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1.) We’re excited to have some time today with acclaimed Orlando Trash Rock Band Felicity; holiday greetings and salutations, gang!! Before we dive into the Q&A mosh-pit, could you each say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-inquisitive readers?
Damien: Hey, my name is Damien. I’m the vocalist for the band glad to be here with you guys!
Mike: Hello! I’m Mike, the bass player for FELICITY also known as the Red Beanie Bassist.
Drew: I’m Drew aka @drewsmoves, and I play Guitar in FELICITY.
Cory: Hello! I’m Cory, the resident riff master and lead guitarist of FELICITY.
Rashid: Hi, I’m Rashid Williams aka The Drummer. I’m the newest member of FELICITY and have been in the band for almost 2 years now and loving every minute!!
2.) Major congratulations on your brand-spankin’ new rockin’ rendition of the Wham! Christmas Evergreen Last Christmas! Damien, what inspired Felicity to tackle – successfully, we might add! – one of the better-known Christmas tunes of recent memory?
Damien: It was important to us to do a Christmas song that everyone knew, but we felt wasn’t overly done. We also wanted to do a song that could be played all throughout the year, not just during Christmas.
3.) Andrew, what’s the secret to creating a cover version to a popular and well-known song such as Last Christmas and making it sort of your own thing without completely alienating the fans who also enjoy the original tune?
Drew: I think the secret was the balance of not completely stripping away the melodies of the original song but also completely re-working mood, vibe, and instrumentations. The song is almost unrecognizable outside of that big chorus that immediately reminds you that this is, in fact, a cover of “Last Christmas”.
4.) Cory, speaking of the recording studio, who was the producer on FELICITY’s rendition of Last Christmas, and what did the collaboration between the band and producer look like while cutting it in the studio?
Cory: We worked with Dylan Herzog of Close Quarters Studio here in Orlando, FL. Surprisingly rearranging the song to find the genre and progression we wanted wasn’t too challenging, but we were fortunate that distorted, driving guitars and promenading drums are more forgiving, so we were able to focus on transposing our progress to find a key that fit comfortably in Damien’s vocal range, which was the most time-consuming part. Once we were satisfied with our foundation, we started with the chorus, and from then on, tracking was smooth sailing.
5.) Mike, Last Christmas caps off a very busy year for Felicity, with the latest release marking no less than the group’s seventh of 2023! Dare we ask what’s in store for fans in 2024? Can an EP or LP be lurking in the distance?
Mike: We certainly had a busy 2023, which has been leading up to an even bigger 2024! Not only do we have new music lined up to be released on a regular basis, but we have also speculated that an EP could be a thing. There are some new sounds and styles that we’ve been experimenting with over the last year, and putting those together in a very ‘Trash Rock’ style on an EP might be the move. You’ll just have to stay tuned to see!
6.) Rashid, Zodhiac Records is the label behind Last Christmas. What makes Zodhiac the perfect home for Felicity and their music?
Rashid: We(Felicity) pride ourselves on hard work, follow-through, and the foundation of teamwork. We believe that Zodhiac not only understands that but also aligns with our ethics. It makes for the perfect union. And they clearly know how to push Killer Rock Music! Lol
7.) A question for all of you: Who inspires you musically?
Damien: I’m inspired by a lot of pop, alternative, grunge, rock, and metal music. Some specific people recently are Dayseeker, Beartooth, and, of course, Bush!
Cory: I must pay homage to Eddie Van Halen as my inspiration. From childhood, I have always loved all genres of classic rock, but something about his unique tone and how he played never failed to ignite excitement and my imagination. He possessed such a natural talent that made his sound and playing so identifiable that you immediately knew it was him if you heard him playing.
Drew: I’m inspired by all classic rock music, early 2000s nu-metal, and all warped tour-era pop punk/emo music.
Rashid: I’m musically inspired by everything from Phil Collins to Avenged Sevenfold to Prince to Kirk Franklin. I think having a wide musical palette makes playing our Felicity tunes even more fun and interesting!
Mike: My greatest musical inspiration is the red hot chili peppers, specifically Flea. The basslines he rips on their 90s and 2000s records massively shaped how I learned to play bass.
8.) Damien, Felicity is based out of the beautiful city of Orlando, Florida! How do these roots inform the sound and energy of the band?
Damien: Orlando is a melting pot of so many different genres of music. Naturally, everyone in the band has different influences; when we come together to write our music, all of those influences find their way into the music. That’s where the name trash rock comes from. It really is a perfect blend of all five of us.
9.) Andrew, have you copped any earplay as to what the surviving band members of Wham! think about Felicity’s take on Last Christmas?
Drew: Not yet, but hey there’s always NEXT Christmas for that!
10.) Cory, on the heels of a very busy and productive 2023, what does the touring-performing dance card look like for Felicity in the coming weeks and months?
Cory: For those who missed it, we recently announced that we’ll be joining ‘Between You & Me’ for a leg of their “Shit Yeah” North American Tour ‘24 this March on the Richmond, VA to Orlando, FL dates. We were set to play an Emo Block Party in my hometown of Orlando, FL, this past December, but it’s being rescheduled due to the weather conditions that weekend, so once a date is confirmed, we’ll have that announcement. We do have dates in discussion for more studio time (our home away from home) and will be resuming our release schedule of new music here soon, so be sure to follow us at @WeAreFELICITY to stay up to date with the cool kids.
11.) Mike, at the end of the day, what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving the Felicity rendition of Last Christmas many-a-spin on the holiday turn-table?
MIke: I really hope that listeners walk away with two things.
1: a mixed feeling of nostalgia for hearing such a timeless Christmas classic with a new twist. And 2: a sense of awe after being ear-struck by the heaviness of the breakdown. We had to put our spin on it.
