Interview Changing Tymz

In this interview, we delve into the journey of Changing Tymz, their debut album "Finish the Race," and the inspirations behind their unique progressive metal sound.

1.Can you tell us about the journey ofCHANGING TYMZ and how the band was formed?
Tony Rossi and Timmy Wysong forged a connection early on in 2016 when Tony joined Timmy’s existing project. Although that never materialized, they recognized their ability to work together and, driven by a passion and desire to create a unique sound, the roots of Changing Tymz was born in 2018. Bryan McQuade, an experienced bassist, answered an audition and quickly became the perfect addition on bass. Matthew Martin stepped in as vocalist and the first EP, “Changing Tymz” was recorded and released in February 2020. Shortly after, Eric Fenton joined the band as second guitarist and writing and production began of what would lead to “Finish the Race”. For personal reasons two members had exited the band, Matthew Martin (early 2021) followed by Eric Fenton (late 2022). After several auditions, female vocalist Joann E. Wolfe and guitarist Brian Weber filled the vacancies in February 2023. Thus began the tireless work of re-writing and re-recording the material that resulted in "FINISH THE RACE".

2. What was the inspiration behind your debut album, "FINISH THE RACE"?
We are all given a certain allotted time on this Earth and with all of the trials and tribulations we had to go through to get this album out, it was only fitting to call it “FINISH THE RACE" as a message to our audience to never give up on goals, dreams, and your desires for as long as you are capable so that you can look back and say “I finished my race”.

3. How would you describe the sound and style of "FINISH THE RACE" to new listeners?
A review by Rock Charts describes the album best and I quote: “redefining what it means to be a powerhouse in the prog rock and metal genres.”…. Whether it’s the groovy, melodic rock or the aggressive, hard-hitting metal riffs, their artistic ingenuity never fades.”…. “profound blend of prog-rock and metal”.

4. What are some of the key themes and messages explored in the album's lyrics?
Believe in yourself and believe in a better day when things aren’t right. All throughout history, there are examples of people who have found a way to overcome and accomplish great things. It’s through those events, and those people we can look to for inspiration in how we live our own lives.

5. Can you share any stories or experiences from the recording process of the album?
Being fortunate enough that our bassist, Bryan McQuade operates his own professional recording studio, where the album was recorded & mixed, we had the luxury of his expertise in patiently guiding us through the process. This created a bond between everybody as we all felt we had the time to do our best and that bond was reflected in our music. Looking back, the making of this album was truly a tremendous experience.

6. Which track from "FINISH THE RACE" are you most excited for fans to hear, and why?
“The Fear is Gone” because it is the first new release with the new line-up, and a song that exemplifies the passion needed to back the lyrics which hopefully will encourage listeners to do what ever it takes to achieve their dreams.

7. How did you achieve the balance between progressive elements and commercial appeal in your music?
By beating each other with baseball bats. LOL! No seriously, for the most part we wrote and recorded in our home studios. Then the final recordings were done and mixed at McQuades Music Studio. The balance happened naturally because we all had time and opportunity for each to put his/her own creative elements into the recording, some being of a heavier harder background and some being more in the mainstream commercial element of music.

8. What were some of the musical influences and inspirations that shaped the sound of this album?
We all have had variances in our music growing up but some of the common names would include: Yes, Dream Theater, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Heart, Godsmack, Disturbed, Iron Maiden, Queensrÿche and RUSH.

9. Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while creating "FINISH THE RACE" and how you overcame them?
Changes in the band line-up along the way resulted in the songs being written three times and recorded twice. The longevity of that definitely took a toll that was overcome by the bands drive and “passion” thus the title “FINISH THE RACE”.

10. How do you feel about the comparison to bands like Dream Theater, Rush, and Queensrÿche?
Humbled. These are three of the top names and we could not be more excited to be mentioned alongside yet alone compared to.

11. What do you hope listeners will take away from your music after hearing the album?
A positive upbeat frame of mind created by good new original music and enhanced by authentic and reliable lyrical content.

12. What are CHANGING TYMZ's plans for promoting "FINISH THE RACE" and connecting with fans after its release?"
Changing Tymz is a strong unit as we have had to make changes in band personnel, learning to grow and trust each other. We now have a solid line-up so as long as we are able, we will continue to write and record music. We are also hoping to attract the attention of promoters with increased airplay and our growing fan base. The goal is that this will land us in opening spots for national acts. We welcome the opportunity to play our music live on stage. As it stands, we are independent, but interested in a label to team up with, which would broaden our scope of things. Till then, The Metal Lives On! Blessings!

Changing Tymz | Hard Rock/Metal Band | United States