Say "Hello" to Farewell Fighter

by Lauren-Olivia "Liv" Simister

After recently winning the Alternative Press Hometown Hero competition, Farewell Fighter makes their Danny Says debut.
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, the headquarters of gospel and country, Farewell Fighter, a powerpop/rock ensemble, comprised of Kenny Fleetwood (vox/guitar), Lee Morton (guitar/vox), Matt Hooper (drums), and David Jahns (bass), has made their name known throughout the United States with their win. Like many bands today, this bro-mance began on Craigslist, an act of serendipity many listeners fully appreciate.
“We received an e-mail from the editor of Alternative Press about a month before the issue hit the shelves informing us that we made it into the Top 10 Hometown Heroes,” says Fleetwood. “The catch, however, was that they didn't inform us of where we ranked in the top 10.”
“We had to wait until the issue came out,” laughs Jahns. “Needless to say, it was a very intense month for us.”
An intense month largely worth the wait.
“We were all in our respective hometowns when we found out. It was Christmas Eve, and Hooper saw a tweet from a fan on Twitter saying that they got the issue early and that we were the #1 band” says Morton happily. “He relayed the message immediately and we all freaked out pretty hard. It was a very exciting and proud moment for us, and we couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present!”
On January 18th, Farewell Fighter released their EP, “The Way We Learn.” An EP that they claim “didn’t have a set writing process.” This means all the energy put into the songs is raw, real, and perfect for that summer road-trip all listeners are craving.
This raw energy translates well into live performances, with a lot of fan-interaction. “We love to get the crowd singing in key parts. That's how we get fired up on stage,” says Fleetwood.
Obviously, this works for Farwell Fighter, because fans cannot say enough about how fantastic their performances are. (If you have an opportunity to see them live, go for it!)
“[By getting the crowd involved] it makes the show more fun and personal,” agrees Hooper.
Before a gig with another band, Farewell Fighter also likes to get familiar with the other bands’ music, which is a contributing factor as to why the band is so popular amongst listeners and musicians.
After being in the studio for months, Farewell Fighter is more than ready to try out their new material. “It’s exciting and very refreshing,” admits Morton.
“We have a larger selection of songs to choose from,” says Hooper. “It makes it easier for us to fill out our tour set.”
Starting out on the right foot (they played the anniversary show for Rocketown, a premier venue in Nashville), and continuing to shine, Farewell Fighter is a must-watch band.
They’ll be in Freehold, New Jersey on February 4th, so save your cash kiddies! And head to myspace.com/farewellfighter or purevolume.com/farewellfighter to stream their EP, “The Way We Learn.”
“The Way We Learn” is available on Itunes and Amazon---check it out now!