Ignite The Fire

THE RELUCTANT FRONT MAN: IGNITE THE FIRE’S SINGER IS REALIZING HIS DREAM DESPITE THE OBSTACLES OF ASPERGER’S SYNDROME


For Autism Awareness Month, OPX Records & WAIL would like to share the story of one of our featured artist’s, Ignite The Fire, whose lead singer has overcome the obstacles of Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s become a powerful presence and inspiration both on and off the stage.
“I wish people could learn to value our individual gifts, instead of focusing on our oddities.” - Jack Gurecki, Ignite The Fire
The Reluctant Front Man
Ignite The Fire’s Singer is Realizing His Dream Despite the Obstacles of Asperger’s Syndrome
For 25-year-old Jack Gurecki, the singer and frontman for the rock band Ignite the Fire, the social landscape can sometimes be a minefield.
Following a performance, he must make his way from the stage and into a crowd of people eager to interact with him, get an autograph, share a few words. And he is always gracious and kind to everyone.
But, “People don’t realize he is fighting something. He is struggling,” says Michael Nelson, guitarist for the band.
That something is Asperger’s Syndrome. Jack, who is from Westminster, MD, is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of four. As such Jack sees the world in a very different way, not always understanding the subtle nuisances that make for social interaction. He has trouble with sarcasm and takes things literally. He avoids eye contact. And, he can often come off as quirky, a little different.
Since joining the band seven years ago, Jack has worked hard to become a powerful presence on stage, overcoming the challenges of his Asperger’s and connecting with audiences who thrill to his soaring vocals.
But he can still struggle off stage.
“Once you are off that stage and you don’t have that command and people are allowed to be themselves in front of you and expect you to be a certain way in front of them, well, it can be very intimidating,” says Jack.
Adding, “It’s difficult. But this is my dream.”
As a child, Jack’s family referred to him as the “little professor.” “He memorized everything and by the age of two was so articulate,” says his mother, Janis Gurecki.
But there were other behaviors that caused his family concern. Jack referred to himself in the third person and would exhibit a repetitive “flapping” motion with his arms when overstimulated or upset. “It helped me to cope with and calm the random, unsettling world around me,” he says.
As an adult, he has found other ways to calm himself, such as plugging in his ear buds and listening to music or even the sound of his own breathing. He often does this before shows. “It’s like meditation,” he says.
Once Jack was diagnosed, Janis set out learning all she could about Asperger’s and was determined to help her son better navigate the world around him. “I owe a lot to my mother,” says Jack, who was homeschooled for much of his elementary school years.
His social education included learning facial expressions and the emotions they convey. “They are hard to figure out, and they are never the same person to person,” says Jack. Jack often does not make eye contact with others because he is overwhelmed by micro-expressions he does not understand, a snarled lip or raised eyebrow. “With a lot of people their emotions are subtle,” says Jack. “It was hard for me to figure out what people were feeling and therefore be able to empathize.”
As such, cartoons and actors like Jim Carrey with their exaggerated expressions were invaluable to Jack early on. He could more easily determine what emotions they were conveying. He studied them. “You could tell exactly what they were thinking,” he says. “I needed that. I needed those faces to empathize with.”
And by studying these characters he became enamored with the idea of being a performer himself. “I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to do?’” he says.
His mother enrolled him in a theatre program when he was eight years old. And with his ability to memorize and mimic he soon became a standout. Jack was the Beast in Beauty and the Beast and performed in other productions. He also sang. In perfect pitch.
“I remember when he was little, I would sing to him,” says Janis with a smile. “One time he turned to me and said, ‘Mommy, please stop.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘It doesn’t sound right.’”
His singing voice, as well as his talent for acting, including memorization and mimicking, would serve him well when he went off to public school during middle and high school.
“He could do all this cool stuff,” says Nelson, who was a classmate. “He was the impression master. Everyone in school knew him. He was a really cool dude. Strange but definitely cool.”
“He learned to relate to people through memorizing anything that he knew was social and that he heard the kids talk about,” says Janis. “Like doing voices. He could be a wallflower and throw out that one thing and then they’d realize, okay, Jack’s cool.”
Not everyone thought he was cool, however. Jack was sometimes bullied.
“He just wouldn’t act like it bothered him,” says Nelson.
But it did.
Janis has a drawing Jack did during this time. The drawing is done from Jack’s perspective, cowering on the floor in the gym locker room with three bullies hovering over him, one pointing a menacing finger in Jack’s face. The background is drawn in swirling motions, reflecting Jack’s emotions at that moment.
“That’s how he got through things,” says Janis. “He expressed himself through his art.”
And still does. A gifted artist, especially in the digital arts, he is responsible for the band’s artwork, some of which has gone on to be tattooed on the body of fans.
In fact, he chose to study art when he entered college. He also wanted to sing. And when he saw a flyer by a band called Ignite The Fire looking for a singer, he reached out to them.
“Talking to him on the phone he seemed very eccentric,” recalls Caelan Gregory, drummer and co-founder of the band. “And then when he showed up, he was very energetic but slightly off. He reacted to things more exuberantly. More over the top.”
Then he sang for them.
“After he showed us his voice, we were like, yeah, the guy can sing,” says Gregory.
Adding, “He’s got a very distinct voice. I know he gets compared a lot to Brent Smith (Shinedown) and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge). That’s a huge compliment because if you think about that, that’s two of the most distinct voices in rock music.”
“His voice is unparalleled,” says Jeremy Dove of Darkesville Studios in Winchester, VA, where the band’s last two EPs were recorded. “I had heard about perfect pitch. But I had never experienced it before.”
That perfect pitch can also come in handy in the recording studio. “There have been times when we’d finished a song and we’re ironing out the last details,” says Dove. “Jack will be like, ‘We need to move this one note.’ We would move it and then everyone in the room would go, son of a bitch, he was right. It’s about making a really good song even better.”
But there is so much more to being a frontman than just singing and having perfect pitch.
“I don’t think we initially realized the breadth of which his Asperger’s truly affected him,” says Gregory. “We would tell him you need to make eye contact, you need to engage. You’re telling this to a person who all his life has tried to avoid that, struggled with it.”
Jack persevered. “I would tell him something and you could see the apprehension,” says Gregory, “but you could also see that eagerness too. That eagerness of this is what I want to do. I want to be a performer, a front man. I want to sing.”
During the band’s early days, “we would have someone videotape our performances,” says Gregory. “We treated it like a high school football team. We would watch the film the next day and see what we could improve on. Watching Jack, you could tell he was very closed in. Almost like he was in a shell.”
Often times Gregory would give him pointers. “I would tell him you need to look out and make the audience as much a part of this as you’re a part of it,” says Gregory.
The band also prepared a script for Jack to follow when he was onstage. That script is more of a format now as Jack’s confidence has grown. But when he first started out, a lull on stage, say stopping to fix a broken guitar string, could be dangerous as Jack attempted to fill the time.
The band good-naturedly recalls an incident that occurred during one such show. Behind the stage were huge posters of rockers such as Axl Rose. During an unexpected lull in the show, Jack had to go off script. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the images and then proceeded to make the comment, “There are a lot of iconic musicians up there. And, then there’s Axl Rose.”
Jack was attempting to be funny. Instead, there were frowns and grimaces – frowns from some members of the audience, grimaces from members of the band.
Thus, his band nickname became “Brutally Honest Jack.”
It’s not that he wants to deliberately offend anyone, he explains. “It’s like I’m missing a filter,” he says. “I’m not as affected by the social structure that everyone else has just intuitively picked up on.”
His ability to recognize and work through such potential pitfalls has been beneficial for both him and the band. Despite the challenges Jack and the band have flourished, making a name for themselves and having their music played around the world.
“I couldn’t imagine being in a band with any other frontman,” says Gregory. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jack is often now described as “a hell of a front man” by those who come to shows. But even as he works hard to be accepted by society, he also wishes society would return the favor. “I wish people could learn to value our individual gifts, instead of focusing on our oddities,” he says of his Asperger’s.
To others, he is more than just a “hell of a front man.” He is an inspiration. Like 13-year-old Adam Bertolette, who is also on the autism spectrum.
“For the longest time, Adam has known he is different,” says his father, Brian. “He gets very down on himself because he is not like other kids.”
That changed when he attended an Ignite The Fire show. “Here was this guy up on stage and everybody was clapping for him and cheering for him,” says Brian of Jack. “He was up there singing. This was somebody who was like Adam. That was a huge thing for Adam.”
After the show Jack sat down and visited with Adam and his stepmother Karen. And during his conversation with them, Jack passed on some words of encouragement. “Jack told him it was okay to be different,” says Karen. Adam took Jack’s words to heart. “That whole weekend he was on cloud nine,” says Brian. “He was smiling. You could tell he felt good about himself.”
It was a moment that Jack also relishes. One that validates his journey as a front man. “I sometimes think about Adam,” he says. “That I’m somebody’s hero. It really makes me feel like I’ve done something right in my life. No matter how hard it’s been.”
About Ignite The Fire:
Ignite The Fire is the Mid Atlantic’s new premiere original rock band. Their music has been played around the world from the United States to the United Kingdom, and from Australia to Brazil. The band’s music has also been streamed thousands of times on top digital platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, with their current single Echoes featured on Spotify’s editor playlist “And Upon This Rock.” They have been named a Band to Watch by publication Uncivil Revolt and their song Criticize was chosen song of the year by Z98 and iHeartRadio. They have shared the stage with such bands as Three Days Grace, Bad Wolves, In this Moment, Theory of A Deadman, Pop Evil, Black Stone Cherry, among many others. They are current touring in support of their current release Between Shadow and Solace.
Article: Lisa Gregory
Photos: Lance Smith - Wail Music Magazine

TBK Magazine

April 15, 2019

April is Autism Awareness month. And while I was checking my email yesterday, I received this message. And I wanted to share it with all of you because you can do anything you want in life.


The Reluctant Front Man
Ignite The Fire’s Singer is Realizing His Dream Despite the Obstacles of Asperger’s Syndrome

For 25-year-old Jack Gurecki, the singer and front man for the rock band Ignite the Fire, the social landscape can sometimes be a minefield.

Following a performance, he must make his way from the stage and into a crowd of people eager to interact with him, get an autograph, share a few words. And he is always gracious and kind to everyone.
But, “People don’t realize he is fighting something. He is struggling,” says Michael Nelson, guitarist for the band.
That something is Asperger’s Syndrome. Jack, who is from Westminster, MD, is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of four. As such Jack sees the world in a very different way, not always understanding the subtle nuisances that make for social interaction. He has trouble with sarcasm and takes things literally. He avoids eye contact. And, he can often come off as quirky, a little different.
Since joining the band seven years ago, Jack has worked hard to become a powerful presence on stage, overcoming the challenges of his Asperger’s and connecting with audiences who thrill to his soaring vocals.
But he can still struggle off stage.
“Once you are off that stage and you don’t have that command and people are allowed to be themselves in front of you and expect you to be a certain way in front of them, well, it can be very intimidating,” says Jack.
Adding, “It’s difficult. But this is my dream.”
As a child, Jack’s family referred to him as the “little professor.” “He memorized everything and by the age of two was so articulate,” says his mother, Janis Gurecki.
But there were other behaviors that caused his family concern. Jack referred to himself in the third person and would exhibit a repetitive “flapping” motion with his arms when over stimulated or upset. “It helped me to cope with and calm the random, unsettling world around me,” he says.
As an adult he has found other ways to calm himself, such as plugging in his ear buds and listening to music or even the sound of his own breathing. He often does this before shows. “It’s like meditation,” he says.
Once Jack was diagnosed, Janis set out learning all she could about Asperger’s and was determined to help her son better navigate the world around him. “I owe a lot to my mother,” says Jack, who was homeschooled for much of his elementary school years.
His social education included learning facial expressions and the emotions they convey. “They are hard to figure out, and they are never the same person to person,” says Jack. Jack often does not make eye contact with others because he is overwhelmed by micro expressions he does not understand, a snarled lip or raised eyebrow. “With a lot of people their emotions are subtle,” says Jack. “It was hard for me to figure out what people were feeling and therefore be able to empathize.”
As such, cartoons and actors like Jim Carrey with their exaggerated expressions were invaluable to Jack early on. He could more easily determine what emotions they were conveying. He studied them. “You could tell exactly what they were thinking,” he says. “I needed that. I needed those faces to empathize with.”
And by studying these characters he became enamored with the idea of being a performer himself. “I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to do?’” he says.
His mother enrolled him in a theatre program when he was eight years old. And with his ability to memorize and mimic he soon became a standout. Jack was the Beast in Beauty and the Beast and performed in other productions. He also sang. In perfect pitch.
“I remember when he was little, I would sing to him,” says Janis with a smile. “One time he turned to me and said, ‘Mommy, please stop.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘It doesn’t sound right.’”
His singing voice, as well as his talent for acting, including memorization and mimicking, would serve him well when he went off to public school during middle and high school.
“He could do all this cool stuff,” says Nelson, who was a classmate. “He was the impression master. Everyone in school knew him. He was a really cool dude. Strange but definitely cool.”
“He learned to relate to people through memorizing anything that he knew was social and that he heard the kids talk about,” says Janis. “Like doing voices. He could be a wallflower and throw out that one thing and then they’d realize, okay, Jack’s cool.”
Not everyone thought he was cool, however. Jack was sometimes bullied.
“He just wouldn’t act like it bothered him,” says Nelson.
But it did.
Janis has a drawing Jack did during this time. The drawing is done from Jack’s perspective, cowering on the floor in the gym locker room with three bullies hovering over him, one pointing a menacing finger in Jack’s face. The background is drawn in swirling motions, reflecting Jack’s emotions at that moment.
“That’s how he got through things,” says Janis. “He expressed himself through his art.”
And still does. A gifted artist, especially in the digital arts, he is responsible for the band’s artwork, some of which has gone on to be tattooed on the body of fans.
In fact, he chose to study art when he entered college. He also wanted to sing. And when he saw a flyer by a band called Ignite The Fire looking for a singer, he reached out to them.
“Talking to him on the phone he seemed very eccentric,” recalls Caelan Gregory, drummer and co-founder of the band. “And then when he showed up, he was very energetic but slightly off. He reacted to things more exuberantly. More over the top.”
Then he sang for them.
“After he showed us his voice, we were like, yeah, the guy can sing,” says Gregory.

Adding, “He’s got a very distinct voice. I know he gets compared a lot to Brent Smith (Shinedown) and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge). That’s a huge compliment because if you think about that, that’s two of the most distinct voices in rock music.”
“His voice is unparalleled,” says Jeremy Dove of Darkesville Studios in Winchester, VA, where the band’s last two EPs were recorded. “I had heard about perfect pitch. But I had never experienced it before.”
That perfect pitch can also come in handy in the recording studio. “There have been times when we’d finished a song and we’re ironing out the last details,” says Dove. “Jack will be like, ‘We need to move this one note.’ We would move it and then everyone in the room would go, son of a bitch, he was right. It’s about making a really good song even better.”
But there is so much more to being a front man than just singing and having perfect pitch.
“I don’t think we initially realized the breadth of which his Asperger’s truly affected him,” says Gregory. “We would tell him you need to make eye contact, you need to engage. You’re telling this to a person who all his life has tried to avoid that, struggled with it.”
Jack persevered. “I would tell him something and you could see the apprehension,” says Gregory, “but you could also see that eagerness too. That eagerness of this is what I want to do. I want to be a performer, a front man. I want to sing.”
During the band’s early days, “we would have someone video tape our performances,” says Gregory. “We treated it like a high school football team. We would watch the film the next day and see what we could improve on. Watching Jack, you could tell he was very closed in. Almost like he was in a shell.”
Often times Gregory would give him pointers. “I would tell him you need to look out and make the audience as much a part of this as you’re a part of it,” says Gregory.
The band also prepared a script for Jack to follow when he was onstage. That script is more of a format now as Jack’s confidence has grown. But when he first started out, a lull on stage, say stopping to fix a broken guitar string, could be dangerous as Jack attempted to fill the time.
The band good-naturedly recalls an incident that occurred during one such show. Behind the stage were huge posters of rockers such as Axl Rose. During an unexpected lull in the show, Jack had to go off script. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the images and then proceeded to make the comment, “There are a lot of iconic musicians up there. And, then there’s Axl Rose.”
Jack was attempting to be funny. Instead, there were frowns and grimaces – frowns from some members of the audience, grimaces from members of the band.
Thus, his band nickname became “Brutally Honest Jack.”
It’s not that he wants to deliberately offend anyone, he explains. “It’s like I’m missing a filter,” he says. “I’m not as affected by the social structure that everyone else has just intuitively picked up on.”
His ability to recognize and work through such potential pitfalls has been beneficial for both him and the band. Despite the challenges Jack and the band have flourished, making a name for themselves and having their music played around the world.
“I couldn’t imagine being in a band with any other front man,” says Gregory. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jack is often now described as “a hell of a front man” by those who come to shows. But even as he works hard to be accepted by society, he also wishes society would return the favor. “I wish people could learn to value our individual gifts, instead of focusing on our oddities,” he says of his Asperger’s.

To others he is more than just a “hell of a front man.” He is an inspiration. Like 13-year-old Adam Bertolette, who is also on the autism spectrum.
“For the longest time, Adam has known he is different,” says his father, Brian. “He gets very down on himself because he is not like other kids.”
That changed when he attended an Ignite The Fire show. “Here was this guy up on stage and everybody was clapping for him and cheering for him,” says Brian of Jack. “He was up there singing. This was somebody who was like Adam. That was a huge thing for Adam.”
After the show Jack sat down and visited with Adam and his stepmother Karen. And during his conversation with them, Jack passed on some words of encouragement. “Jack told him it was okay to be different,” says Karen. Adam took Jack’s words to heart. “That whole weekend he was on cloud nine,” says Brian. “He was smiling. You could tell he felt good about himself.”
It was a moment that Jack also relishes. One that validates his journey as a front man. “I sometimes think about Adam,” he says. “That I’m somebody’s hero. It really makes me feel like I’ve done something right in my life. No matter how hard it’s been.”

About Ignite The Fire:
Ignite The Fire is the Mid Atlantic’s new premiere original rock band. Their music has been played around the world from the United States to the United Kingdom, and from Australia to Brazil. The band’s music has also been streamed thousands of times on top digital platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, with their current single Echoes featured on Spotify’s editor playlist “And Upon This Rock.” They have been named a Band to Watch by publication Uncivil Revolt and their song Criticize was chosen song of the year by Z98 and iHeartRadio. They have shared the stage with such bands as Three Days Grace, Bad Wolves, In this Moment, Theory of A Deadman, Pop Evil, Black Stone Cherry, among many others. They are current touring in support of their current release Between Shadow and Solace. - TBK Magazine

April 14 2019

Editorial: Perfect time to raise awareness of autism

Carroll County Times Editorial Board

Saturday’s Times included the story of a Westminster native, Jack Gurecki, living his dream as the lead singer of the rock band Ignite the Fire. He has had to overcome more than most given that he is on the Autism spectrum. In his case, according to the piece, “he sees the world in a different way, not always understanding the subtle nuances needed for social interaction. He has trouble with sarcasm and takes things literally. He avoids eye contact.” He works every day to overcome his challenges.
Gurecki’s story would be compelling at any time but it’s particularly timely given that April is Autism Awareness Month. Which makes this a good time for us to try to increase awareness of something that affects an estimated 1.5 to 3.5 million Americans.
According to the advocacy organization Autism Speaks, autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.
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Autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States today, according to the Centers for Disease Control, whereas it affected 1 in 150 in 2000. That makes it the fastest-growing developmental disability, according to the CDC.
There is not one type of autism, but rather many subtypes, which give each person who has it a different set of challenges. It is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities and medical issues such as gastrointestinal disorders, seizures or sleep disorders, as well as mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and attention issues, according to Autism Speaks, and indicators of autism often appear by age 3.
Gurecki was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 4. (Medical professionals now categorize Asperger’s as part of the autism spectrum, rather than as an individual syndrome.) He had been showing early behaviors that were of concern to his family, such as referring to himself in the third person and exhibiting a repetitive “flapping” motion with his arms when over-stimulated or upset. “It helped me to cope with and calm the random, unsettling world around me,” he recalled.
Gurecki still uses techniques to keep calm, such as listening to music or his own breathing. He channels his energy into his art and his career and he now inspires others as the confident-looking, powerful frontman for a high-energy band. Something he would like to see embraced by everyone is particularly apt during Autism Awareness Month: “I wish people could learn to value our individual gifts, instead of focusing on our oddities.”
Gurecki is pursuing exactly the career he wants, but that is not the case with many on the autism spectrum. According to the Autism Society, 35 percent of young adults with autism have not held a job or received any education past high school.
Because signs of autism are often apparent very early, Autism Speaks recommends parents contact a medical professional if they see the following signs in their children.
By 12 months: Little or no babbling; little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving; and little or no response to name. By 16 months: Very few or no words. By 24 months: Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases. At any age: Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills; avoidance of eye contact; persistent preference for solitude; difficulty understanding other people’s feelings; persistent repetition of words or phrases, resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings; repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc.); and unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors.
Reach Autism Speaks at 888-288-4762 or visit autismspeaks.org. - Carroll County Times (Maryland)

Front page article in April 13, 2019 Carroll County Times

'This is my dream': Westminster man impresses as rock band frontman while living with Asperger’s syndrome

Jack Gurecki, the 25-year-old singer and frontman for the rock band Ignite the Fire, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 4 and is on the autism spectrum. (Courtesy photo)
Lisa Gregory For the Carroll County Times
For 25-year-old Jack Gurecki, the singer and frontman for the rock band Ignite the Fire, the social landscape can sometimes be a minefield.
After a performance, the Westminster resident must make his way from the stage and into a crowd of people eager to interact with him, get an autograph, share a few words. He tries to always be gracious and kind.
But, “People don’t realize he is fighting something. He is struggling,” said Michael Nelson, guitarist for the band.
That “something” is Asperger’s syndrome.
Medical professionals now categorize Asperger’s as part of the autism spectrum, rather than as an individual syndrome. Gurecki is on that spectrum and was diagnosed with Asperger’s at age 4.
As such, he sees the world in a different way, not always understanding the subtle nuances needed for social interaction. He has trouble with sarcasm and takes things literally. He avoids eye contact. And he knows he can come off as quirky, a little different.
Since joining the band seven years ago, Gurecki has worked to become a powerful presence on stage, overcoming the challenges of his Asperger’s and connecting with audiences who thrill to his soaring vocals.
But he can still struggle when not performing.
“Once you are off that stage and you don’t have that command and people are allowed to be themselves in front of you and expect you to be a certain way in front of them, well, it can be very intimidating,” he said. “It’s difficult. But this is my dream.”

Jack Gurecki, the 25-year-old singer and frontman for the rock band Ignite the Fire, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 4 and is on the autism spectrum. (Courtesy photo)
As a child, Gurecki’s family referred to him as the “little professor.”
“He memorized everything and by the age of 2 was so articulate,” said Janis Gurecki, his mother.
But there were other early behaviors that caused his family concern. He referred to himself in the third person and would exhibit a repetitive “flapping” motion with his arms when over-stimulated or upset. “It helped me to cope with and calm the random, unsettling world around me,” he recalled.
As an adult he has found other ways to calm himself, such as plugging in his ear buds and listening to music or even the sound of his own breathing. He often does this before shows, saying it is like meditation.
Once he was diagnosed, his mother set out to learn all she could about Asperger’s and was determined to help her son better navigate the world around him.
“I owe a lot to my mother,” Gurecki said, noting he was homeschooled for much of his elementary school years.
His social education included learning facial expressions and the emotions they convey.
“They are hard to figure out, and they are never the same person to person,” he said, noting that the reason he does not make eye contact is because he is overwhelmed by micro-expressions, such as a snarled lip or a raised eyebrow, that he does not understand. “With a lot of people their emotions are subtle. It was hard for me to figure out what people were feeling and therefore be able to empathize.”
As such, actors like Jim Carrey and cartoons, with their exaggerated expressions, were invaluable to him early on because he could more easily determine what emotions they were conveying. And by studying these characters he became enamored with the idea of being a performer himself.
“I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to do?’ ” Gurecki said.
His mother enrolled him in a theater program when he was 8. And with his ability to memorize and mimic he soon became a standout. Jack once portrayed the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast” and performed in other productions.
He also sang — in perfect pitch.
“I remember when he was little, I would sing to him,” Janis Gurecki said. “One time he turned to me and said, ‘Mommy, please stop.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘It doesn’t sound right.’ ”
His singing voice, as well as his talents for acting, memorization and mimicking, would serve him well when he went off to public school for middle and high school.
“He could do all this cool stuff,” said Nelson, who was a classmate of Gurecki’s. “He was the impression master. Everyone in school knew him. He was a really cool dude. Strange but definitely cool.”
“He learned to relate to people through memorizing anything that he knew was social and that he heard the kids talk about,” his mother said. “Like doing voices. He could be a wallflower and throw out that one thing and then they’d realize, OK, Jack’s cool.”

Jack Gurecki, the 25-year-old singer and frontman for the rock band Ignite the Fire, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 4 and is on the autism spectrum. (Courtesy photo)
Not everyone thought he was cool, however. He was sometimes bullied. Nelson remembers Gurecki acting as if it didn’t bother him.
But it did.
His mother still has a drawing Gurecki did during this time with the young Jack cowering on the floor in the gym locker room with three bullies hovering over him, one pointing a menacing finger in his face. The background is drawn in swirling motions, reflecting Jack’s emotions at that moment.
“That’s how he got through things,” Janis Gurecki recalled. “He expressed himself through his art.”
And still does. He is responsible for the band’s artwork, some of which has gone on to be tattooed on fans’ bodies.
In fact, he chose to study art when he entered college. But he also wanted to sing, so when he saw a flyer by a band called Ignite The Fire looking for a singer, he reached out to them.
“Talking to him on the phone he seemed very eccentric,” recalled Caelan Gregory, drummer and co-founder of the band. “And then when he showed up, he was very energetic but slightly off. He reacted to things more exuberantly. More over the top.”
Then he sang for them.
“After he showed us his voice, we were like, yeah, the guy can sing,” Gregory said. “He’s got a very distinct voice. I know he gets compared a lot to Brent Smith (of Shinedown) and Myles Kennedy (of Alter Bridge). That’s a huge compliment because if you think about that, that’s two of the most distinct voices in rock music.”
Jeremy Dove of Darkesville Studios in Winchester, Virginia, where the band’s last two EPs were recorded, called Gurecki’s voice “unparalleled.”
“I had heard about perfect pitch. But I had never experienced it before,” Dove said.
But there is more to being a frontman than just singing.

“I don’t think we initially realized the breadth of which his Asperger’s truly affected him,” Gregory said. “We would tell him you need to make eye contact, you need to engage. You’re telling this to a person who all his life has tried to avoid that, struggled with it.
“I would tell him something and you could see the apprehension, but you could also see that eagerness too. That eagerness of … I want to be a performer, a frontman. I want to sing.”
During the band’s early days, they would videotape their performances and then watch it and break down the film later like a high school football team. Often, Gregory would give Gurecki pointers. The band also prepared a script for Gurecki to follow when he was onstage.
When he started out, a lull on stage — say, stopping to fix a broken guitar string — could be dangerous as Gurecki attempted to fill the time. During one such lull at a show with huge posters of rockers such as Axl Rose behind the stage, Gurecki had to go off-script. Seeing the images, he commented: “There are a lot of iconic musicians up there. And, then there’s Axl Rose.”
He was attempting to be funny. Instead, there were frowns from some in the audience and grimaces from members of the band. Thus, his band nickname became “Brutally Honest Jack.”
“It’s like I’m missing a filter,” Gurecki said. “I’m not as affected by the social structure that everyone else has just intuitively picked up on.”
His ability to recognize and work through such potential pitfalls has been beneficial for both him and the band. Despite the challenges, Jack and the band have flourished, making a name for themselves and having their music played around the world.
“I couldn’t imagine being in a band with any other frontman,” Gregory said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jack is often now described as “a hell of a front man” by those who come to shows. But even as he works hard to be accepted by society, he also would like society to return the favor.
“I wish people could learn to value our individual gifts, instead of focusing on our oddities,” he said of his Asperger’s.
To others he is more than just a “hell of a front man.” He is an inspiration. Like 13-year-old Adam Bertolette, who is also on the autism spectrum.
“For the longest time, Adam has known he is different,” said his father, Brian. “He gets very down on himself because he is not like other kids.”
That changed when he attended an Ignite The Fire show. “Here was this guy up on stage and everybody was clapping for him and cheering for him,” Brian said of Jack. “He was up there singing. This was somebody who was like Adam. That was a huge thing for Adam.”
After the show Jack sat down and visited with Adam and his stepmother Karen. And during his conversation with them, Jack passed on some words of encouragement.
“Jack told him it was okay to be different,” Karen said. Adam took Jack’s words to heart. “That whole weekend he was on cloud nine,” Brian said. “He was smiling. You could tell he felt good about himself.”
It was a moment that Jack also relishes, one that validates his journey as a frontman.
“I sometimes think about Adam,” he said. “That I’m somebody’s hero. It really makes me feel like I’ve done something right in my life. No matter how hard it’s been.” - Carroll County Times (Maryland)

Ignite The Fire’s Singer Is Realizing His Dream Despite The Obstacles of Asperger’s Syndrome
April 6, 2019

For 25-year-old Jack Gurecki, the singer and front man for the rock band Ignite the Fire, the social landscape can sometimes be a minefield.

Following a performance, he must make his way from the stage and into a crowd of people eager to interact with him, get an autograph, share a few words. And he is always gracious and kind to everyone.

But, “People don’t realize he is fighting something. He is struggling,” says Michael Nelson, guitarist for the band.

That something is Asperger’s Syndrome. Jack, who is from Westminster, MD, is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of four. As such Jack sees the world in a very different way, not always understanding the subtle nuisances that make for social interaction. He has trouble with sarcasm and takes things literally. He avoids eye contact. And, he can often come off as quirky, a little different.

Since joining the band seven years ago, Jack has worked hard to become a powerful presence on stage, overcoming the challenges of his Asperger’s and connecting with audiences who thrill to his soaring vocals.

But he can still struggle off stage.

“Once you are off that stage and you don’t have that command and people are allowed to be themselves in front of you and expect you to be a certain way in front of them, well, it can be very intimidating,” says Jack.

Adding, “It’s difficult. But this is my dream.”

As a child, Jack’s family referred to him as the “little professor.” “He memorized everything and by the age of two was so articulate,” says his mother, Janis Gurecki.

But there were other behaviors that caused his family concern. Jack referred to himself in the third person and would exhibit a repetitive “flapping” motion with his arms when over stimulated or upset. “It helped me to cope with and calm the random, unsettling world around me,” he says.

As an adult he has found other ways to calm himself, such as plugging in his ear buds and listening to music or even the sound of his own breathing. He often does this before shows. “It’s like meditation,” he says.

Once Jack was diagnosed, Janis set out learning all she could about Asperger’s and was determined to help her son better navigate the world around him. “I owe a lot to my mother,” says Jack, who was homeschooled for much of his elementary school years.

His social education included learning facial expressions and the emotions they convey. “They are hard to figure out, and they are never the same person to person,” says Jack. Jack often does not make eye contact with others because he is overwhelmed by micro expressions he does not understand, a snarled lip or raised eyebrow. “With a lot of people their emotions are subtle,” says Jack. “It was hard for me to figure out what people were feeling and therefore be able to empathize.”

As such, cartoons and actors like Jim Carrey with their exaggerated expressions were invaluable to Jack early on. He could more easily determine what emotions they were conveying. He studied them. “You could tell exactly what they were thinking,” he says. “I needed that. I needed those faces to empathize with.”

And by studying these characters he became enamored with the idea of being a performer himself. “I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to do?’” he says.

His mother enrolled him in a theatre program when he was eight years old. And with his ability to memorize and mimic he soon became a standout. Jack was the Beast in Beauty and the Beastand performed in other productions. He also sang. In perfect pitch.

“I remember when he was little, I would sing to him,” says Janis with a smile. “One time he turned to me and said, ‘Mommy, please stop.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘It doesn’t sound right.’”

His singing voice, as well as his talent for acting, including memorization and mimicking, would serve him well when he went off to public school during middle and high school.

“He could do all this cool stuff,” says Nelson, who was a classmate. “He was the impression master. Everyone in school knew him. He was a really cool dude. Strange but definitely cool.”

“He learned to relate to people through memorizing anything that he knew was social and that he heard the kids talk about,” says Janis. “Like doing voices. He could be a wallflower and throw out that one thing and then they’d realize, okay, Jack’s cool.”

Not everyone thought he was cool, however. Jack was sometimes bullied.

“He just wouldn’t act like it bothered him,” says Nelson.

But it did.

Janis has a drawing Jack did during this time. The drawing is done from Jack’s perspective, cowering on the floor in the gym locker room with three bullies hovering over him, one pointing a menacing finger in Jack’s face. The background is drawn in swirling motions, reflecting Jack’s emotions at that moment.

“That’s how he got through things,” says Janis. “He expressed himself through his art.”

And still does. A gifted artist, especially in the digital arts, he is responsible for the band’s artwork, some of which has gone on to be tattooed on the body of fans.

In fact, he chose to study art when he entered college. He also wanted to sing. And when he saw a flyer by a band called Ignite The Fire looking for a singer, he reached out to them.

“Talking to him on the phone he seemed very eccentric,” recalls Caelan Gregory, drummer and co-founder of the band. “And then when he showed up, he was very energetic but slightly off. He reacted to things more exuberantly. More over the top.”

Then he sang for them.

“After he showed us his voice, we were like, yeah, the guy can sing,” says Gregory.

Adding, “He’s got a very distinct voice. I know he gets compared a lot to Brent Smith (Shinedown) and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge). That’s a huge compliment because if you think about that, that’s two of the most distinct voices in rock music.”

“His voice is unparalleled,” says Jeremy Dove of Darkesville Studios in Winchester, VA, where the band’s last two EPs were recorded. “I had heard about perfect pitch. But I had never experienced it before.”

That perfect pitch can also come in handy in the recording studio. “There have been times when we’d finished a song and we’re ironing out the last details,” says Dove. “Jack will be like, ‘We need to move this one note.’ We would move it and then everyone in the room would go, son of a bitch, he was right. It’s about making a really good song even better.”

But there is so much more to being a front man than just singing and having perfect pitch.

“I don’t think we initially realized the breadth of which his Asperger’s truly affected him,” says Gregory. “We would tell him you need to make eye contact, you need to engage. You’re telling this to a person who all his life has tried to avoid that, struggled with it.”

Jack persevered. “I would tell him something and you could see the apprehension,” says Gregory, “but you could also see that eagerness too. That eagerness of this is what I want to do. I want to be a performer, a front man. I want to sing.”

During the band’s early days, “we would have someone video tape our performances,” says Gregory. “We treated it like a high school football team. We would watch the film the next day and see what we could improve on. Watching Jack, you could tell he was very closed in. Almost like he was in a shell.”

Often times Gregory would give him pointers. “I would tell him you need to look out and make the audience as much a part of this as you’re a part of it,” says Gregory.

The band also prepared a script for Jack to follow when he was onstage. That script is more of a format now as Jack’s confidence has grown. But when he first started out, a lull on stage, say stopping to fix a broken guitar string, could be dangerous as Jack attempted to fill the time.

The band good-naturedly recalls an incident that occurred during one such show. Behind the stage were huge posters of rockers such as Axl Rose. During an unexpected lull in the show, Jack had to go off script. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the images and then proceeded to make the comment, “There are a lot of iconic musicians up there. And, then there’s Axl Rose.”

Jack was attempting to be funny. Instead, there were frowns and grimaces – frowns from some members of the audience, grimaces from members of the band.

Thus, his band nickname became “Brutally Honest Jack.”

It’s not that he wants to deliberately offend anyone, he explains. “It’s like I’m missing a filter,” he says. “I’m not as affected by the social structure that everyone else has just intuitively picked up on.”

His ability to recognize and work through such potential pitfalls has been beneficial for both him and the band. Despite the challenges Jack and the band have flourished, making a name for themselves and having their music played around the world.

“I couldn’t imagine being in a band with any other front man,” says Gregory. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Jack is often now described as “a hell of a front man” by those who come to shows. But even as he works hard to be accepted by society, he also wishes society would return the favor. “I wish people could learn to value our individual gifts, instead of focusing on our oddities,” he says of his Asperger’s.

To others he is more than just a “hell of a front man.” He is an inspiration. Like 13-year-old Adam Bertolette, who is also on the autism spectrum.

“For the longest time, Adam has known he is different,” says his father, Brian. “He gets very down on himself because he is not like other kids.”

That changed when he attended an Ignite The Fire show. “Here was this guy up on stage and everybody was clapping for him and cheering for him,” says Brian of Jack. “He was up there singing. This was somebody who was like Adam. That was a huge thing for Adam.”

After the show Jack sat down and visited with Adam and his stepmother Karen. And during his conversation with them, Jack passed on some words of encouragement. “Jack told him it was okay to be different,” says Karen. Adam took Jack’s words to heart. “That whole weekend he was on cloud nine,” says Brian. “He was smiling. You could tell he felt good about himself.”

It was a moment that Jack also relishes. One that validates his journey as a front man. “I sometimes think about Adam,” he says. “That I’m somebody’s hero. It really makes me feel like I’ve done something right in my life. No matter how hard it’s been.” - Alternative Revolt Magazine

Wired with Music

Autism Awareness Month Celebrates: Ignite the Fire

For 25-year-old Jack Gurecki, the singer and front man for the rock band Ignite the Fire, the social landscape can sometimes be a minefield.
Following a performance, he must make his way from the stage and into a crowd of people eager to interact with him, get an autograph, share a few words. And he is always gracious and kind to everyone.
But, “People don’t realize he is fighting something. He is struggling,” says Michael Nelson, guitarist for the band.
That something is Asperger’s Syndrome. Jack, who is from Westminster, MD, is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of four. As such Jack sees the world in a very different way, not always understanding the subtle nuisances that make for social interaction. He has trouble with sarcasm and takes things literally. He avoids eye contact. And, he can often come off as quirky, a little different.
Since joining the band seven years ago, Jack has worked hard to become a powerful presence on stage, overcoming the challenges of his Asperger’s and connecting with audiences who thrill to his soaring vocals.
But he can still struggle off stage.
“Once you are off that stage and you don’t have that command and people are allowed to be themselves in front of you and expect you to be a certain way in front of them, well, it can be very intimidating,” says Jack.
Adding, “It’s difficult. But this is my dream.”
As a child, Jack’s family referred to him as the “little professor.” “He memorized everything and by the age of two was so articulate,” says his mother, Janis Gurecki.
But there were other behaviors that caused his family concern. Jack referred to himself in the third person and would exhibit a repetitive “flapping” motion with his arms when over stimulated or upset. “It helped me to cope with and calm the random, unsettling world around me,” he says.
As an adult he has found other ways to calm himself, such as plugging in his ear buds and listening to music or even the sound of his own breathing. He often does this before shows. “It’s like meditation,” he says.
Once Jack was diagnosed, Janis set out learning all she could about Asperger’s and was determined to help her son better navigate the world around him. “I owe a lot to my mother,” says Jack, who was homeschooled for much of his elementary school years.
His social education included learning facial expressions and the emotions they convey. “They are hard to figure out, and they are never the same person to person,” says Jack. Jack often does not make eye contact with others because he is overwhelmed by micro expressions he does not understand, a snarled lip or raised eyebrow. “With a lot of people their emotions are subtle,” says Jack. “It was hard for me to figure out what people were feeling and therefore be able to empathize.”
As such, cartoons and actors like Jim Carrey with their exaggerated expressions were invaluable to Jack early on. He could more easily determine what emotions they were conveying. He studied them. “You could tell exactly what they were thinking,” he says. “I needed that. I needed those faces to empathize with.”
And by studying these characters he became enamored with the idea of being a performer himself. “I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to do?’” he says.
His mother enrolled him in a theatre program when he was eight years old. And with his ability to memorize and mimic he soon became a standout. Jack was the Beast in Beauty and the Beast and performed in other productions. He also sang. In perfect pitch.
“I remember when he was little, I would sing to him,” says Janis with a smile. “One time he turned to me and said, ‘Mommy, please stop.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘It doesn’t sound right.’”
His singing voice, as well as his talent for acting, including memorization and mimicking, would serve him well when he went off to public school during middle and high school.
“He could do all this cool stuff,” says Nelson, who was a classmate. “He was the impression master. Everyone in school knew him. He was a really cool dude. Strange but definitely cool.”
“He learned to relate to people through memorizing anything that he knew was social and that he heard the kids talk about,” says Janis. “Like doing voices. He could be a wallflower and throw out that one thing and then they’d realize, okay, Jack’s cool.”
Not everyone thought he was cool, however. Jack was sometimes bullied.
“He just wouldn’t act like it bothered him,” says Nelson.
But it did.
Janis has a drawing Jack did during this time. The drawing is done from Jack’s perspective, cowering on the floor in the gym locker room with three bullies hovering over him, one pointing a menacing finger in Jack’s face. The background is drawn in swirling motions, reflecting Jack’s emotions at that moment.
“That’s how he got through things,” says Janis. “He expressed himself through his art.”
And still does. A gifted artist, especially in the digital arts, he is responsible for the band’s artwork, some of which has gone on to be tattooed on the body of fans.
In fact, he chose to study art when he entered college. He also wanted to sing. And when he saw a flyer by a band called Ignite The Fire looking for a singer, he reached out to them.
“Talking to him on the phone he seemed very eccentric,” recalls Caelan Gregory, drummer and co-founder of the band. “And then when he showed up, he was very energetic but slightly off. He reacted to things more exuberantly. More over the top.”
Then he sang for them.
“After he showed us his voice, we were like, yeah, the guy can sing,” says Gregory.
Adding, “He’s got a very distinct voice. I know he gets compared a lot to Brent Smith (Shinedown) and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge). That’s a huge compliment because if you think about that, that’s two of the most distinct voices in rock music.”
“His voice is unparalleled,” says Jeremy Dove of Darkesville Studios in Winchester, VA, where the band’s last two EPs were recorded. “I had heard about perfect pitch. But I had never experienced it before.”
That perfect pitch can also come in handy in the recording studio. “There have been times when we’d finished a song and we’re ironing out the last details,” says Dove. “Jack will be like, ‘We need to move this one note.’ We would move it and then everyone in the room would go, son of a bitch, he was right. It’s about making a really good song even better.”
But there is so much more to being a front man than just singing and having perfect pitch.
“I don’t think we initially realized the breadth of which his Asperger’s truly affected him,” says Gregory. “We would tell him you need to make eye contact, you need to engage. You’re telling this to a person who all his life has tried to avoid that, struggled with it.”
Jack persevered. “I would tell him something and you could see the apprehension,” says Gregory, “but you could also see that eagerness too. That eagerness of this is what I want to do. I want to be a performer, a front man. I want to sing.”
During the band’s early days, “we would have someone video tape our performances,” says Gregory. “We treated it like a high school football team. We would watch the film the next day and see what we could improve on. Watching Jack, you could tell he was very closed in. Almost like he was in a shell.”
Often times Gregory would give him pointers. “I would tell him you need to look out and make the audience as much a part of this as you’re a part of it,” says Gregory.
The band also prepared a script for Jack to follow when he was onstage. That script is more of a format now as Jack’s confidence has grown. But when he first started out, a lull on stage, say stopping to fix a broken guitar string, could be dangerous as Jack attempted to fill the time.
The band good-naturedly recalls an incident that occurred during one such show. Behind the stage were huge posters of rockers such as Axl Rose. During an unexpected lull in the show, Jack had to go off script. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the images and then proceeded to make the comment, “There are a lot of iconic musicians up there. And, then there’s Axl Rose.”
Jack was attempting to be funny. Instead, there were frowns and grimaces – frowns from some members of the audience, grimaces from members of the band.
Thus, his band nickname became “Brutally Honest Jack.”
It’s not that he wants to deliberately offend anyone, he explains. “It’s like I’m missing a filter,” he says. “I’m not as affected by the social structure that everyone else has just intuitively picked up on.”
His ability to recognize and work through such potential pitfalls has been beneficial for both him and the band. Despite the challenges Jack and the band have flourished, making a name for themselves and having their music played around the world.
“I couldn’t imagine being in a band with any other front man,” says Gregory. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jack is often now described as “a hell of a front man” by those who come to shows. But even as he works hard to be accepted by society, he also wishes society would return the favor. “I wish people could learn to value our individual gifts, instead of focusing on our oddities,” he says of his Asperger’s.
To others he is more than just a “hell of a front man.” He is an inspiration. Like 13-year-old Adam Bertolette, who is also on the autism spectrum.
“For the longest time, Adam has known he is different,” says his father, Brian. “He gets very down on himself because he is not like other kids.”
That changed when he attended an Ignite The Fire show. “Here was this guy up on stage and everybody was clapping for him and cheering for him,” says Brian of Jack. “He was up there singing. This was somebody who was like Adam. That was a huge thing for Adam.”
After the show Jack sat down and visited with Adam and his stepmother Karen. And during his conversation with them, Jack passed on some words of encouragement. “Jack told him it was okay to be different,” says Karen. Adam took Jack’s words to heart. “That whole weekend he was on cloud nine,” says Brian. “He was smiling. You could tell he felt good about himself.”
It was a moment that Jack also relishes. One that validates his journey as a front man. “I sometimes think about Adam,” he says. “That I’m somebody’s hero. It really makes me feel like I’ve done something right in my life. No matter how hard it’s been.”


About Ignite The Fire:
Ignite The Fire is the Mid Atlantic’s new premiere original rock band. Their music has been played around the world from the United States to the United Kingdom, and from Australia to Brazil. The band’s music has also been streamed thousands of times on top digital platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, with their current single Echoes featured on Spotify’s editor playlist “And Upon This Rock.” They have been named a Band to Watch by publication Uncivil Revolt and their song Criticize was chosen song of the year by Z98 and iHeartRadio. They have shared the stage with such bands as Three Days Grace, Bad Wolves, In this Moment, Theory of A Deadman, Pop Evil, Black Stone Cherry, among many others. They are current touring in support of their current release Between Shadow and Solace.

APRIL 1, 2019 - Wired with Music

THE SYMPHONY OF ROCK
LIFE'S A SYMPHONY. LET IT ROCK!!

FEATURES
THE RELUCTANT FRONT MAN
Ignite The Fire’s Singer is realizing his dream despite the obstacles of Asperger’s Syndrome

APRIL 1, 2019
BY: LISA GREGORY
For 25-year-old Jack Gurecki, the singer and front man for the rock band Ignite the Fire, the social landscape can sometimes be a minefield.
Following a performance, he must make his way from the stage and into a crowd of people eager to interact with him, get an autograph, share a few words. And he is always gracious and kind to everyone.
But, “People don’t realize he is fighting something. He is struggling,” says Michael Nelson, guitarist for the band.
That something is Asperger’s Syndrome. Jack, who is from Westminster, MD, is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of four. As such Jack sees the world in a very different way, not always understanding the subtle nuisances that make for social interaction. He has trouble with sarcasm and takes things literally. He avoids eye contact. And, he can often come off as quirky, a little different.
JACK GURECKI OF IGNITE THE FIRE
Since joining the band seven years ago, Jack has worked hard to become a powerful presence on stage, overcoming the challenges of his Asperger’s and connecting with audiences who thrill to his soaring vocals.
But he can still struggle off stage.
“Once you are off that stage and you don’t have that command and people are allowed to be themselves in front of you and expect you to be a certain way in front of them, well, it can be very intimidating,” says Jack.
Adding, “It’s difficult. But this is my dream.”
As a child, Jack’s family referred to him as the “little professor.” “He memorized everything and by the age of two was so articulate,” says his mother, Janis Gurecki.
But there were other behaviors that caused his family concern. Jack referred to himself in the third person and would exhibit a repetitive “flapping” motion with his arms when over stimulated or upset. “It helped me to cope with and calm the random, unsettling world around me,” he says.
As an adult he has found other ways to calm himself, such as plugging in his ear buds and listening to music or even the sound of his own breathing. He often does this before shows. “It’s like meditation,” he says.
Once Jack was diagnosed, Janis set out learning all she could about Asperger’s and was determined to help her son better navigate the world around him. “I owe a lot to my mother,” says Jack, who was homeschooled for much of his elementary school years.
His social education included learning facial expressions and the emotions they convey. “They are hard to figure out, and they are never the same person to person,” says Jack. Jack often does not make eye contact with others because he is overwhelmed by micro expressions he does not understand, a snarled lip or raised eyebrow. “With a lot of people their emotions are subtle,” says Jack. “It was hard for me to figure out what people were feeling and therefore be able to empathize.”
As such, cartoons and actors like Jim Carrey with their exaggerated expressions were invaluable to Jack early on. He could more easily determine what emotions they were conveying. He studied them. “You could tell exactly what they were thinking,” he says. “I needed that. I needed those faces to empathize with.”
And by studying these characters he became enamored with the idea of being a performer himself. “I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t that be a cool thing to do?’” he says.
His mother enrolled him in a theatre program when he was eight years old. And with his ability to memorize and mimic he soon became a standout. Jack was the Beast in Beauty and the Beast and performed in other productions. He also sang. In perfect pitch.
“I remember when he was little, I would sing to him,” says Janis with a smile. “One time he turned to me and said, ‘Mommy, please stop.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘It doesn’t sound right.’”
His singing voice, as well as his talent for acting, including memorization and mimicking, would serve him well when he went off to public school during middle and high school.
“He could do all this cool stuff,” says Nelson, who was a classmate. “He was the impression master. Everyone in school knew him. He was a really cool dude. Strange but definitely cool.”
“He learned to relate to people through memorizing anything that he knew was social and that he heard the kids talk about,” says Janis. “Like doing voices. He could be a wallflower and throw out that one thing and then they’d realize, okay, Jack’s cool.”
Not everyone thought he was cool, however. Jack was sometimes bullied.
“He just wouldn’t act like it bothered him,” says Nelson.
But it did.
Janis has a drawing Jack did during this time. The drawing is done from Jack’s perspective, cowering on the floor in the gym locker room with three bullies hovering over him, one pointing a menacing finger in Jack’s face. The background is drawn in swirling motions, reflecting Jack’s emotions at that moment.
“That’s how he got through things,” says Janis. “He expressed himself through his art.”
And still does. A gifted artist, especially in the digital arts, he is responsible for the band’s artwork, some of which has gone on to be tattooed on the body of fans.
In fact, he chose to study art when he entered college. He also wanted to sing. And when he saw a flyer by a band called Ignite The Fire looking for a singer, he reached out to them.
“Talking to him on the phone he seemed very eccentric,” recalls Caelan Gregory, drummer and co-founder of the band. “And then when he showed up, he was very energetic but slightly off. He reacted to things more exuberantly. More over the top.”
IGNITE THE FIRE
Then he sang for them.
“After he showed us his voice, we were like, yeah, the guy can sing,” says Gregory.
Adding, “He’s got a very distinct voice. I know he gets compared a lot to Brent Smith (Shinedown) and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge). That’s a huge compliment because if you think about that, that’s two of the most distinct voices in rock music.”
“His voice is unparalleled,” says Jeremy Dove of Darkesville Studios in Winchester, VA, where the band’s last two EPs were recorded. “I had heard about perfect pitch. But I had never experienced it before.”
That perfect pitch can also come in handy in the recording studio. “There have been times when we’d finished a song and we’re ironing out the last details,” says Dove. “Jack will be like, ‘We need to move this one note.’ We would move it and then everyone in the room would go, son of a bitch, he was right. It’s about making a really good song even better.”
But there is so much more to being a front man than just singing and having perfect pitch.
“I don’t think we initially realized the breadth of which his Asperger’s truly affected him,” says Gregory. “We would tell him you need to make eye contact, you need to engage. You’re telling this to a person who all his life has tried to avoid that, struggled with it.”
Jack persevered. “I would tell him something and you could see the apprehension,” says Gregory, “but you could also see that eagerness too. That eagerness of this is what I want to do. I want to be a performer, a front man. I want to sing.”
During the band’s early days, “we would have someone video tape our performances,” says Gregory. “We treated it like a high school football team. We would watch the film the next day and see what we could improve on. Watching Jack, you could tell he was very closed in. Almost like he was in a shell.”
Often times Gregory would give him pointers. “I would tell him you need to look out and make the audience as much a part of this as you’re a part of it,” says Gregory.
The band also prepared a script for Jack to follow when he was onstage. That script is more of a format now as Jack’s confidence has grown. But when he first started out, a lull on stage, say stopping to fix a broken guitar string, could be dangerous as Jack attempted to fill the time.
The band good-naturedly recalls an incident that occurred during one such show. Behind the stage were huge posters of rockers such as Axl Rose. During an unexpected lull in the show, Jack had to go off script. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the images and then proceeded to make the comment, “There are a lot of iconic musicians up there. And, then there’s Axl Rose.”
IGNITE THE FIRE
Jack was attempting to be funny. Instead, there were frowns and grimaces – frowns from some members of the audience, grimaces from members of the band.
Thus, his band nickname became “Brutally Honest Jack.”
It’s not that he wants to deliberately offend anyone, he explains. “It’s like I’m missing a filter,” he says. “I’m not as affected by the social structure that everyone else has just intuitively picked up on.”
His ability to recognize and work through such potential pitfalls has been beneficial for both him and the band. Despite the challenges Jack and the band have flourished, making a name for themselves and having their music played around the world.
“I couldn’t imagine being in a band with any other front man,” says Gregory. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jack is often now described as “a hell of a front man” by those who come to shows. But even as he works hard to be accepted by society, he also wishes society would return the favor. “I wish people could learn to value our individual gifts, instead of focusing on our oddities,” he says of his Asperger’s.
JACK GURECKI OF IGNITE THE FIRE
To others he is more than just a “hell of a front man.” He is an inspiration. Like 13-year-old Adam Bertolette, who is also on the autism spectrum.
“For the longest time, Adam has known he is different,” says his father, Brian. “He gets very down on himself because he is not like other kids.”
That changed when he attended an Ignite The Fire show. “Here was this guy up on stage and everybody was clapping for him and cheering for him,” says Brian of Jack. “He was up there singing. This was somebody who was like Adam. That was a huge thing for Adam.”
After the show Jack sat down and visited with Adam and his stepmother Karen. And during his conversation with them, Jack passed on some words of encouragement. “Jack told him it was okay to be different,” says Karen. Adam took Jack’s words to heart. “That whole weekend he was on cloud nine,” says Brian. “He was smiling. You could tell he felt good about himself.”
It was a moment that Jack also relishes. One that validates his journey as a front man. “I sometimes think about Adam,” he says. “That I’m somebody’s hero. It really makes me feel like I’ve done something right in my life. No matter how hard it’s been.”
About Ignite The Fire:

Ignite The Fire is the Mid Atlantic’s new premiere original rock band. Their music has been played around the world from the United States to the United Kingdom, and from Australia to Brazil. The band’s music has also been streamed thousands of times on top digital platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, with their current single Echoes featured on Spotify’s editor playlist “And Upon This Rock.” They have been named a Band to Watch by publication Uncivil Revolt and their song Criticize was chosen song of the year by Z98 and iHeartRadio. They have shared the stage with such bands as Three Days Grace, Bad Wolves, In this Moment, Theory of A Deadman, Pop Evil, Black Stone Cherry, among many others. They are current touring in support of their current release Between Shadow and Solace.

TAGSAUTISM AWARENESS MONTH • FEATURED • IGNITE THE FIRE • JACK GURECKI • THE SYMPHONY OF ROCK - The Symphony of Rock

Local Maryland Hard-Rock Bands Shake the Baltimore Soundstage For An Evening of Great Music, Guest Appearances and Loud Guitars

CONCERT REVIEWS
By Dave Roberts / February 7, 2019

On a cold Saturday evening in downtown Baltimore I can tell you that the Baltimore Soundstage was heating up inside with the coziness of some rock and roll love being shared by After the Broken, Ignite the Fire, and Stone Horses.Although Charm City was feeling the effects of winter, I guarantee you that the Soundstage was feeling the effects of some screamin' guitars, thumpin' basses and bangin' drums as these bands decided to transform this club into a gem of a party.

After the Broken and Ignite the Fire were the opening bands for the evening and were able to supply the crowd with enough enthusiasm and energy to entertain them until the headlining act.Although I missed After the Broken, I was able to catch the last part of Ignite the Fire’s set, and I’m glad I did. They have a cool, solid-crunch and aggressiveness to their music that has a relevant sound in todays scene, as well as the talent to deliver a rock-solid performance.

From Taneytown, Maryland, this hard-rock band is supporting their latest release Between Shadow and Solace(2018) and is featuring a handful of songs including “Victim of Shame,” “Anchor,” “Echoes,” and “Lazarus” in their set. A spicy band indeed that is led by singer Jack Gurecki, Michael Nelson and Mark Quinn on guitars and vocals, and rhythm combination of Holly Smith on bass and drummer Caelan Gregory. If you get a chance to pick up their music and see them live I would highly recommend it. It is awesome to see some talented Maryland musicians that are dedicated to this musical genre and this album surely deserves exposure. - DC Music Review

Ignite The Fire rise up with Lazarus
December 17, 2018

Youth have the power, at least in the case of Ignite the Fire. Live they are more energetic than a basement hockey fight. The kind of stage presence that seems to only come to grizzled veterans over a long history of touring is found with Ignite the Fire.

Taking a commanding role is the lead vocalist Jack Gurecki. Dictating the pace and crowd interaction he drives the heartbeat of the band straight down the throats of the audience.
The term (Nu-Metal) does not escape Ignite the Fire but they are so much more than that with breaking down to do an acoustic set of songs tell you they are serious about what they are doing. When Mark Quinn – Guitar and Michael Nelson – Guitar bring you back from the slowed down version of the band you feel the electricity being pumped back to life as with their newest release LAZARUS. From the start, you will be engaged with watching Caelan Gregory smashing the drum kit so hard you would think that the cymbals would be cracking and streaming pieces of metal into the fist-pumping crowd then add to that the fanatic bass playing of Holly Smith (who’s bass actually seem to be bigger than her) her energy level on stage is like that of a rabid cornered animal and you have a band that seems to be ready to not only light the country on fire but Ignite the entire world on fire! Be sure to check out the upcoming release Echoes, coming soon! - Uncivil Revolt

Ignite The Fire Releases New Music


Ignite The Fire has released their first single, “Lazarus”, from the forthcoming EP, “Between Shadow and Solace.” Drawing inspiration from the five stages of grief (anger, acceptance, etc.), the official music video sees the band members donning masks representing each stage.
“This song is very much an internal conversation about one’s mental well being,” explains drummer and lyricist Caelan Gregory. “It centers on the fear of the person you might become and the denial of every emotional aspect that has led you to that point. Ultimately, every imperfection is a part of who you are, and when you learn to accept and grow past those flaws you regain control of your life and your humanity.”
With that in mind, the choice to release “Lazarus” on Halloween was an easy decision for the band.
“We felt like Lazarus was the perfect song to release on Halloween,” said frontman Jack Gurecki. “Not only is the song about figuratively rising from the dead, but the video has enough creep factor to match the mood.”


Along with the single and video release, the band has also announced that “Between Shadow and Solace” will be available on Black Friday (November 23) of this year. The six-song EP, which is available for pre-order on the band’s website, is akin to the theme of “Lazarus” and deals with subjects like mental health, loss, frustration and what it means to be human.
“Lazarus” is now available to download/stream on all digital outlets.
To learn more about Ignite The Fire, please visit www.ignitethefiremusic.com. - This Is Only Rock Radio Blog

IN ANTICIPATION...
IGNITE THE FIRE RELEASES ‘LAZARUS’
“Between Shadow and Solace” will be available on Nov. 23rd. The six-song EP, which is available for pre-order on the band’s website, is akin to the theme of “Lazarus” and deals with subjects like mental health, loss, frustration and what it means to be human.


NOVEMBER 1, 2018
Ignite The Fire has released their first single, “Lazarus,” from the forthcoming EP, “Between Shadow and Solace.” Drawing inspiration from the five stages of grief (anger, acceptance, etc.), the official music video sees the band members donning masks representing each stage.

The band consists of: Jack Gurecki – Lead Vocals; Mark Quinn – Guitar, Vocals; Michael Nelson – Guitar, Vocals; Holly Smith – Bass; and Caelan Gregory – Drums.


“This song is very much an internal conversation about one’s mental wellbeing,” explains drummer and lyricist Caelan Gregory. “It centers on the fear of the person you might become and the denial of every emotional aspect that has led you to that point. Ultimately, every imperfection is a part of who you are, and when you learn to accept and grow past those flaws you regain control of your life and your humanity.”

With that in mind, the choice to release “Lazarus” on Halloween was an easy decision for the band.

“We felt like Lazarus was the perfect song to release on Halloween,” said frontman Jack Gurecki. “Not only is the song about figuratively rising from the dead, but the video has enough creep factor to match the mood.”

Along with the single and video release, the band has also announced that “Between Shadow and Solace” will be available on Black Friday (November 23) of this year. The six-song EP, which is available for pre-order on the band’s website, is akin to the theme of “Lazarus” and deals with subjects like mental health, loss, frustration and what it means to be human.

“Lazarus” is now available to download/stream on all digital outlets.

CONTACT:

Ignitethefiremusic.com
facebook.com/ignitethefiremusic
reverbnation.com/ignitethefiremusic
twitter.com/ITFMusicOnline - THE SYMPHONY OF ROCK

PETE'S ROCK NEWS AND VIEWS

November 1, 2018

Ignite The Fire


Ignite The Fire has released their first single, “Lazarus”, from the forthcoming EP, “Between Shadow and Solace.” Drawing inspiration from the five stages of grief (anger, acceptance, etc.), the official music video sees the band members donning masks representing each stage.

“This song is very much an internal conversation about one’s mental wellbeing,” explains drummer and lyricist Caelan Gregory. “It centers on the fear of the person you might become and the denial of every emotional aspect that has led you to that point. Ultimately, every imperfection is a part of who you are, and when you learn to accept and grow past those flaws you regain control of your life and your humanity.”

With that in mind, the choice to release “Lazarus” on Halloween was an easy decision for the band.

“We felt like Lazarus was the perfect song to release on Halloween,” said frontman Jack Gurecki. “Not only is the song about figuratively rising from the dead, but the video has enough creep factor to match the mood.”

Along with the single and video release, the band has also announced that “Between Shadow and Solace” will be available on Black Friday (November 23) of this year. The six-song EP, which is available for pre-order on the band’s website, is akin to the theme of “Lazarus” and deals with subjects like mental health, loss, frustration and what it means to be human.

“Lazarus” is now available to download/stream on all digital outlets.

Ignite The Fire – Lazarus

Ignite The Fire – Criticize

Ignite The Fire links:

Band location – Taneytown, Maryland

Find more info about Ignite The Fire on their Website

Learn more about Ignite The Fire on their Facebook page

Watch the latest Ignite The Fire videos on You Tube

Listen to Ignite The Fire music on Soundcloud

Find info and links for Ignite The Fire on their Reverbnation page

Follow Ignite The Fire on their Twitter page

Follow Ignite The Fire on their Instagram page

Buy Ignite The Fire music on Itunes

Listen to Ignite The Fire music on Spotify

Buy Ignite The Fire music on Amazon

See more about Ignite The Fire on Google Play

Discover more about Ignite The Fire at CD BABY

Find out more about Ignite The Fire at Last Fm - PETE'S ROCK NEWS AND VIEWS

After a year on hiatus, the Adrenaline 101 Weekly Top 10 has come back to life and can be heard every Friday night on Adrenaline 101 Radio. This past Friday it was fired back up and here are the results:

10. Pop Evil - Waking Lions

9. Bad Wolves - Zombie

8. Ignite The Fire - Criticize

7. Marilyn Manson - Kill4me

6. I Prevail - Lifelines

5. A Perfect Circle - The Doomed

4. Trivium - The Heart From Your Hate

3. Nothing More - Do You Really Want It

2. 10 Years - Novacaine

AND THE NUMBER 1 SONG FOR THE WEEK FEBRUARY 2ND, 2018:

Breaking Benjamin - RED COLD RIVER - Adrenaline 101 Radio

18 Bands to watch in 2018


bands to watch 2018
With 2017 behind us and a world full of great artists it just might be the breakout year for these aspiring rockers. Take a look and listen to them all and see if you agree that these are the top 18 to take it to the next level in 2018! These are in no order as we feel they all will have an outstanding 2018. (click on band photo’s to go their online pages.)

IGNITE THE FIRE:
Ignite The Fire, Taneytown, MD based band is set for a big 2018. The band is a strong presence on the East Coast music scene (and even beyond), established through powerful music and a strong connection with their audience. Music fueled with raw and relatable emotion has drawn a dedicated fan base that continuously grows.

Ignite the fire
Jack Gurecki – Vocals, Mark Quinn – Guitar, Michael Nelson – Guitar,
Holly Smith – Bass, Caelan Gregory – Drums - Uncivil Revolt

All 20 artists are the 2017 Lurch's Lair Artist of the Year! All very deserving as well. - Lurch's Lair, Neue Regel Radio

TOP 100 HARD ROCK SONGS OF 2017
The trend of rock star deaths continued in 2017 with some truly tragic losses, but it was also a year that featured an incredible diversity of memorable hard rock music. To give Hard Rock Daddy readers a true sampling of what the year had to offer, the Top 100 Hard Rock Songs of 2017 only features one song per artist (although many released more than one single worthy of recognition).

A number of the songs on this list appeared on SiriusXM’s Octane Big ‘Uns Countdown and the Active Rock Mediabase chart during 2017. To provide a snapshot of the overall year in hard rock and metal, this list features also features many songs that don’t have a home on radio.

From Active Rock to Classic Rock to Punk, and everything in between, the Top 100 Hard Rock Songs of 2017 features a diverse group of songs that all fall under the Hard Rock umbrella. In addition to established, well-known artists, the list also features a number of “under-the-radar” artists who appeared on Hard Rock Daddy’s Music Discovery Monday.

The Top 100 Hard Rock Songs of 2017 featured on the playlists below can also be found on the Hard Rock Daddy Network (HRD’s YouTube channel).

[96] IGNITE THE FIRE – “Criticize”
What do you get when you cross the soaring, melodic vocal style of Shinedown’s Brent Smith and the haunting vocal style of Gemini Syndrome’s Aaron Nordstrom? Ignite The Fire’s Jack Gurecki. Like Gurecki, the tight, intense musicality of the entire band conjures up thoughts of Gemini Syndrome. This is high praise considering the fact that the band is relatively new on the scene.
“Criticize,” from the band’s debut, 5-song EP offers up everything that you expect from the heavy hitters in the format, driving rhythm, meaningful lyrics, impressive vocals, and a cohesive sound that goes well beyond their years.
It’s no surprise that Ignite The Fire has already shared the stage with many of the top names in Active Rock. If they get radio traction, there’s no reason that this band can’t follow the same ascension that bands like Nothing More and Red Sun Rising have enjoyed in recent years. - Hard Rock Daddy

Congrats to Ignite The Fire voted by the fans of The Dark on FM94 as 2017's "Up and coming band of the year" #rockinthedark - 94.1 KFML - The Dark on FM94

Z-98 Underground Awards 2017:
SONG OF THE YEAR
Winner: Ignite The Fire - CRITICIZE
Listen Live: http://bit.ly/Z98ListenLive - Z98 The Underground and iHeartRadio

IGNITE THE FIRE: CRITICIZE
Posted by Stuart Morrison on Jan 3, 2018 in Insomnia Radio: Daily Dose

Hey music junkie! First time here? Click over to http://insomniaradio.net/subscribe/ and get all of our content (tons of music) delivered for free. Enjoy your time here, and keep it loud!
Ignite The Fire Maryland based Ignite The Fire performs up and down the U.S. mid-Atlantic region. The band performed on the main stage at the 2017 Ink in the Clink festival in Ohio in July with In This Moment, Three Days Grace, Theory of a Deadman, and other nationals. Recently the band performed with Saving Abel, and they were direct support for Devour the Day, for Citizen Zero, and for The Letter Black. Upcoming shows include Palisades, Righteous Vendetta, Another Lost Year, Blacklite District, and direct support for Decyfer Down.
Their song, ‘Criticize’ (BMI), is from their EP, titled “Trial and Triumph”, which was released in May 2017. ‘Criticize’ is about confronting bad situations and relationships to form a better version of you. [via Opprobrious-X Music Entertainment] - The Insomnia Radio Network

PUBLISHER’S PICK OF THE WEEK (By Adam Waldman)

IGNITE THE FIRE – “Criticize”

What do you get when you cross the soaring, melodic vocal style of Shinedown’s Brent Smith and the haunting vocal style of Gemini Syndrome’s Aaron Nordstrom? Ignite The Fire’s Jack Gurecki. Like Gurecki, the tight, intense musicality of the entire band conjures up thoughts of Gemini Syndrome. This is high praise considering the fact that the band is relatively new on the scene. “Criticize,” from the band’s debut, 5-song EP, would make an excellent addition to any Active Rock playlist. The song is everything that you expect from the heavy hitters in the format, driving rhythm, meaningful lyrics, impressive vocals, and a cohesive sound that goes well beyond their years. It’s no surprise that Ignite The Fire has already shared the stage with many of the top names in Active Rock. If they get radio traction, there’s no reason that this band can’t follow the same ascension that bands like Nothing More and Red Sun Rising have enjoyed in recent years. - Hard Rock Daddy

The Letter Black w/ Ignite The Fire 8/5/17 at GenXaret in Columbia, MD
AUGUST 21, 2017 BY MICHAEL MCGEEHAN



I listen to an extraordinary amount of music and some bands fall through the cracks sometimes. The Letter Black was one of those bands. Playing around on YouTube in January, I discovered this band and after doing some homework on them, found out they have three releases to date and have been around since 2010. Yes. 2010. Like I said, some bands fall through the cracks but I am happy to report that this band is no longer on that list for me. More homework led me to follow them and come to find out a 2017 tour stop was coming to Columbia, MD at the GenXaret event with local favorites Ignite the Fire on the bill as well.

The Taneytown natives came down and rocked it out playing some new selections from their new EP Trial and Triumph, which by the way if you have not heard or bought, you need to because it rocks. They just got back from playing in Mansfield, Ohio at the Ink in The Clink festival with Theory of a Deadman, Black Stone Cherry, and many others.

“It was a fantastic experience to go out there to Ohio,” said drummer Caelan Gregory. “The reception we got was outstanding.” As always, Ignite the Fire put on an excellent live show if you have never seen them, and this night was no different. “Remember Me” off the new album is still my personal favorite and I was glad I got to hear it. They will be returning to this event in November so watch their website for details along with their new video for “Criticize” which will be coming out soon according to Gregory.

The Letter Black soon came on right after ITF and played a blistering one-hour set. Performing new songs from their new third album Pain on EMP Label Group, which is David Ellefson of Megadeth‘s new record label, guitarist and lead singer Mark and Sarah Anthony showed me firsthand what I had been missing all these years. Sarah has a voice that fits perfectly with the sound of this band, especially with the direction that they have taken with this new album. Pain is a lot more darker and harder sounding than their previous two releases. It showed on “Fear” which is also the lead track. Mark is exceptional on guitar. Precise and dominating are two words to use for his playing. The set ended and the band came back out for encores which included “Hanging on By a Thread,” a fan favorite off their first release by the same name.

Mark Anthony told me in a short interview the band plans to keep touring the rest of the year in select cities so if you have a chance to check these guys out, do so. - Shockwave Magazine BY MICHAEL MCGEEHAN

Founded in 2011, in the vein of Alter Bridge, Shinedown and Red, Maryland’s, Ignite The Fire opened mainstage with six doses of hard rock, alternative metal, mostly from their new Trial and Triumph EP. Singer Jack Gurecki bared a resemblance to a young Bruce Payne commanding stage and crowd as the young blood cranked out the straight forward hard rock punch of Criticize, tackling walking away from bad situations and relationships to form a better version of you. Remember Me came across more mechanic and technical as Breathe dealt with abuse of all kinds with a serious ballad like vibe imploring all to rise from your personal ashes. They took a page from Breaking Benjamin on Blow Me Away. Over It concluded with overcoming obstacles in your life regardless of what’s holding you back, dragging you down. - Screamer Magazine

Day 3 (Sunday)
Beatened and sunburnt, the finish line was on the horizon for the final day of Ink in the Clink. Sad, sad...yes. Weekends go by so damn fast and even quicker when you're enjoying yourself molded in the entertainment doing what you love. Day 3 brought on a slightly different tone from the previous two days. Bands such as Texas Hippie Coalition, Black Stone Cherry, and Shaman's Harvest, carried more of the southern sound. Theory of a Deadman closed out the evening and festival as the main headliner.

WINNERS

Ignite the Fire (Taneytown, MD) - Opening the main stage was a band that lives up to their name. The sun was shining and the heat from the stage most certainly heated up the crowd as the volume began to fill. Ignite the Fire fueled up sweet harmonious melodies and catchy guitar sweeps from Michael Nelson. Ignite the Fire are a tightly knitted and young rock band that has enormous potential to keep rising. Their five song EP entitled "Trial and Triumph" hits hard and a great jammer on a highway car ride. Check out and listen to "Breathe." It's a favorite that's on my Spotify playlist. How did they get the name "Ignite the Fire"? Well, I have a good idea. I think it first started with the drummer's hair! It was a pleasure seeing you guys, and please hook me up next time you are in Cleveland. Would love to come out and jam! - Moser Photoworks

Ignite The Fire is the band that you need in your life. Their song Over It is the epic rock song that everyone can relate to. They are a Maryland band that is leaving their mark on the music industry. They have a sound that defines them from the rest. Their fan base keeps growing day by day. There is nothing that is going to stop these unbelievably talented musicians. They will be opening for Like A Storm on Friday October 14 in Baltimore, so if you are in the area be sure to check them out. Over it is the perfect song to kick off the weekend to and I just had to share it with you crazy rockers. Be sure to check out my show live on Slammin Tunes Wednesday October 19th between 6-8 PM EST for an exclusive new song from them called Breathe. Until then CRANK IT UP and blow out the speakers with Over It. - Slammin Tunes

Everything happens for a reason. Well, I was offered the opportunity to book a show for 98 Rock’s Noise IN the Basement by our good friend Matt Davis so that we could raise money to keep our offices open, which also houses a record shop and a small venue. Truth be told, I had fallen on hard times, and was overwhelmed by the store, the magazine, the shows and everything associated with Shockwave, and lost sight, focus and…my mind. Well, after getting some composure and focus, I tried, to no avail to find bands to help with our fundraising concert, gave up, and then…Bands started hitting me up, bands I knew and some I didn’t, but ultimately, I ended up with a great line-up of bands that came out to play, and sold tickets to the show, for which they would benefit in no obvious way. Kudos to them.
 
 
First on the bill was the young and exuberant, Ignite The Fire. This young bunch of high energy Hard Rock and Roll. These guys have always demonstrated above average talent when it comes to local bands, and again tonight in front of the crowd of other bands and their dedicated fans. The band charged through their set with a barrage of tunes which included “Voyeur” one of the band’s strongest  songs, which deals with addiction, a topic which has touched just about everyone in some way in this day and age. The band consists of Jack Gurecki on lead vocals, Mark Quinn on guitar, Michael Nelson also on guitar, Dean Kidd on bass and Caelan Gregory on Drums. There’s no need to ignite the fire here because the fire now burns like a wild fire with an accelerant added to burn ever hotter. Watch for these guys.
As part of one of the most eclectic mixes I’ve ever put together or had fallen together, Chess Club Romeos took the stage next. To the other end of the spectrum, Chess Club Romeos, perform…ummm…music, yeah, that’s what they do. Quirky, jazzy, alternative, fun, that’s one way to describe them, but you can certainly describe them in any number of ways. They also sing about addiction (seems to be a common thread in this show tonight…hmmmm). Anyway, the Romeos take the stage with their fun brand of Alternative Rock. Kinda reminds me of Joe Jackson meets, the B-52’s meets a bag of sensimilla (pot). Good smooth clean fun while being just a bit naughty maybe. Seasoned musicians playing music on their terms, but hopefully you like it too, if not...I'm sure drummer Rick Jermain will have a word or two for you. 
The Electric Prophets, hit the stage with their new singer like they were ready to dive right off stage and rip your head off. The Prophets are Mikka Lee –Vocals, Charlie Death – Bass, Jonny B- Guitars and Stikky on Drums. I’ve known most of these gys from their previous bands, but this is nothing like their previous bands. How to describe them…Well, let’s say, it’s a little like Rock meets Soul, meets a high speed airplane fueled with sonic harmonies and guitar licks rounded out by the bombastic rhythm section. This band is the real deal, straight ahead Rock and Roll, a good kick in the crotch. Find them on Facebook and at a venue near you.
Project Adyton, a band which I was not familiar with initially, but had heard great things about and couldn’t wait to hear them. Pronounced, Project Add-a-ton, hailing from good ole Baltimore, Maryland, the members consist of Lead Vocals: Angie Henle, Lead Guitars, Drum / Synth Programming, vocals: Ziro, rhythm guitars, backing vocals is Brian Rizzi and bass Guitars and finally on backing vocals: Rob Wall. Operatic, Industrial and rhythmic, is heavy and haunting, pulls you into an audible world that takes on a visceral, ethereal spell binding groove, that will surely pull you into, or under, their spell. A definite winner for tonight’s show, pleasantly surprised. - Shockwave Magazine

Video - Rebel Fire Productions

Last year at ShockwaveFest at the Fish Head Cantina in Arbutus, Maryland, I got the chance to see a band called Ignite The Fire perform, and wanted to do a little interview with them. Life got in the way and I couldn’t get around to doing it until they were one of the opening bands for Art of Dying’s kickoff tour in late summer this year. The band opens for some major acts in and around the MD, VA, PA, and DE corridors: Pop Evil, Art of Dying, Like A Storm, and Saving Abel just to name a few. Out of Taneytown, Maryland, the band, singer Jack Gurecki, guitarists Mark Quinn and Michael Nelson, and drummer Calelan Gregory have a very unique hard sound to them. Think Alterbridge meets Shinedown. Don’t believe me? Take a listen to “Over It” and tell me that song doesn’t rock. So right after their show in the summer I sat down with these rockers to talk music. Here’s that interview.

Shockwave Magazine: Tell me a little about you guys. Where are you from? How long have you been around?

Ignite The Fire: We are from Taneytown, Maryland and we will have been together now five years this December. We put out an EP in 2012 and recently released a new single called “Over It” in June. We have a new song coming out in September and we are looking to get a new EP out by the beginning of next year.

Your original music. Who does the writing, or do you all have a say?

To be honest, all of us have a say in anything we do. Somebody will just bring a riff that they think is good for the band and then we will keep what we like, we fix and mess around with it, we file it down and carve it up, and make it a beautiful piece to come out and play live for our fans.

Is there a due date for the EP?

Right now, somewhere around January is our plan. We have a brand new single coming out in September (that single since this interview is a song called “Breathe”) and then we’re back in the studio from there. We’re just looking to try to put out that song leading up to the release. The newest song is called “Breathe” which we did play tonight.

Tell me a little about the new song.

It’s an interesting song going into the studio. we kind of do a genre around struggling and abuse, whether it be about addiction and all those things. “Breathe” is sort of an abuse song and breaking free from that knowing that you can grow and learn from it and overcome it and not let it control you. We have a lot more material we are looking to release come the new year and we are really excited about that.

That’s my next question. What is 2017 going to bring for you guys?

Playing a lot more shows and getting that EP out are going to be our priorities for next year, and we will just go from there day by day.

Have you ever thought about a full length album? Is that in the works?

It’s interesting because with the changing landscape of the music industry these days it’s really hard to grab the attention of a lot of your new and up and coming music listeners, so often times you will put out an album and they will listen to it once through and go ‘What else you got?’ so that’s why we are really looking to try to just put out timely releases leading up to that big release. So “Over It” was in June and now “Breathe” will be coming out soon, and then we will put something out hopefully before the new year after that. We just want to keep the interest up, feed them a little bit at a time sort of thing. I think eventually it will come to a full length LP. Plus we need to get the money for something like that. That’s always a factor. EPs are a great way to bridge gaps in between full length albums also. I like the idea of putting out a five or six song EP every six months or so instead of a full length album every six years.

What do you give us, as fans, that no other rock band can?

A lot of people when they listen to the music and see us live think they expect a metal band straight up because yes, we are harder than most. I wouldn’t say edgier, but definitely harder. Then they hear his (lead singer Gurecki) voice and hear harmony and didn’t expect that. We also bring a lot of energy to our shows and keep the crowd entertained. If we’re having fun, they’re having fun and we just want to give our all out on stage. We also bring a message to anyone who is suffering or in pain somehow, that is going through a really bad moment in their life, a reminder that there is someone else out there going through the same issues. The more we can connect with those type of people at our shows, the more energy we can draw from them to show them we do care and they are not alone.

Ignite The Fire have two more live shows in 2016 as this article is being published. Check them out if you haven’t already. You will definitely not be disappointed in their live show. That’s a guarantee.

December 2 at The V Spot in Scranton, PA December 9 at Bo’s in Millsboro, DE - Shockwave Magazine

popdeflators
http://www.popdeflators.com+ FROM THIS AUTHOR
What a better way to spend April Fools and your final day of tour than in a southern Pennsylvania town?! It was a night to remember for everyone that joined in.. We started the night off with two more local acts to open the show. Spider Rockets, an act out of NJ took to the stage with some great energy and got the crowd off their feet. Then the local hero’s of the area- Ignite The Fire, whom we have not seen sense Operation Rockfest in 2013 took the stage. The band sure has grown up in the past few years as they set fire to the stage. The crowd was singing along and the band had a great presence. After their set, you could find them personally walking around in the crowd thanking the fans for coming out and hanging out download cards for their latest single. - Pop Deflators

Radio interview posted on Youtube
https://youtu.be/QfBhPARGcdw - The Dark on 94 FM

Interview on the MARR Army Rock Show
https://youtu.be/zxvmFdilESc - Mid Atlantic Rock Reviews

A band you need to get to know: IGNITE THE FIRE

Wednesday,Nov 01, 2017 category Music
By: Alicia L. Rodriguez

Ignite the Fire, an independent band hailing from Taneytown, Maryland, is a hard rock/alternative metal band on the rise. TalentRaters recently interviewed one of the members, drummer, Caelan Gregory on how the band has risen since its creation in 2011 and where they want to be now. Members of this talented band include, Jack Gurecki on vocals, Mark Quinn on guitar, Michael Nelson on guitar, Holly Smith on bass, and Caelan Gregory on drums. This talented bunch began their band in high school with Mark and Caelan as its founders. Ignite The Fire did begin by covering songs but instead began to experiment and hone in on their song writing skills. From the beginning stages, the band used original songs in their lineup. For the members, originality and song writing were a priority and so they focused heavily on their writing capabilities. With practice comes success for this talented group and through their hard work they have developed a loyal and supportive fan base that inspire them to continue writing and performing their music.

Ignite The Fire has had the pleasure to have been able to share the stage with some of their idols who they now call friends, for example, Three Days Grace, Black Stone Cherry, Theory of a Deadman, and Like A Storm to a name a few. For each of the members of the band, their individual influences have influenced the sound of their music. Caelan, the drummer, says “Our individual influences range across all genres, since all of us have our own influences, this allows us to step outside the norm in our genre and try different sounds to complement our writing process.” So far, Ignite The Fire has released a demo and two EP’s with their latest EP “Trial and Triumph” considered as their “official release.

emerging
rock bandnew rock
bandOriginally the band consisted of members, Jack, Mark, and Caelan but later on through recommendations from their vocalist Jack, guitarist Mike would join and through his recommendation bassist, Holly would also join. The band feels that their individual influences allow them to truly delve into songwriting and expand their capabilities. Each band member brings something unique and special to the group. The song writing process is not an easy feat, it takes hard work to achieve.

“Work. You must be willing to put everything into the music that you create. This far exceeds the song writing process; you must be willing to tour, network, communicate, post, and deal every single day. If you put in the effort, you will see results.” –Caelan Gregory, Ignite The Fire

During the interview, the band gives advice to upcoming musicians, they must hone in on their skills and be prepared for the rough times that comes with the good. They must take things seriously and surround themselves with like-minded individuals. For this talented band, anything is possible.

new rock
musicEach song on their EP, “Trial and Triumph” is deeply cherished by the band. They put a lot of time and care into the song writing process and development of the tracks. Whether it’s their current single “Criticize” or their slower paced song “Breathe, each of their songs stand out through the different meanings and impacts they have on different people. Their fans are very important to them and they love hearing how much their music has positively impacted their fans lives. Currently, the band is writing their follow up to “Trial and Triumph”.

Click on the top left image to visit their website or follow them through their social pages. Also, check out Ignite the Fire's Tour dates. - TR Magazine

KEVIN GRAYSON – HRD Music Scout, IGNITE THE FIRE – “Criticize”,

With the belief that “life is only what you make of it,” Ignite The Fire is burning up the touring scene, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to reaching their fans. They touch the soul with emotion-filled, heavy music that deals with everyday life struggles, both on record and on stage. Their single “Criticize” (off their new EP Trial and Triumph) should be getting radio airplay now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Music Discovery Monday shines a light on artists that are not getting the radio attention that they deserve, while also showcasing new singles by established bands that are likely to get airplay in the future.

In addition to appearing on the embedded YouTube playlist below, all songs featured on Music Discovery Monday can be listened to individually by clicking on the hyper-linked song titles above each review. - Hard Rock Daddy

Decyfer Down w/ Ignite The Fire 11-10-17 at GenXaret in Columbia, MD
DECEMBER 1, 2017 BY MICHAEL MCGEEHAN

Christian rockers Decyfer Down made a stop in Maryland earlier in the month to a packed house at the GenXaret event held in Columbia, MD. With 3/5 of the band on hand for this show, lead singer TJ Harris, guitarist Brandon Mills, and drummer Ben Millhouse completely blew the roof off of the place with their performance.

Ignite The Fire, a Maryland hard rock act, came on before the headliners and played selections from their EP Trial and Triumph and like clockwork, put on a incredible performance for the GenXaret crowd, their second performance at this venue this year. We here at Shockwave have covered Ignite The Fire many times and if you have never seen these guys live, they put on a great show.

Decyfer Down came on after ITF and I was so looking forward to seeing them play live again as it had been well over ten years since last I saw them on the End Of Grey tour. “Break Free” off of that album started the evening and even though it was only three members playing, they were dead on. Their fourth album, last year’s The Other Side of Darkness, was well represented in the set. “Rearrange,” the first song on the album, is a guitar heavy rocker with thumping drums from Millhouse, and the band did not disappoint the crowd playing this one. Harris has a very unique voice as it’s raspy heavy and very melodic when needed. “Anchor Me” was proof enough of this. “Crash,” the title song off of their second album, was another rocker showcased on this night and Mills was more than having a good time playing this, whipping his hair constantly around, enticing the crowd to sing along. “Fight Like This,” my favorite from their catalog, was played to perfection, bringing back memories to that Towson, MD show. Their new song, “Nothingmore,” which is getting airplay as we speak, ended the evening unfortunately, and the band was done, leaving me craving more.

Very underrated and very good live, Decyfer Down are a force to be reckon with, Christian circuit or not. These guys rock hard and if you have never heard of them until now, pick up their new disc and feel free to email me and thank me for turning you on to this band. I look forward to their return to Maryland. - Shockwave Magazine

Bethel Road Pub Welcomes Ignite the Fire!

Ignite The Fire


Ignite the Fire at the Bethel Road Pub. All Photos: Rockin' Al
I got a chance to talk with the members of Ignite the Fire prior to their show. We talked about upcoming gigs, an upcoming EP, what influences them, the state of Rock music from their perspective, and how they enjoy our state. Full of great energy, the band was in no way short on information and perspective. One of the things that make bands great, besides great music, is the ability to connect with the Rock ‘n Roll family, no matter where they are.
New Music and Enhanced Direction

Ignite the Fire are currently working on a new EP and are channeling all of their experiences from the last six years. Things learned over that time enabled them to take the next step in songwriting and musicianship. Not surprising the new album, due out in the early part of 2018, will showcase a more mature band. They are stepping outside the boundaries while harnessing all things positive. You can expect the new EP to follow what they have already set in place while evolving to the next level.
The Club Scene

The band all agreed the current club scene is a great way to stay up close with their fans. They noted when on large stages the drum kit might be 40 feet from the front row, but in a club, it can be only several feet away from the crowd. This closeness allows for the positive energy in their music to be realized, for existing fans, as well as audience members that are getting their first taste of Ignite The Fire. You will want to catch them on the club circuit before they are doing larger stages on a consistent basis. As a bonus, you are likely to catch them hanging out at the merch table after the gig, and I suggest you say hello, you won’t regret it.
Influences

When talking about influences the band compliments each other’s tastes very well. Caelan sites Breaking Benjamin, Red, and Shinedown. Holly is a huge Muse fan citing “Chris is an incredible bassist”, Mike digs Tony Iommi, Alter Bridge, and Breaking Benjamin. Jack likes HIM (for vocals), Slipknot (for anger), Pink Floyd (for patience) and Andrew WK (for happiness). Mark listens to Disturbed, Sevendust (for songwriting and beats), Decyfer Down (for their message) and Red (to help people get through life). You can better understand their direction after seeing the similar yet eclectic influences that fuel Ignite the Fire.
O-H-I-O

Ignite the Fire are from Maryland, but Ohio has been a great host state for them. Since their appearance at Ink In The Clink in 2017 things have opened up for them in the Buckeye state. Ignite the Fire are hopeful this will help them continue their trek westward, as well as down the east coast, spreading their music to awaiting fans.

Their Set at Bethel Road Pub

Although it was cold outside, the heat was cranked inside the Bethel Road Pub when Ignite the Fire lit up the stage. Starting out with “Over It” they roared to life drawing the crowd to the front of the stage. Quickly moving on to “Remember Me” with crisp guitars and crunching bass and commanding the stage moving about in a frenzy. They settled down for just a bit to bust out “Breathe” with Jack Gurecki’s vocals climbing to epic heights during the chorus.
“Lazarus” started out with lighters and phone lights in the air before picking up and showing the crowd what Ignite the Fire has in store for them on the new EP. “Blow Me Away” and “Echos” followed and brought their set towards the finish line. Ending their night with “Criticize”, they got the fans to join in on the vocals and bring their set to completion.
You need to check out this high energy, good message band. They are in your face with their music and will leave you wanting more. Spread the word and watch for Ignite the Fire’s return to Ohio at the Bethel Road Pub on January 13th, 2018.
In the meantime grab yourself a copy of their current EP “Trial and Triumph”, trust me, you will be blown away.
Jack Gurecki – Vocals
Mark Quinn – Guitars
Michael Nelson – Guitars
Holly Smith – Bass
Caelan Gregory – Drums
Website – IgnitetheFiremusic.com
Facebook – IgnitetheFiremusic - The Rust Belt Chronicles

DJ ADDAM interview with Ignite The Fire on Lurch's Lair radio show on Neue Regel Radio on Dec 15 2017.

In-studio interview included 3 acoustic songs, discussion of events in 2017, what's new coming up in 2018, and general silliness. Also, ITF chose their favorite songs for the show's playlist. - Lurch's Lair on Neue Regel Radio

Vote for your favorite up and coming band of 2017 on the Rockin' "The Dark" new music poll on The Dark on FM94. This years bands include Art Of Anarchy, As Lions, Bedlem, Crashing Atlas, Dead Girls Academy, Deadset Society, Decyfer Down, Ded, Dorothy, Fozzy, Greta Van Fleet, Ignite The Fire, Kirra, September Mourning, White Noise Owl and Youth In Revolt (Band). https://fallsradio.com/the-dark-on-fm94/ #rockinthedark - 94.1 KFML - The Dark on FM94, Little Falls Minnesota

Z-98 Underground Awards 2017
SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Cold Kingdom - The Break
Caliber Theory - Numb
Doll Skin - Daughter
Stitched Up Heart - Catch Me When I Fall
Fire From the Gods - The Voiceless
Ignite The Fire - Criticize
Keychain - Take Back Time
SCARS LIKE MINE - The Death Of Me
Sleep Signals - I'll Save You
VOTE NOW: http://bit.ly/Z98UMAs17
*Voting Ends 12/31/17 7pm Central
*15 Votes Per Hour
Listen for the winners Sunday Dec. 31st at 7pm on Z-98 and iHeartRadio - Z-98 Sioux City Iowa and iHeartRadio

IGNITE THE FIRE – Single Review: “Echoes”
ON JUNE 2, 2019 BY ECLECTICMUSICLOVER IN REVIEWS

Alternative metal band Ignite the Fire play some of the most electrifying rock I’ve had the pleasure of hearing recently. Based in the state of Maryland northwest of Baltimore, the band was formed in 2011 by guitarist Mark Quinn and drummer Caelan Gregory while they were still both in high school. Their phenomenal vocalist Jack Gurecki joined a short time later after responding to a flyer put out by the band looking for a singer, and was soon joined by a second guitarist Michael Nelson, who serves as the band’s resident “unclean” vocalist for their harder-edge songs. The fifth and newest band member is the amazing bassist Holly Smith, who came on board in 2017.

That same year, Ignite the Fire released their debut EP Trial and Triumph, an outstanding work featuring their hard-hitting single “Criticize”, which was named 2017 Song of the Year by Z98 and iHeartRadio. They followed up in late November 2018 with a second EP Between Shadows and Solace, featuring six mind-blowing tracks. “This whole EP is about what it means to be human,” says band drummer Caelan Gregory. “We don’t want to just connect with listeners on a musical level, but an emotional one as well, and in doing that we hope to connect with people in a real and significant way.” Guitarist Mark Quinn adds “The title ‘Between Shadow and Solace’ speaks for itself. We are writing about battling the darkness but also about the hope that is there. You see that in the world we live in. There’s this feeling of dread and darkness around us but also there’s hope.”

In April, they released an outstanding video for “Echoes“, one of the most popular tracks from the EP that strongly resonated with their fans and followers. The video shows scenes of a man returning to an empty house he once occupied with his significant other, and remembering past moments they shared in better times, interspersed with scenes of the band performing the song. At the end of the video, he sees her standing on the beach, and runs toward her, only to disappear just before reaching her. We’re left to determine the scene’s meaning for ourselves, but my take is that it’s too late to salvage the relationship, and he can no longer reach her, literally and figuratively. The video was directed by Tom Flynn and stars Jimmy Donohue and Kris Doscher.

“Echoes” is a stunning rock anthem, starting off with a gentle melodic synth and strummed guitar line. The song then expands in the first verse with jangly guitars, strings, keyboards, and crisp percussion as Jack begins singing in his beautiful, clear vocals. When the first chorus arrives, Holly’s deep bassline melds seamlessly with Mike’s guitar riff into a thunderous mix, accompanied by Caelan’s power drums that send the song into the sonic stratosphere. Jack’s commanding vocals – which have been favorably compared to Shinedown frontman Brent Smith’s – rise to the occasion, bringing chills as he passionately sings the deeply poignant lyrics:

Cause I fear that I’m right
But I pray that I’m wrong
I’ll echo this silence
And I won’t let go
You left me uncertain
Don’t leave me alone
I’ll search through the darkness
And I won’t let go

The band just released a ‘Behind the Song’ video where they discuss their process and inspiration for the writing of “Echoes”.

Since 2018, Ignite the Fire has performed on numerous stages, supporting the bands Otherwise, Shaman’s Harvest, BadWolves, From Ashes To New and Diamante via Live Nation. This year they provided direct support to Stone Horses and Another Lost Year, and headlined shows in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Those of you in the Middle Atlantic region can catch them at one of these upcoming shows. I would love to see them along with another one of my favorite bands The Mayan Factor, but alas, live 3,000 miles away.

SAT JUNE 8 – ROCK FOR ROB! 2019 @ KC’s Music Alley, Fredericksburg, VA

FRI JUNE 14 – With Stone Horses, The Mayan Factor, After the Broken @ Fish Head Cantina, Baltimore, MD

FRI-SAT JUNE 22-23 – With Defending Cain, Seventh Seal @ Break Away II Sports Lounge, Hagerstown, MD

Connect with Ignite the Fire: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music: Spotify / Reverbnation
Purchase on iTunes / Amazon - ECLECTICMUSICLOVER

You are not alone.

“We know this year has been really difficult for a lot of people,” said Jack Gurecki, singer for Ignite The Fire.
But heading into 2021, Ignite The Fire is offering a salve for your emotional wounds in the form of their new highly anticipated album, The Fallout, scheduled for release March 5, 2021.

The first single, “Unstoppable,” has paved the way for The Fallout, receiving airplay across the US and overseas. Not surprising then that, “Unstoppable was our fastest streamed song,” said Bassist Holly Smith. “Clearly the fans are hungry for new music.”
The band describes The Fallout as a journey – finding oneself in a dark place and figuring out where to go from there. Sound familiar? No doubt, it will speak to countless fans as they struggle with the obstacles now facing us – from a pandemic to civil unrest.

“We feel like 2021 is the perfect time to release this album,” said Drummer Caelan Gregory. “This is the album that’s really going to speak to what people are feeling. It’s going to help them express their emotions.”

From the rhythmic and intensifying power of “When Giants Fall” to the uplifting and hope-inspiring anthem of “Not Alone,” the album with its nine songs is, “our most diverse and mature sound yet,” said Guitarist Michael Nelson. “Some of the songs are darker, heavier, but we also explore the side of us that writes softer music.”

“We put our heart and soul into this music and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it,” added Guitarist Mark Quinn.

And the world will have a chance to experience The Fallout when it releases March 5th on all digital platforms and physically through the band’s website ignitethefiremusic.com. - The Symphony of Rock

Ignite The Fire

“We know this year has been really difficult for a lot of people,” says Jack Gurecki, singer for Ignite The Fire.
But heading into 2021, Ignite The Fire is offering a salve for your emotional wounds in the form of their new highly anticipated album, The Fallout, releasing March 5th.

The first single, Unstoppable, has paved the way for The Fallout, receiving airplay across the US and even overseas. Not surprising then that, “Unstoppable was our fastest streamed song,” says Holly Smith, bassist. “Clearly the fans are hungry for new music,” she adds with a chuckle.

The band describes The Fallout as a journey – finding oneself in a dark place and figuring out where to go from there. Sound familiar? No doubt, it will speak to countless fans as they struggle with the obstacles now facing us – from a pandemic to civil unrest.

“We feel like 2021 is the perfect time to release this album,” says Caelan Gregory, drummer. “This is the album that’s really going to speak to what people are feeling. It’s going to help them express their emotions.”
From the rhythmic and intensifying power of When Giants Fall to the uplifting and hope-inspiring anthem of Not Alone, the album with its nine songs is, “our most diverse and mature sound yet,” says Michael Nelson, guitarist. “Some of the songs are darker, heavier, but we also explore the side of us that writes softer music.”

“We put our heart and soul into this music and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it,” says Mark Quinn, guitarist.

And the world will have a chance to experience The Fallout when it releases March 5th on all digital platforms and physically through the band’s website ignitethefiremusic.com

Ignite The Fire – Unstoppable - Pete's Rock News and Views

IGNITE THE FIRE TO RELEASE NEW MUSIC
'The Fallout' is scheduled to hit the streets March 5th.

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

You are not alone.

“We know this year has been really difficult for a lot of people,” said Jack Gurecki, singer for Ignite The Fire.

But heading into 2021, Ignite The Fire is offering a salve for your emotional wounds in the form of their new highly anticipated album, The Fallout, scheduled for release March 5, 2021.

The first single, “Unstoppable,” has paved the way for The Fallout, receiving airplay across the US and overseas. Not surprising then that, “Unstoppable was our fastest streamed song,” said Bassist Holly Smith. “Clearly the fans are hungry for new music.”

The band describes The Fallout as a journey – finding oneself in a dark place and figuring out where to go from there. Sound familiar? No doubt, it will speak to countless fans as they struggle with the obstacles now facing us – from a pandemic to civil unrest.

“We feel like 2021 is the perfect time to release this album,” said Drummer Caelan Gregory. “This is the album that’s really going to speak to what people are feeling. It’s going to help them express their emotions.”

From the rhythmic and intensifying power of “When Giants Fall” to the uplifting and hope-inspiring anthem of “Not Alone,” the album with its nine songs is, “our most diverse and mature sound yet,” said Guitarist Michael Nelson. “Some of the songs are darker, heavier, but we also explore the side of us that writes softer music.”

“We put our heart and soul into this music and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it,” added Guitarist Mark Quinn.

And the world will have a chance to experience The Fallout when it releases March 5th on all digital platforms and physically through the band’s website ignitethefiremusic.com.

TAGSIGNITE THE FIRE • INDIE SPOTLIGHT • THE FALLOUT • THE SYMPHONY OF ROCK - The Symphony Of Rock