Austin indie rock band releases cutting-edge new music video; official EP release party at Stubb’s indoors on Thursday, Jan. 18
(AUSTIN, TEXAS – Dec. 7, 2017) – Austin-based indie rockers Summer Firespremiere the music video for their single, “Coming Down,” with Paste Magazinehere. The music video, directed by Avery Merrifield and Tyler Tipton, “engages heavy imagery and mind-bending shots to portray a truly addictive relationship,” says frontman J.P. Welsh. “As the obsession spirals into chaos, it becomes difficult to distinguish the reality from the hallucination.” “Coming Down” is the first single off Summer Fires’ upcoming EP, “Without A Word,” set to be released on Thursday, Jan. 18. There will be an official EP release party that evening at Stubb’s Indoors located at 801 Red River St., Austin, Texas 78701. Doors are at 8 p.m. with support from The Cuckoos at 9 p.m. and Matt Gilmour at 11 p.m. Summer Fires will hit the stage at 10 p.m. To purchase tickets to the EP release show, please check the band’s website: www.summerfires.com.
“‘Coming Down’ marks the tone for this record,” said Welsh. “Opening with a blend of strings, piano and distorted guitar feedback, we quickly get a feel for the beautiful mess about to unfold. The track moves from a brooding, down-tempo verse into a pulsing, high-energy chorus, and back again, taking the listener through the same rollercoaster of emotions mirrored in the songs lyrics. ‘I can feel you in my veins. I don’t want to, but I think I’m coming down.’ The imagery is laid on pretty thick as we dive into a story about a toxic affair that looks a bit more like an addiction than a relationship.”
Summer Fires is comprised of J.P. Welsh on vocals and guitar, Seth Bellon on bass guitar, Scotty Barnes on drums, Jeremy Stein on guitar and Matt Gilmouron vocals, guitar and keys. The EP was produced by Grammy-nominated industry veteran Chris “Frenchie” Smith (producer credits include And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Meat Puppets, The Toadies, Gregg Rolie, The Answer, Built to Spill, and Jet, among others). A little known fact is that guitarist and vocalist Matt Gilmour is the son of David Gilmour, English guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a longtime member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd.
“Summer Fires embodies everything I look for in a group,” says Chris “Frenchie” Smith. “Their dynamic range goes from skeletal to building like a tornado tearing through an entire city. That up-and-down swing of the pendulum embraces modern culture and fits every mood we as humans face daily, and Summer Fires just happen to put it in art, making the listener not feel alone. If strong songwriting, emotive vocals, imaginative guitar work and sublime rhythms are what you are looking for, may I offer you humbly Summer Fires! I’m proud to produce them and be a part of their dream. They are a shiny band perfect and imperfect enough to be your favorite new band!”
“Working with Frenchie has been such an amazing experience,” said band member J.P. Welsh. “He has a really great grasp on that rock ‘n’ roll energy that brings songs to life. When I first met with Frenchie, I told him I wanted to take some pretty songs that I had written and make a mess of them, and he just took off running with it. I can’t say enough about how much his guidance and support have been crucial in making this record, pushing our vision and solidifying the sound of this band.”
- Without A Word
- Coming Down
- Last Four Hours
- Wait.Wait.Wait.
- The Dive
- Here Tonight
- The Dreams We Had
About Summer Fires
Austin-based, indie rock band Summer Fires is an indie band with pop instincts. With their soaring vocal hooks and thoughtful lyrics, the band maintains the essence of indie rock while their addictive guitar riffs and catchy melodies course through their music and scatter it with tinges of dark pop. The band is comprised of J.P. Welsh on vocals, guitars and keys, Seth Bellon on bass guitar, Scotty Barnes on drums, Jeremy Stein on guitar and Matt Gilmour on vocals and guitar. Reminiscent of and inspired by bands such as The Strokes, Spoon, The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse, Summer Fires’ highly anticipated forthcoming EP, “Without A Word,” falls in line with their already established sound and energy. The record speaks to brooding romances, learning to accept failures and move forward with life and the importance of communication and what happens when communication is lacking in one’s relationships.
Summer Fires initially formed as a solo project by frontman J.P. Welsh in 2013. At the time, Welsh was working on recording an album and applying to law school. He met bassist Seth Bellon his freshman year in college and the guys began playing music together. “Something about the idea of law school didn’t quite swoon me,” says Welsh. “I dropped out just as classes started and asked Seth if he wanted to start a band. We moved to Austin a few months later, met Scotty, our drummer, and started playing shows around town.” Once drummer Scotty Barnes joined Welsh and Bellon, Summer Fires was fully realized.
Over the course of the past three years, the band has seen a few iterations, with Welsh, Bellon and Barnes at its core. In 2016, the band went into the studio and began working with Chris “Frenchie” Smith (Jet, Santana and The Toadies) at The Bubble Recording Studio. The guys started recording their EP, “Without A Word,” and laid down four of the seven tracks with some backing vocals and guitar from Eden Welply. The band refined and perfected the tracks over the next year and finished recording the final three songs on the record at the beginning of 2017. Throughout the past year, Summer Fires has been playing gigs all over Austin, honing their live performance and on-stage chemistry. This past summer, the band welcomed guitarist Jeremy Stein to the group, shortly followed by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Matt Gilmour. With the band solidified and an amazing record to share with audiences and fans alike, Summer Fires is set to ignite Austin with their music.
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