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There is a brand new rock band that just came out called The Fell.  This band features bassist Billy Sheehan, singer Toby Rand, guitarist Mike Krompass and drummer Nick Chiarore.  They recently released their debut EP and let me tell you, it rocks!

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The band will be playing The Winchester on March 23.  If you want to hear some fresh rock music, you should be there!  We had the chance to do a Zoom call with singr Toby Rand to discuss this project, his thoughts on the music industry and memories of playing in Cleveland. 

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Greg Drugan:  So you have a brand new band out called The Fell.  Tell me a little bit how this band came together and how you met Billy Sheehan and ended up recording your first album?

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Toby Rand:  Thanks, mate.  I was friends with Mike Krumpass, he’s the guitarist and also the producer for the band as well. In 2017, about nine years ago, we started working on some music and he kinda hit up Billy on the side, (asking) would you like to come and do some session work? Then Billy kind of fell in love with the songs. We’ve been writing music for a long time. With the powers that be and COVID, the band didn’t really develop into a flourishing kind of unit. I just always came back to the music that we started. About a year ago I said, “Listen, I just gotta get this music out.” I corralled all the boys together and for Billy it was time for him to work on something new and something that he’d worked on before. Luckily all three of us were in the right frame of mind to take it on. We’ve got fifteen songs and we’ve only released five. 

 

GD:  How would you describe The Fell’s music identity and what set’s it apart from other hard rock bands that are out there today?

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TR:  I guess we do fall into the hard rock category because it’s heavy riff based. We like to have those melodic hooks.  As Billy has described (our music), we constantly have hooks and memorable moments. I grew up in the ‘90s where I was looking up to bands like U2 but loving bands like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. My sensibility is to have that edgy, grunge kind of rock, but with a big anthemic universal rock sound. I don’t know if we are different than other bands but we hit something unique for us particularly with our influences. We’ve come up with a formula that seems to kind of really be sound fresh.  I think you can hear that in our single “Killswitch.”

 

GD:  I think it’s very fresh.  I’ve been listening to the EP all weekend long. I absolutely love it. I love the guitar, I love your voice. All five songs are bangers in my opinion. 

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TR:  We just need you to come on the road with us and tell everyone that all the time! That would be great! 

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GD: I’m definitely going to get the word out, no doubt about it!  Is there a song in the catalog that is particularly meaningful to you right now?

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TR:  Yeah.  The first ever track that we wrote was “Footprints.” We just re-mixed it for this release.  It’s been around for a minute. When we shot the video, we flew over to Warsaw in Poland and we shot the video in an underground World War II bunker. It was such an incredible moment being with the boys and experiencing the European culture. Billy’s such a draw card for this band but hearing people like yourself when they discover me as a singer and Mike as a guitarist, the songs really showcase everyone’s ability. “Footprints” was the barometer that we used. When people come to see us live they are going to get a fresh batch of songs that are pretty fucking epic. 

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GD:  Speaking of writing new material, what typically comes first for you- is the lyrics or the music?  How does that process work for this band?

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TR:  When me and Mike first started collaborating on ideas, we had stuff sitting around in our vault. Generally, I write music on an acoustic guitar and a melody.  Then I just hand it over to Mike because I tend to work with the best guitarists in the world and I don’t need to do anything more.  I also write poetry and I have heaps of internal monologue material from over the years.  Sometimes I hear what Billy and Mike are strumming out and it might relate to something that I have written or I have a reference to.  It changes all the time. The last two tracks, Mike sent me an intro like a verse kind of thing and a chorus, like a minute's worth and the lyrics came within fifteen minutes. 

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GD:  Was this process done through file sharing or did you all sit down and record it together?

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TR:  The first batch of songs we did that.  As of late, we’ve done some remote work.  We’ve been together three times in the last six months in the studio.  So we just put our heads down and try to get as much work out in that time. I’m a firm believer that the magic happens when you are all in the room together.  We’re not going to put out any new stuff until we do a couple of rounds on the road and see how those songs translate and how they might grow. 

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GD:  Speaking of being on the road, how do you take of your voice on tour?  Has your approach to singing changed over the years?

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TR:  That’s a good question.  I’ve just gotten back to Los Angeles because I have a residency in Vegas with another music group. I have a company that flies me around the world doing conference work. My health is very important. I have all the tricks of the trade in my suitcase. From anything like oil of oregano drops to vocal lozenges, the steamers, the netty pads.  For me, I don’t get drunk before I go on stage, which is something I might have done in my early thirties.  That’s the number on discipline is sleep and no alcohol. I had an Australian band called Juke Cartel and we were on the road with Slash and friends and that’s when Myles Kennedy was the singer, he still is actually. I would have my little fifteen to twenty minute warm up.  Then I would listen to Myles’ warm up. I’m like “he’s fucking going on forty-five minutes!” So I pulled him aside one night and asked “Do you mind if I just listen?”  He said “absolutely” and that gave me a new found respect that I need to put more work into the discipline. You can’t be a rock star if you can’t sing. 

 

GD:  You first gained national attention on Rock Star: Supernova. How did that experience shape you as a frontman, and are there any influences that you take into The Fell?
 

TR:  I was in Melbourne and I auditioned for that show because I was a big fan of Rock Star: INXS. I was playing six nights a week with my band so I was well versed with being on stage but I hadn’t been in front of a TV live audience before.  What I discovered in America, if you believe in yourself you can still be built up. Whereas in Australia they tell you, you can’t do that. Sit back down, you’re not better than us.  What America taught me and that show is that you can take your chances and you won’t get shat on. So I gained a lot of confidence. I look up to front men like Scott Weiland and you watch his transformation from this grungy dude to this flamboyant (frontman).  Then you discover his favorite artist is David Bowie and you go, ok now I understand.
 

GD:  As someone who’s experienced both television exposure and grassroots touring, what advice would you give emerging artists trying to break into the rock scene today?

 

TR:  It’s different now because touring is expensive and there’s not as many rooms.  I think rock is on the climb again. Country took over for a minute and we’ve had pop and DJ’s and EDM sniffing around for years.  I think everyone is looking for that live experience. If you are a young artist and you have the energy, I think you should be jumping in a bus and just being in front of people as much as you can. Just get out there and get in front of people and believe in yourself. And collaborate.  Collaborations are very important. We should be helping each other and collaborating as much as we can. 

 

GD:  Rock music continues to evolve with streaming and social media playing an important role. How has the modern music landscape impacted the way The Fell releases music?

 

TR:  It’s interesting because we try and rely on the fanbase that we have individually. Billy has quite a good following. To promote music in the past you did a lot of touring. When we’re launching this, you have to get to people in every corner of the world.  We’re working with Noise Nation Records which is our guitarists kind of hub team.  We’re not TikTok guys but we try and use social media to the best of our advantages. I know that is something important to being online and being present and showing activity.  The more Billy gets on the more traction comes in. I do a video and describe something the more people listen to the music and you can see the analytics.  It’s not exactly rock and roll but if we want to have a career and if we want to reach the masses, that’s the way it goes.  I don’t mind investing in social media teams to do that.  I want to write music and not sit on TikTok.
 

GD:  So what’s next for The Fell? Ii see that you have a few tour dates in March is there anything else coming down the pike? 

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TR:  Yeah, yeah.  We’ve got a few tour dates in Ohio and upstate New York. We’ve got some Canada dates that will be announced because we have two Canadians in the band. We’ve got offered two festivals in the UK at the end of the year. We’ll be playing in Wales and Scotland.  We’ve got west coast in the works as well. 

 

GD:  I am Cleveland based and I just saw that you will be playing in Cleveland.  Do you have any memories of playing in Cleveland?

 

TR:  I have, mate.  We’ve run through Cleveland twice. One was a stadium and one was a club.  Dare I say, I think it was The Winchester. Cleveland’s amazing.  I was there for corporate work a couple of years ago and I went to the Rock Museum.  I love it down there, mate! I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully you can come to the show. 

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GD:  For sure!  I am definitely going to get the word out and like I said, your new EP, I was totally blown away. I was like, finally we got some good rock music coming out again. And I think you’re right, rock music is making a comeback.

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TR: Yeah it is, mate. Thank you so much. When it comes to new rock music, and what’s coming out, I’m a big fan of what Wolf is doing, Wolf Van Halen. Mike, our guitarist, is a huge Eddie Van Halen fan and he is one of the best guitarists I’ve ever seen.  We always try and give props to the bands that are doing it and Mammoth is doing it in the right way. 

 

GD:  Yeah, like Dirty Honey and The Struts those are some of my favorite newer bands for sure. 

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TR:  Yeah, I love those guys. I’ve seen those guys plenty of times. 

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GD:  Toby, thank you so much for your time.  I’m gonna get this out there and we will pack The Winchester for you.  Safe travels on the road and I hope to see you in a couple of weeks. 

 

TR:  Alright buddy!  We will see you there. 

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GD:  Alright. Cheers! 

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TR:  Cheers, mate!  Good bye!

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Make sure you check out The Fell.  You can stream their new EP and you can see them live at The Winchester on March 23.  You can also watch the entire Zoom call and I also added their video for "Footprints."

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