INTRODUCING: Family Man
If you’re looking for a band with a feel of Industrial influences across the board, with a technical flourish that evokes a feeling of RAMMSTIEN, a hint of PUPPY and early MUSE, then look no further than FAMILY MAN.
“We are a three-piece rock band from Southampton, seeking therapy in the form of haunted, horrible, gorgeous rock and roll.” Simply put, FAMILY MAN come forward as a new band with some real quirk. Comprised of Josh Wilson (vocals/guitar) Russell Mann (bass/backing vocals) and Jordan Gosney (drums), the guys have a pretty far removed musical start from where they are now. “We started out as a VAN HALEN covers band, but it didn’t work out,” Josh explains. That’s all for the best, as what came from that tribute band is an amalgamation of some dark, brooding lyrics and a pulse of malicious, yet upbeat music.
A strange name for a strange band, the origins of such a title have a deep connection for the guys. “FAMILY MAN is the name of BLACK FLAG’s third album. The album’s title track is a spectacularly dark spoken-word piece, which resonated with us when we were deciding on a band name.”
It’s obvious from the vibe of the music that FAMILY MAN enjoys working together closely to create their work. “It’s a collaborative effort. We usually start with a skeletal idea from me, which is thrown around for a while between the three of us. It’s then deconstructed and rebuilt into something that is usually too difficult for us to play, and reworked in a tuning that is beyond the natural parameters of our guitars.”
The pull to tell stories that both induce an anxiety and expels it in equal measures seems to be at the heart of FAMILY MAN’s sound. To build something that means something, even in the moment, is paramount. “Creating, playing and performing music is the high we keep chasing,” Josh agrees. “Every now and then, we’ll be playing four bars of riff in a rehearsal room and it’ll feel like the universe has aligned and magic takes place. The inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere – not just music. Cult films and literature have played had a huge part in the creative process, as well as the horror & beauty of modern life.”
Their single, Volt takes some spooky shifts in the cold industrial scene, harsh, high guitars over crystal clean melodies. When the more technical movements hit, the groove and power fully come to fruition. As a song, there’s a certain amount of tension within the music that’s fairly apparent. This is no coincidence, FAMILY MAN explains. “[it’s been] one part stressful to two parts catharsis. Stressful, because the song was a long time in the making, but working with Neil Kennedy at The Ranch [Production House, Southampton] was life-affirming and truly cathartic. He understood our vision, helped us push boundaries and gave us confidence that people might care about what we’re doing.”
With the video for Volt, which encapsulates the feelings the music evokes perfectly, it was also an integral thing to have the right vibe from those visuals. “We’ve always been fascinated with the dark, evocative visuals of artists like NINE INCH NAILS, MARILYN MANSON, THE CURE and more recently artists like HIDE, THE SOFT MOON and CHELSEA WOLFE. We were lucky enough to work with Martyna Wisniewska on the video. She is a breathtakingly talented photographer/director, and totally understood what we saw in our heads. It’s super dark. You can expect the summoning of spirits as we try to make contact with anything but the mundane.”
With so much to offer, the future looks like bright for the trio. Sonically blending technical progressiveness with a catchy industrial heart, and with the will to divulge into some creepy,unsettling parts of the world, the only thing left to say is what’s in store for listeners of FAMILY MAN in the future. “More anxiety. More power. More riff.”
For more information like FAMILY MAN on their official page on Facebook