is “Scarlet takes a tumble.”
If someone came to you and said, “Hey! I need to make some changes in my life...Help me out! I'm going to take one piece of advice from you and apply it to my life and/or make it a habit for 30 days.” What would that piece of advice be?
“Bad company corrupts good character.” Pull yourself out of your current environment, and spend 30 days following someone who day by day, follows Jesus’ example, as recorded in the Bible.
In 4 sentences or fewer, explain how your band came to exist (and give us a date).
Joey and Josh began writing scrappy tidbits of tunes in Josh’s bedroom when we were 16, with a microphone and a cheap recording program. Our best friend, John Paul, purchased a guitar, desiring to strum a chord or two. A year later, we met Alec, our bass player, and began covering Switchfoot songs for fun, performing them at local church events. On February 18th, 2005, we coined a name, and started spreading our own tunes to any ear willing to hear.
What's one question you'd always wanted to be asked in an interview?
The question would be “If you could create your own tour, who would you pick as your tour mates.” The tour would consist of Switchfoot, Relient K, The Starting Line and of course Fazeshift.
myspace.com/fazeshift
©2009 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved - HM Magazine
Discography
And Then There Was Life EP
The Everyday Broken Heart EP
The Christmas EP
Photos
Bio
FAZESHIFT is a pop rock trio officially formed in 2005, hailing from the beautiful "Emerald City" of Syracuse, NY. They have a distinct sound that comes from an interesting blend of various influences including artists such as: "Switchfoot," "Mae," "Owl City" and "Relient K." The group consists of Joey Bolognone on Lead Vocals, Guitar and Keys, Josh Salvage on Drums and Backing Vocals, and Alec Gilfillan on Bass.
The members have quite a solid history together, both as friends and as musicians. Their combined faith is powerful and they all share a common purpose: to inspire others through their powerful hooks and lyrics embedded deep within their songs. They are simply dedicated to making a difference in peoples' lives...
FAZESHIFT has released three records to date, ("And Then There Was Life," "The Everyday Broken Heart" and "The Christmas EP") and also had their single "Fickle Thoughts" featured on the Atticus/Sleepless Entertainment "Sounds of Summer Volume 3" Compilation alongside other bands such as: "The Summer Set," "The Audition," "The Secret Handshake" and "The Dangerous Summer."
In addition, the trio has also had the opportunity to tour a solid chunk of the United States on three independent tours to date. FAZESHIFT has had the opportunity to share stages with acts such as: "The Academy Is...," "Ryan Cabrera," "Rookie of the Year," "Fireworks," "Thieves and Villains," "Honor Bright," "Ultra Violent Lights," "Dirtie Blonde," "Nevertheless," "Kids In The Way" and "Mae," along with appearances at festivals such as "Barn Bash" and "Cornerstone." The group has also been featured in publications such as "AMP Magazine" and "HM Magazine."
Currently, they just finished up recording new material with producer Paul Leavitt ("All Time Low," "Senses Fail," "Circa Survive," "Versa Emerge") and are excited to unleash it to the world! 2010 will be an action-packed year for the band as they plan on touring their hearts out across the United States and Canada, and continuing to build a legion of fans both far and wide. Watch out for FAZESHIFT on tour soon, in a city near you!
Links
