UK heavy rockers Fire Red Empress recently released the video for their new single Under The Barren Light taken from their recently released, critically acclaimed debut album Black Morphine.
The song is the second single to be release from Black Morphine, which was mixed and mastered by Über Producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Mercenary) at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark and marks the first release with new singer Jennifer Diehl (formerly of Furykane). The title track features a guitar solo from Brian Tatler and was also co-written by him.
Black Morphine was released on 20th October through Red Essential and the lead single Dead Nature recieved rave reviews from the likes of Kerrang Magazine and support from Daniel P Carter on BBC Radio One, as well as the likes of Planet Rock Radio and Scuzz TV.
Under The Barren Light is part ballad, part fuzzy-rock monster and perfectly highlights how easily they combine melody with heavy rock riffery…
Fire Red Empress are playing Stone Free Festival at the 02 Arena on 17th June. Check out the video for Under The Barren Light below!
We managed to catch up with the band as they talked about their latest video and more!
So how has the release of Under The Barren Light gone down so far with fans?
Really well. We have been very fortunate to get a really positive response from our fans. It has been great to see how far our music has spread, as have been getting message from fans, both old and new from all over the world. The track is a bit softer than our earlier singles, but our existing fans have embraced it, and it has brought in some new fans also.
Can you tell us something about the track no one else knows?
The video was recorded at sun-rise on a very cold winter morning on the Mid-Wales coast. We had a lot of big plans and ideas for how it should look but tried the one take shot with Jen whilst getting set-up, which worked so well that we stuck with it. Plus, it meant that the rest of us got to stay warm in the van!
How has the release of Black Morphine gone so far?
Really well thanks. We had a lot of fans who had been waiting a long time for its release as we had been gigging some of the songs live for over 12 months. We have been lucky enough to get a couple of our singles played on national radio, and the videos on TV. This has given exposure to a whole new set of fans which has been great. We have also been lucky enough to get nothing be positive feedback from the music press, both here in the UK, throughout Europe and even a couple of features as far afield as Australia.
What is your favourite track from the album?
That’s a difficult one. As there are tracks that I enjoy listening too and tracks that I enjoy playing live. I suppose the track that ticks both boxes in my head is ‘Dead Nature’. It’s slow, heavy but got a strong melody that gets in your brain.
What’s it like getting support by the likes of BBC Radio One and Kerrang Magazine?
It’s epic. We all grew-up listening to these shows and reading these magazines, so seeing our music being put out on these formats is awesome. Watching our music stand next to next with artists and bands that we are fans of, is a dream come true.
If you could work with any artist or band on a new song, who would it be and why?
I am pretty certain that as a band, we would never all agree on a single answer to this question! We were lucky enough to work with Brian Tatler of Diamond Head on the title track for the Black Morphine album which was a great experience. For a new song, personally, I love the idea of working with Gojira or Mastodon, as think that our sounds would work well together? However, I have a huge man-crush on Duff McKagan [Guns N’ Roses] which would be awesome to sit down in the studio with.
How pumped are you for Stoned Free Festival in June?
I love playing big stages, so to get the opportunity to play a big stage at a big festival is awesome. There are some truly great bands on the bill at Stone Free, which will be a great experience to watch and play alongside. We are hopeful for a few more festival dates but aren’t allowed to say which ones as yet, sorry.
What do you get up to in your spare time when not working on music?
I don’t understand the question… music is life! When not practicing, writing, recording or gigging, we are attending gigs. Fundamentally, we are all huge music fans, probably verging on obsessive. We love live music, and all try and get to as many gigs as we can. From huge global artists through to local unsigned gigs. There is always a gig going on somewhere if you look hard enough.