XROXX Band of the Month

April 2005

The Natalie Fight

The “local scenes” across the country are what keep the entire scene alive. From the bands that only draw ten kids out to their shows to the bands that bring out hundreds. You probably know it well - the dim-lit bars and basements, the pale-skinned kids with studded belts and tight t-shirts, and the energy that flows through the entire room when a band you know and love lights up the stage. Or, maybe you have no idea what that’s like due to the lack of, well, life in your town. But, one thing’s for sure. If you’re a “scene kid” and live anywhere near Bay City, Michigan, you’ve definitely heard of The Natalie Fight.

The Natalie Fight is a band whose sound is hard to compare. You could classify them as hardcore and emo with a touch of punk, but plain ‘rock’ is more suitable and general. The band consists of Nigel (vocals), AJ (keyboard), “The Guz” (guitar), Travis (bass/vocals) and Ryan (drums). The line-up has gone through a few changes, though. TNF’s former bassist/vocalist, Pat, left and was replaced by the current bassist/vocalist, Travis. Following Pat’s departure, Nick (guitar) left and hasn’t been replaced. With many bands, it just isn’t the same after a few original members leave, but that’s not the case with The Natalie Fight. If anything, it seems that the band has grown stronger.

TNF’s fan base has been steadily growing since the band began in 2003. That is most likely due to the dedication the band has to music and the large amount of shows they play. A popular place for them to play is the Skyroom, which is connected to a local bowling alley. Maybe their fan base has grown so much for the simple reason that their debut CD, Murder in the Streets of St. Petersburg, is simply amazing. A few popular favorites off the CD are “Bus Bomb Letter,” “Everything I Really Needed to Know I Learned in a Robbery,” and “My Heart Hanging on the Blade of a Table Saw.” Each of those songs are filled with energy and talent. When seeing those songs played live, that same talent becomes even more evident.

I had the chance to do an interview with The Natalie Fight’s keyboardist, AJ, and I’ve included it in this extra-long Band of the Month article. Read on…

XROXX: First of all, I'd like to say that The Natalie Fight is very talented. What do you think sets you apart from other bands?
AJ: Thank you very much. I think, ultimately, what sets us apart is that we're not trying to be anything we're not. Musically, what we do is really unique to what anyone else is doing because we want to make our own music, not recycle and reuse someone else's.

XROXX: That's great! What is your favorite part of being in a band?
AJ: My favorite part of being in a band is being up on stage and doing what I love to do more than anything in the world. When we're up there putting all of our passion for what we do into our performance, we're not only making ourselves happy, but trying to make everyone who's watching happy as well. That half hour or so isn't only my favorite part of being in a band, but also, my favorite part of my life. I'm sure my band mates would agree that they feel that way as well.

XROXX: Do you have a least favorite, then?
AJ: One thing that can be negative is the effect that being in the band has on other parts of our lives. Most of our families are extremely supportive, but in the sense that it's basically no more than their sons' hobby to them. This is what we want to do with the rest of our lives, and most of the time, our families are hesitant to believe that it is possible. What's unfortunate, but ultimately necessary, is that we're going to be choosing the band over anything else. Family, friends, education, employment...they're all temporary pieces of the permanent puzzle that we're making The Natalie Fight. I know that sounds lame, but it's so true.

XROXX: That's completely understandable. So, you went on tour in the summer and fall of 2004 with Ateriavia, right? Do you have any crazy tour stories?
AJ: We actually went on the three week Eastern U.S. tour by ourselves. We played a couple dates with Ateriavia, but that was basically when we'd first met them. Crazy tour stories. [Laughs] One of the most hilarious stories is when we were staying in Panama City Beach, Florida. We were all playing Texas Hold 'Em poker under the influence of quite a bit of alcohol, and our merch guy, Marcus, put bottle caps in his eyes and pretended he was Stevie Wonder. We were all crying because we were laughing so hard. He ended up playing the entire hand blind, singing "Very Superstitious," and betting all he had. He ended up winning the hand and most of our money.

XROXX: Oh man, that sounds like a good time. The Natalie Fight has grown into much more than just a local band; you've gained a following. Why do you think that is?
AJ: In all honesty, I think it's because we're not screwing around. This band is the most important thing to us and we showcase that not only when we play, but where we play. We travel outside of Michigan to play shows usually once a month (Save for these past few. The weather has been terrible and our bus can't handle much, especially with no heat). We love interacting with anyone and everyone that sees us, and really enjoy hearing what people have to say. We just really want to thank everyone for their continued support of us through our local shows and touring, as well. I wouldn't really say that The Natalie Fight has fans, I'd rather say that The Natalie Fight has friends.

XROXX: The band has gone through a few line-up changes in its history. How has that affected the band?
AJ: It's definitely been for the better. We don't have anything against the old members in the band, especially since they're still friends of ours. Pat (ex-bass) and Nick (ex-guitar) both are great people, but through the changes in the state of the band and the more serious it got, ended up leaving the band. The five members of the band now have been best friends in everyday life for awhile now, and because of that it's definitely more closely knit. Everything's much more fun when it's with your best friends, so we're all loving it.

XROXX: Who are some of your major influences?
AJ: Our major influences come from all over, and they're not really influences in what we're doing, but rather, why we're doing it. It ranges from older bands like Motley Crue, The Rolling Stones, Queen, and Squeeze, to newer bands like The Faint, Reggie and the Full Effect, Underoath, and The Mars Volta. We're striving to create something unique in music the way that they did. We not only admire what these bands have done and are doing, but we're trying to do something similar; trying to give something back to show our gratitude to what they've done in the world of music.

XROXX: If you could tour with any three bands, which would they be and why?
AJ: Well, I'll say this personally, so don't hold the entire band to the answer. I'd definitely have to say Ateriavia, because they are our best friends. I've never met another group of people as talented, determined and fun as they are. Two other bands I'd love to tour with would be The Faint and Coldplay. I know that we wouldn't really all fit together musically, but getting to see both of those bands perform every night for free would be a dream come true. No band could EVER put on a better show than The Faint does and Coldplay somehow manages to amazingly play their music live even better than it is recorded.

XROXX: Does everyone have a part in writing lyrics or is it just Nigel?
AJ: Nigel writes most of the lyrics. But, Travis writes some, too, which are usually the parts he sings. They've collaborated on a few of the new songs, as well.

XROXX: What are your aspirations for the band?
AJ: Definitely to do it for a living. Nothing else really matters, at least not nearly as much as the band to us.

XROXX: Do you have a favorite local band? If so, which one?
AJ: 88 Miles Per Hour is definitely my favorite local band in Michigan. They are amazing people, as well as musicians. Be sure to check them out if you haven't. They'll actually be coming with us on the last two weeks of our national U.S. tour this spring/summer.

XROXX: Yeah, they are great. What inspires you day to day to create music?
AJ: My main inspiration is that everything else now seems so...distant. I've lost all interest in continuing my education and most of my interest in working at a regular job. Music is such a huge part of my life now that everything else just doesn't really interest me. I love making and playing music, and plan on doing it for as long as I can imagine - no matter what.

XROXX: At what age did you gain a big interest in the music scene and what attracted you so much to it?
AJ: Actually, in my senior year of high school, 2002-2003. Nigel, The Guz, and Ryan were in a band together, and I would go to their shows and support them, which opened up my eyes to a lot of other awesome local bands and the more "not mainstream" music scene. I really wanted to get involved, and it just so happened that their band ended up breaking up and we started The Natalie Fight. What attracted me to it was seeing how much fun they were having creating and playing music, even at the scale at which they were doing it.

XROXX: Was that the band Or Die Trying they were in?
AJ: [Laughs] Yes, it was.

XROXX: I thought so. How do you feel about major labels? In other words, do you think they are helping to create music or destroy it?
AJ: As long as major labels are giving the bands their freedom and not forcing them to do what the label wants, then I think they're helping create. A lot of people give bands a lot of shit for "selling out," but the bands are putting their all into what they're doing. They need to make money, and more is certainly better than less. When a label turns a band or artist into a musical robot, where they're not making any decisions for themselves and just doing whatever the label tells them to do to make more money, then that's destroying music.

XROXX: You have a new album coming out on April 8th titled, You Can't Float on Relationships. Describe the album in two words.
AJ: Stepping forward.

XROXX: Are you nervous for the new release to come out? Is it a big change from Murder in the Streets of St. Petersburg?
AJ: We're not nervous at all, just extremely excited and anxious. It is an enormous change from the Murder... album. Everything has been stepped up. The recording is better, the music is better, and I like to think that we're better people now that we're putting forth so much effort into it and making it such a huge part of our lives. Not that I know how it feels, but I can imagine that this is what it's like to have a child.

XROXX: Where is your favorite place to play a show? You better say the Skyroom...just kidding.
AJ: [Laughs] All joking aside, The Skyroom is really like a home to us. We're most comfortable playing there because we're so used to it. Because we're so comfortable, I think we perform the best there and have the most fun. Other places we love to play at include Kurt Stepp's basement in Saginaw, Michigan, Java Jim's in Laporte, Indiana, and The Earthworm Empire in Kankakee, Illinois.

XROXX: Represent! Okay, what is your least favorite part of being on the road?
AJ: Definitely when certain people start to stink and greasy hair. That's why it's always nice to stop at a rest area or truck stop and wash your hair in the sink of the bathroom. Personal money situations can suck sometimes, too.

XROXX: What is your favorite song off of Murder... to play live?
AJ: "Virginia is for Lovers, West Virginia is for Perverts" because it's one of the only "old" songs that we really play anymore and it just has the most energy of all the tracks from the album. It's a song that we still have a lot of fun playing, even though our main focus is on the new material.

XROXX: Anything else you'd like to say?
AJ: We'd just like to thank everyone for coming out to see us, buying our merch, and supporting us in any way that you do. Our CD Release is Friday, April 8th at The Skyroom in Bay City, Michigan. It’s six dollars at 6 pm, with our friends Ateriavia, 88 Miles Per Hour, The Live Long Day, Onyxlovemagnet and The Slaughterhouse Five. Keep checking our website and myspace.com for updates on our upcoming shows and tour. Also, check out the rough mix of one of our new songs on www.purevolume.com/thenataliefight! Thank you very much!

It was a pleasure to have the chance to interview AJ and I wish The Natalie Fight the best of luck. As for you, what are you waiting for? Go buy the damn CD! It can be found at smartpunk.com. Be on the lookout for their newest CD, too, You Can’t Float on Relationships, which is set to be released on April 8, 2005. Also, if you ever have the chance, check out their live show. Out of all the great bands and shows that exist, there is no show like a Natalie Fight show.

Do you want to be the next XROXX Band of the Month? Please e-mail us at bandofthemonth@XROXX.com.

Gisele Bigras
gisele.bigras@xroxx.com

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