Interview with LIVING FAST
!!!HEAVY METAL MANIACS FROM THE USA!!!
We had a conversation with James Balcazar (Guitars/Vocals). Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about LIVING FAST (Members, Starting Year etc).
Hello FILTHY DOGS OF METAL! Thank you for reaching out! LIVING FAST is 4 piece, comprising of the same members as our Thrash Metal outfit, BLACK DENIM RAGE. This includes James Balcazar on Guitars/Vocals, Matthew Sanders on Guitars, Shazam Humphrey on Drums and Willow “Guido” Cattarinich on Bass Guitar. This project started out in October 2023, after attending Keep It True festival in Germany. We became inspired by the vibrant European scene and the fest itself. (James) I decided to create something reminiscent of the Old School Traditional Heavy Metal sound. I couldn’t find anyone in the area to help me with the project because the Traditional Heavy Metal scene here in Florida doesn’t exist. I had to do everything myself except for the drums. One thing I have to say is thank you to the BDR members. They helped me with their participation in the “Rock Travelers” video.
You have recently released your EP ''Wall Breaker''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
I have listened and received positive comments so far. Some say that we sound like Heavy Load. We have a touch of that Swedish Heavy Metal. To be honest, when I created the songs, I just sat down and recorded whatever came out of my heart, every riff, solo, lyric. Every piece reflects my own thoughts and “being” connecting the old school with the Traditional Heavy Metal sound that I love.
Do you have a record deal proposal yet, or are you going to search for it?
As of right now, I released the EP independently. It is my solo career. But from what I saw, it got more attention than Black Denim Rage, so I guess I’m going to look for a label to see what happens. Of course, I will be releasing the first full length in the future, which I already started working on.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
The process of recording, mixing and mastering was so much easier than what we dealt with in the past. We know the right people now in the area. My other band gave me the experience to just go ahead and record, mix, and master with the right people. I think the EP sounds better than all our previous works. We haven’t played any shows with LIVING FAST yet because I will be relocating to Europe, where I will be getting a new line up. That’s the plan for now.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
I prefer vinyl because it offers you the full quality of the album when listening to it. I prefer tape too because it makes the album sound more vintage and old school.
Your music style is Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
HEAVY LOAD, GOTHAM CITY, BLACK FATE, AND THE NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
Where do I start? First off, a band should sacrifice procrastination and disorganization. If you're constantly not putting the effort but expecting big results, that’s not how it works. Unity in a band is the most important thing. Friendship and brotherhood in the band shouldn’t feel like a transaction. I sacrificed more of my time to create LIVING FAST. It was just me, but people only care about the results and not progress. The process and sacrifice were tough.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Any European shows to be honest. More specifically, “Keep It True”. It would be a dream come true. Muskelrock, Trveheim and so on; so much to explore in Europe. It’s more promising than Florida… we have none of those things. South America would be the next level after Europe if everything turns out well.
What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have to gain identity and be unique?
Be yourself; have your own identity. no more, no less.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Heavy Metal Bands? Which do you think is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Absolutely! In this era of technology, it is way easier to promote your material, especially online. With many new bands releasing material every day through the use of Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and more.
Do you see any differences between the US Metal Market & the EU Metal Market (Labels, Bands, Fans etc.)?
Based on my personal experience, when I traveled to Europe for the first time in 2022, I went to Keep It True Festival and saw so many labels and people selling merch. I spent so much money for the first time during my stay. Thankfully I controlled myself the following year. At Hell’s Heroes, I didn’t see much merch… barely any to be honest. Maybe the U.S. Metal Market is bigger in California. To me, Europe is the best market so far.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Florida (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
I do not care about the scene in Florida.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Not too much. I do need to travel more and explore the different scenes in Europe, I can’t wait!
The last 4 years, worldwide in the world, we have faced many dark, strange & new situations in our everyday life (covid, lock-down etc.) Did all of this affect you positively or negatively?
It really affected us all. I’m thankful that I never vaccinated myself. I always thought the Deep State, Globalists who are infiltrated in the U.S. Government had a major participation in this and I still believe it. Right when we started out with Black Denim Rage, we couldn’t play or record for an entire year. Many things happening today (especially wars) are the things that I write about the most. As an Ex U.S.-Army Veteran, I know for fact those worldwide events are ran by “certain people”; we cannot name them in an open discussion or political opinion.
What are your future plans?
For the future, I will be moving to Europe. That’s my goal at least. I plan to keep studying and finish my career. If everything goes well, I will get a new European line up to play with LIVING FAST and record the new full-length album which am already working on it.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you for your patience! Thank you for the interview opportunity! We will be in touch soon, Heavy Metal Forever!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
LIVING FAST CONTACT:
https://www.instagram.com/livingfast_official/
https://livingfast.bandcamp.com/album/wall-breaker