interview: The Fallen Prodigy

The New York City metalcore band The Fallen Prodigy has a new album in 2018 called Relive//Regret//Repeat. The band’s vocalist Jay Jimenez took the time to answer questions about their latest work and about the band in general.

You have a new album this year! Congratulations! How are you feeling after all the work that it takes to make a new album?

Jay: Relive//Regret//Repeat is out on 4/6 and we are super excited to share what we’ve written. We put so much effort into this album; not a single thing was overlooked. It was such a long process, but the end result was so worth it.

When did the band start?

Jay: Our guitarist Daniel started this project awhile ago and he was searching for members that shared the same musical interests. We eventually all crossed paths and now here we are 4 years later!

Have you had personnel changes?

Jay: Our bassist Jonathan just joined the band a few months ago and he’s been such a positive addition to the band. He really got our style right away and his dedication has been outstanding. Everyone else in the band has been part of it since the start.

I have seen you new video “Repeat.” The video looks good. Can you tell us a bit why this song was chosen for the video and how, in your opinion, it represents the band and album in 2018?

Jay: We chose this song because it was so different. We knew that people were gonna hear it and go “Is that The Fallen Prodigy?”. It’s a perfect representation of the entire album in terms of intensity. Every song on the album is different, but the intensity and the complexity remains consistent throughout. It’s also a great representation of the bands growth.

Can you give us an idea of the direction of the lyrics on the new album? For instance, what does “Eighty-Sixed” as a phrase mean? Or, what about the lyrics behind the video “Repeat”?

Jay: Sure, so the album as a whole is about facing your past and moving on. When I was writing I wanted to do my best to put the internal struggle of moving on and pushing forward into words. My own experiences played a huge role in writing the majority of the album. Eighty-Sixed is the only song that really doesn’t follow that theme. That song is actually about Gears of War 4 and playing king of the hill haha. I used the phrase “Eighty-Sixed” because it’s another term for “getting rid of”. Since the game is based on eliminating or “getting rid of” the other team, I felt like it would be a cool way to express it.

However, “Repeat” definitely follows the theme of the album. It focuses on facing your past, how hard it can be, and how sometimes you may even put yourself down in the process. But the song ends on a positive note, a very important part of the song.

Of course, there is also alliteration on the new album Relive//Regret//Repeat, but types of emotions are behind these ideas? In what ways is now different/same emotionally and personally in comparison with the context of 2015’s Passengers?

Jay: The title Relive//Regret//Repeat came from the idea that we get stuck in this cycle where we Relive our past, Regret what we did, didn’t do, or some aspect of our past, and we Repeat that process over and over again. The new album is similar to Passengers in terms of using personal experiences and pushing a positive message. However, the way everything is written and portrayed is completely different. We went much harder on this album.

What types of obstacles has the band faced in the music business in NYC?

Jay: The only real obstacle I feel we’ve faced is that it can be difficult to get people to give bands a chance. However, we’ve been lucky enough to have such great fans that support us a ton. For those who haven’t checked us out yet, I guarantee there will be at least one song you can jam out to on this new album.

What about forming a fan base in NYC?

Jay: It can be pretty difficult for a new band to be heard when there’s so many bands out there. The key is for bands to support each other and help each other out. Working together creates a thriving music scene.

The artwork of the album seems like it might be about suicide. Am I wrong?

Jay: The artwork was meant to depict struggle for sure. The person in the artwork is struggling to the point that they’re looking for an escape, but them looking off into the distance is supposed to represent the process of clearing your mind. For example, I know sometimes when I get overwhelmed, I like to head to an open space and just clear my head. Sometimes it’s really important to take time to do so before jumping back into things.

You have the guitarist Angel Vivaldi on the album. Guitar aficionados are hearing more and more from him nowadays. How did the collaboration come about?

Jay: We’ve all admired Vivaldi’s skill and the music that he writes. When we wrote “Relive,” we immediately knew that he would be perfect for the song. So, we reached out and he was super down to do it and was amazing to work with. He absolutely nailed his part.

What about the other guests, too? You have Lauren Babic and Will Ramos. How did you come in contact with them? How much input did they have in their collaboration?

Jay: I’ve been following Lauren’s music for awhile now. She’s such a talented vocalist and being a female vocalist myself, I wanted to include another on the album. I reached out and sent her the song and she sent me her part in like 10min haha. She absolutely nailed her part as well and she was super awesome to work with.

Will was the same way. He was super on top of his part and put a lot of effort into making it sound amazing. All three musicians were given creative liberty of their parts. We sent them the track and they wrote their own lyrics/solo. We didn’t want to limit their work in any way.

What is next for your band?

Jay: We’re preparing to get back out there and play more shows. Our new merch is already available online and we’ll have more coming. As far as content, you’ll have to wait and see :)

Where is the album online?

Jay: The album is available on ITunes, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. People can also order a physical copy if they’d like off of our merch site.

Last words?

Jay: Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far! Definitely check out Relive//Regret//Repeat and look out for some new merch and content soon!

Thank you for your time!

Thank you for having us!

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The Fallen Prodigy - "Repeat (feat. Will Ramos)"