Dylan Haviland – General Assignment Reporter
The New Haven based pop-punk band, ‘Anchors Away’ has always had its roots firmly grasped into Connecticut. The band is consistently present at the venue The Space, in Hamden, Conn.
Their singer/rhythm guitarist Nick Firine has fourteen years of experience with playing and spectating. He is currently the head booking agent at The Space making room for bands of all genres to showcase their talents. “It’s all ages, and it’s always good shows,” said Nick Lacey, the current bassist and backup vocals for ‘Anchors Away.’
Additional members include Lacey’s cousin and drummer, Johnny Lacey, and Matt Palumbo, who accompanies on the bass.
Don’t forget, Thursday at 6pm, we will be on Quinnipiacs radio station WQAQ. Hanging out on air and playing some… http://t.co/5C2FJxy4eq
— Anchors Away (@AnchorsAwayCT) December 3, 2014
The band has currently released its newest album ‘Be Brave, Not Alone’ this April, featuring the track, “20,000 Leagues Over My Head” a heavy melody whose lyrics recall lost love, with nautical references. Firine discussed his personal connection and meaning to the new album.
“Really it’s the name of the record, ‘Be Brave, Not Alone’ it’s funny now a lot of the lyrics I wrote about a certain girl throughout a stint and its funny because I tend not to write straight off the bat, I speak more in metaphors than anything else,” said Firine. “But I think it’s more about knowing that no matter what you go through, there’s somebody that will go through it and you’re not alone.”
‘Be Brave, Not Alone’ is a mixing pot of the band member’s unique individual band preferences. The work that influence ‘Anchors Away’ ranges from popular bands, ‘Blink-182’ and ‘Green Day’ to pop musicians like ‘Lily Allen.’
“I think it works out that way with the band taking all your different influences personally and making it work all together,’’ said Firine. “Like Johnny our drummer he’s definitely into hardcore more than anything else, and that comes through. Having a drummer who is really into hardcore, he’s a monster behind the kit.”
The band’s journey towards, ‘Be Brave, Not Alone’ is one of complications and new experiences. Amidst the process of first writing the album, when one of the original guitarists left the band a dispute over using his lyrics arose.
“He was like listen I don’t want you guys using any songs I helped write, so we got our buddy Matt [Palumbo] who grew up with Nick and Johnny and all of them,” said Firine. “He had some ideas so we literally wrote the whole album music wise in two weeks before going and a lot the lyrics where written prior. I went back to stuff I had written since I was 18 and 19, and pieced stuff together, wrote new stuff. I was up literally every night at studio writing lyrics.”
The lyrics where primarily rewritten in the band’s trip to Ohio, where they recorded the album for a week by Vibe Recording Studio.
“We pulled up there and spent a whole week in the studio,” said Firine. “Like he had bunk beds in the studio, we just stayed in there for a week and did had nothing but writing it was the like the best experience of my life.”
‘Anchors Away’ plans for the future involve more venues and traveling around to different shows, including future a future show in The Space in December.
“Now we are in a good spot where we kind of got back into the groove, all of our songs are where they should be live and practices have been spent more not jamming out on new ideas and the way we went on the last one where we kind of had to rush in two weeks to get the record written we want to take our time with it and put out a full length,” said Firine.
Photo Credit: Marius Dollinger
