Interview with Greg C. Brown from Age of Fire

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

AC/DC’s Back in Black, no doubt. It made me want to play guitar. I bought a guitar, met a few musicians, started writing almost immediately and it all went from there. I was a computer nerd for a long time but I’m still really into the sciences especially astronomy.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I like to read, huge movie buff, current affairs, astronomy does for sure, I enjoy history as well. All of those things influence my lyrics for sure. Just look at some of the titles from our recent EP Through the Tempest, you’ve got Dracula, current affairs and a song about the ghost ship Mary Celeste, it’s all there.

How long has your band been around?

We originally formed in 1988 but disbanded a few years later. I resurrected the band about 10 years ago and slowly started releasing re-mastered stuff, then writing and releasing more. We got signed to Sliptrick Records in 2019 and released Shades of Shadow in February 2020. Which was a terrible time due to the pandemic. Our latest release, Through the Tempest came out Spring of 2021. It’s an EP of four tracks written during the pandemic.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are based out of Charlottesville Virginia which is not supportive of metal except once in a blue moon. The influence is more from my South Florida roots and coming from New Jersey.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

I was really into studying religions when I was growing up and was fascinated by everyone’s version of the end of time. Age of Fire is a reference to the end of the world

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

We played a lot of fun places back in the day in Jersey and South Florida. Summers on the Beach was a blast but it’s been closed for years.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

We have not performed yet under the current lineup. We are eyeing Europe really closely and hope to get there soon. We plan to play regionally for a bit, work on stage show and hit it pretty hard next Summer.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Wow! As soon as I answer this I’m going to think of others. Iron Maiden, Metallica, Testament, Megadeth, Queensryche, Nightwish, Exodus, too many but that’s just off the top of my head.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

It’s a marathon. You gotta love it with your heart and soul. It’s not an easy life but artists create so not sure I could’ve done it any other way. Be familiar with the biz, lots of sharks out there.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Invest in Apple, SpaceX, Microsoft. Not sure I’d do anything different on the music side of things. Pretty happy where we are at.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Probably Children of the Night off the new EP. First song where we worked with a producer and worked with Dynamic on bass. I love the mood, the production, I feel our songwriting reached the next level on this EP.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

That’s a great question. The most streamed song has been the Rebel, and Children of the Night off of the new EP. For each streaming service it seems to be different and changes by the week which is great. People are exploring our catalog. A couple of months ago it was the Forgotten One which is another oldie and an instrumental.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

So far it starts with a riff or lyric and sometimes a drum beat and grows from there. There are a bunch of topics I’d like to write about so I see if the mood of what we are working on fits that. I’ve tried to not write sometimes, believe me, I can’t, it’s in my fiber.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Mostly, our sounds are more about escape. Ghost ships, werewolves, vampires, rebellion, things that live under your bed but with Seeds of Tomorrow and Time is Running Out, they are definitely more about current affairs. Trying to get people to look around at the world around them.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Not really. I’ve been the main songwriter from the get go. When the other members have suggestions, I try to listen and really value their input. No major brawls yet

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

The Through the Tempest EP is our focus right now. We want everyone on the globe to hear it. We are very proud of it. The band is in rehearsals as we speak and getting ready for some shows. Stay tuned to us on social media especially Facebook for upcoming events. We hope to see everyone on the road!!!!

https://ageoffire.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ObsidianDreams9

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgPiGlAADVe2bzSoFc1nenQ

Age of Fire- Seeds of Tomorrow