A Dirty Dozen with DAMIEN FAGIOLINO from FELICITY – March 2024

Photo credit: Niles Gregory

According to a recent press release: “Following a successful 2023, Orlando trash rock band FELICITY is excited to keep the momentum going with their first new music of 2024. The band has today released “CHARLIE SHEEN”, featuring Jon Lundin of Point North, out now via Zodhiac Records. Stream the song – loved and dubbed a “vibrant, radio friendly hit” by Charlie Sheen himself – now. When July 16, 2021, hit and FELICITY released their debut full-length album, Dear Universe, the self-described trash rock band were in a familiar place: a recording studio, already hard at work on the follow-up. Such is life for the Orlando-based workaholics, who refused to let the pandemic slow down their musical momentum. As the group (vocalist Damien Fagiolino, guitarist Andrew Rapier, guitarist Cory Nicholas, bassist Michael Alosa, and new drummer Rashid Williams) decamped to The Audio Compound in Orlando to start work on their post-Dear Universe material, they brought with them a deliberate artistic approach that found them diving deep into their favorite songs from acts like Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, Måneskin and Beastie Boys.” We get Damien to discuss new music, influences, and more.

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Our latest release was a collaboration with a great band we look up to called Point North. The song was written from scratch in the studio with Jon (singer of Point North), and it’s called “Charlie Sheen.” It really has a singalong vibe and high energy, which we all love to incorporate in many of our songs. The lyrics symbolize that sometimes we feel like nothing we do matters or are in a mess that we can’t escape. We must understand we can always bounce back cause the world will keep spinning and moving along, so we should all move along and strive to better ourselves. That message is what we want to convey to our fans!

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I was always involved in sports growing up. On the way to games as a kid, my parents would play music from artists I never knew but grew to love, such as Fleetwood Mac, Queen, The Eagles, and so many more. I found myself singing along to so many of these songs in the backseat of my parent’s car. After I went to my first concert and saw how much I truly enjoyed live music, it made me want to do that with my life. So, I gradually switched from wanting to pursue sports to music because I had a passion for it!

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Shane Told from Silverstein has always been a significant influence on me. He is a fantastic live performer and songwriter. That band is very important to me.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I think right now, it would be Caleb Shomo from Beartooth. I’m just a huge fan of their sound and aggressive style to their music. I think a collaboration would be a dream come true!

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

I love finding trails to walk with my dog and small local cafes to catch up on reading. I love working out to unwind or going to the beach.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I would say that we are a perfect blend of “Trash Rock” which means we throw many genres into the pot, mix them up and, pull something out and see what we get. We have a pop-punk side to us, which is fun and catchy, but we also have an aggressive side to our music, which blends more into the progressive/metalcore genres. We can also strip it back and get into the acoustic and pop world with some of our songs, so it’s all over the place. We have drawn some comparisons to A Day To Remember in the past, and we take that as a huge compliment.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I would say that our drummer Rashid and I would be the main ones who cook or provide the food for the party or after we finish recording a full album and celebrating. I think the rest of the guys are pretty even when it comes to getting the drinks in. I would definitely be the first one to crack out the acoustic guitar for a full band singalong.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

I really can’t remember the last time I was starstruck; I think it might have been at a soccer match a couple of years back when I saw some of my favorite players I idolized growing up!

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part is sharing the stage with your fellow bandmates, screaming the words out to your fans, and having them sing every single lyric back to you. There is something magical about that, for sure. If I couldn’t be a musician, I would have loved to be a professional soccer player.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I’ve always wanted to be asked, “What is the best advice you’ve been given as a musician?” My answer would be always to aspire to keep putting out music and do your best, as well as always support small artists in pursuing their goals and dreams. I really don’t have any questions I get tired of answering at the moment!

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I think everything happens for a reason, so we don’t like to live in the past as a band. All we can do is continue striving to be better than we were yesterday and learn from any mistakes in our careers.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I think the record that comes to mind is Finch’s What It Is To Burn debut album. This record profoundly impacted me regarding the lyrics, melodies, and guitars. It introduced me to many genres within that album that still stick with me.

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Category: Interviews