Bridges Ablaze, the dynamic duo behind the anthemic sound, shares the serendipitous origin of their musical journey, the diverse influences shaping their music, and the unwavering determination fueling their rise in the ever-evolving rock landscape.
1. Can you tell us the story behind the formation of
Bridges Ablaze and how you both decided to embark on this musical journey together?
We both crossed paths in 2014 at Guitar Center in Austin, Texas, sharing some
licks via a guitar battle across an aisle of amplifiers. Afterward, both of us
impressed with each other, we both exchanged contact information and stayed in
touch. After years of intermittent contact, we began to feel that the chance
meeting was destiny. In 2019, we decided to form “Bridges Ablaze” after many
failed past projects. Bridges Ablaze really was our first attempt at music the
“right” way.
2. Your music is described as blurring the lines between sub-genres. How do
you approach this fusion of influences, and how does it contribute to your
unique sound?
Every new song is a chance to create a new soundscape based on our broad palate
of influences. Every song describes a new personal experience, and drawing upon
that experience, we construct a unique sonic landscape. Essentially, we
translate our lives into sounds. For each new story we tell, there is always a
new and unique combination of sounds. Part of this is simply because we listen
to so many different types of music, so creative merging of genre comes
naturally at a certain point.
3. "Hellbent" is your debut original single. What inspired the
creation of this track, and what message are you trying to convey through it?
No matter what happens, we will be here to see through our mission to the end.
“Hellbent” is about determination and will in the face of certain death. It is
about never giving up, and lighting the way for others no matter how much pain
and betrayal one has endured in life.
4. Your cover of 30 Seconds To Mars' "The Kill" gained significant
attention with nearly 150,000 streams on Spotify. What motivated you to
reinterpret this song, and what challenges did you face in putting your unique
spin on it?
We faced minimal challenges, really. Truth be told, facing the unknown was the
hardest part to overcome. “The Kill” was a proof of concept, initially just a
“test” to see if this project could even work for us, or if it even sounded
good. After finishing off the master with Cory Brunnemann, we both realized we
were meant to do this together. We chose “The Kill” because we are in love with
the song. It made sense to choose a song we loved, otherwise we wouldn’t have
naturally poured ourselves completely into it.
5. "Hellbent" and "The Kill" showcase different sides of
your musical range. Can you share your creative process for crafting these
songs and how they represent your diverse influences?
Brien wrote most of the instruments to “The Kill”, except a few parts and
Ruben’s solo. Cory (the producer) added some elements as well. As far as
“Hellbent” goes, Brien had an incomplete demo that Robby (producer) tore apart
in the studio. After a lot of revisions, the instrumental track for “Hellbent”
was born. Brien and Ruben both wrote their respective vocals, with a little
melodic and lyrical help at times from Robby.
As long as each song musically sounds good, and is coming from a place of raw vulnerability, we’ve found that emotional resonance is quite natural. The better the song is, and the more real and creative the lyrics and melodies are, it seems the limbic resonance the audience experiences with us amplifies.
7. Could you describe the songwriting and collaboration process between the two of you? How do you navigate the creative tensions and differences in your influences?
Sometimes Brien will write a song mostly, and sometimes Ruben will write a song mostly. Other times, songs will be completely collaborative, with additions from Robby, Brien, and Ruben in varying ratios. Tensions really haven’t ever happened between any of us. We are all open-minded and tend to share a similar vision for what “good music” even means.
8. As a duo, how do you handle the challenge of performing your music live and reproducing the energy and complexity of your recordings on stage?
We have a team of contracted musicians to assist with playing live. We will likely use backing tracks to assist with atmospheric parts of the songs, considering some of the parts are complicated and layered. With the assistance of backing tracks and hired virtuosos on guitars, drums, and bass, we will be able to deliver at the highest level possible for future shows and tours.
9. Your music is often described as anthemic. What do you hope listeners take away from your music, and how do you want it to make them feel?
Hope and inspiration. There is always hope, no matter how dark things may seem. We have a saying: “Together as one, we will overcome”, which is honestly applies to every scenario life has thrown our way. We hope to make every fan feel safe/free of weight while listening to our music. We aim to help those that are hurting feel a sense of “healing”. We seek to remind all those who listen to us that it is inevitable that you will prevail through any obstacle if you never give up. People must be reminded, constantly, that they are not alone, and that we are all in this together.
10. The modern rock world is constantly evolving. How do you see Bridges
Ablaze contributing to this changing landscape, and what impact do you hope to
make?
We aim to always change and always reinvent what rock music even is to us. As
we stated above, we draw on a vast palate of influence and try to make every
song unique. In this era, there are a lot of different ways to make rock. To
us, this feels like a golden opportunity to be even more unique.
11. Are there any particular artists or bands that have had a significant
influence on your music and career as Bridges Ablaze?
To name a few: AC/DC, Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, Bring Me The Horizon, Bullet
For My Valentine, Erra, Linkin Park, Trivium, Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden,
Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc. have truly impacted our careers. There are other various
artists we look up to, not just in rock, that impact our music and help us aim
for a higher possible level.
12. What are your future plans and aspirations for the band? Are there any
upcoming projects or releases you can share with your fans?
We intend to keep releasing songs and videos for the next year or two. This is
our launch phase. From there, we will focus on live shows and touring. The
songs we plan to release in 2024 and 2025 are quite different than our previous
material, however. All we can say is that, unless you’ve heard all of our
unreleased material, you only see a small slice of our overall artistic range.
13. The music industry can be challenging to break into. What advice do you
have for aspiring musicians who want to follow in your footsteps?
Music is a lot of work and is quite tricky at times to navigate. That said, if
you really love music that much and know it is your calling, GO FOR IT. At the
HIGHEST level, though. You shouldn’t shortchange yourself. You should always
look within and make sure you’re trusting yourself and listening to your
intuition. You should never let people chisel away your sense of self-trust. If
something doesn’t feel right, LISTEN. You must also think very critically and
logically. There are a lot of logistics and even strategies in this business,
so it is imperative to be able to think both emotionally/artistically, as well
as strategically/logically. Never forget, anything is possible in music, and if
you approach your business model with that type of creativity, you can make a
lot happen for yourself. There’s also a lot of financial and legal
accountability in this business. Track every expense, find a lawyer, prepare
for annual taxes, form an LLC, establish a trademark, etc.
Love and obsession with music keeps us motivated. There is lot of balancing to be done, and there are a lot of sacrifices to be made. It’s our passion for music that gives us the energy to push for our goals at this level. There’s a lot of scheduling involved also, especially for those that work a Monday to Friday job. It can take a toll, but we always get back up and remember “why” we started. It’s passion that truly keeps us here, focused on and unwavering from our chosen path.
15. Can you share any memorable experiences or stories from your musical journey so far that have had a profound impact on your perspective as artists?
Perhaps our most memorable experiences yet have had to do with saving people‘s lives. We have had fans reach out more than once claiming that our song saved their life, or at a minimum, helped them overcome a serious personal obstacle, like an addiction, etc. Upon finding this out, we felt nothing but love and compassion for that individual, as well as pride in their actions. Helping people with our music adds a new dimension to the suffering that wrought these songs.
16. Finally, if you could use one word to describe the essence of Bridges Ablaze, what would it be, and why?
Timeless. Bridges Ablaze will always aim to stand out in a world full of copies. We sing from a place of uninhibited creative potential and try to wipe away all expectations when we begin a new song. It’s in a place of infinite space that songs of timeless quality are made.
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