Forest Fires

When it comes to local acts on the rise in Providence this year, it’s pretty hard not to bring Forest Fires into the conversation. Exuding a distinct post-rock influence — think of a condensed version of Caspian with lyrics — with a minor amount of shoegazy fuzz and an pop-rock style that mirrors the likes of Kevin Devine and Death Cab For Cutie, Forest Fires do enough on their own terms for an original sound that refuses to be pinned down. In a world where rehashing seems to be part of the norm, this indie quintet always manages to stray away by bringing a variety of dimensions to the forefront.

The lead single off of their upcoming debut To the Sound Of… (out August 1st on Midday Records), “Lessons Learned” is triumphant, mellow, and rhythmic all at once. Lyrically a cautious love song about having feelings for someone with experiences from past relationships governing how you convey them, there’s a sense of heartfelt tenuity to which any hopeless romantic can relate. The musical emphasis, however, is at the forefront from start to finish as Forest Fires accentuate feelings in various ways through sonic means. The driving force of it all makes their upcoming release one of the more exciting out of the Ocean State this year.

Bostonians can check out Forest Fires with We Were Astronauts and All Talk at Great Scott on August 10, and Rhode Islanders can see them open up for Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin’s Andrew McMahon under the moniker Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness as part of the Friday Night Concert Series at Waterplace Park in the downcity area of Providence on August 14.

Give “Lessons Learned” a listen below… - Vanyaland

-By Tony Pacitti

Expectations are weird. I’d seen Forest Fires a few times, exchanged the briefest of words with them after a show to let them know I wanted to talk to them soon, I listened to their demos on Bandcamp, so on and so forth. Based on the information I received from these interactions, I was primed for an encounter with five dudes who were super serious and mighty mysterious. Theirs is a thoughtful, lots-of-feels kind of sound, one that has its toes in the waters of Deathcab while reaching up for the sonic aurora borealis of Iceland’s Sigur Rós. Personally, that’s right up my alley – cool soundscapes, some solid jangly guitars, vocals that stick in you heart like good cholesterol, oozing with a sense of mystery. Maybe it’s those beards of theirs. Whatever it was, I had it in my head that these guys were on a different level and so I braced myself as I drove to meet them. One look at our rendezvous point and suddenly I found myself questioning what I was getting into. Nothing says “Unapproachable Mysterious Indie Rock Wizards” like a townie bar by the airport.

“I thought it would be quiet!” drummer Brad Caetano, shouted over the crowd at Track 84, where everyone had piled in to watch the Sox. I wasn’t bothered by it. In fact, it took some of the pressure off.

We, along with bass player Dan MacKnight, managed to work our way out to a deck no one was taking advantage of and I got to learn a bit about the men behind the mystery.

Between the five guys in Forest Fires, there’s an age span of about a decade. All of them have been going at it hard in one band or another for years. The band had started as a project with Dan, guitarists and singers Mike Sweet and Calvin Cadoret, and a couple of other guys who left last summer, making room for Brad and yet a third guitarist, Ian Van Opijnen.

“It was a natural thing,” Brad says, not just of coming into Forest Fires, but of how quickly the five members gelled.

“That was one of the most important things when we got this lineup together,” adds Dan. “We’ve all been in bands where personalities were clashing and we didn’t want to waste our time doing that. We took our time to find the right people.”

With the right people in place, everyone got a job. Mike and Cal became the principal songwriters, Brad and Dan the guys who dealt with the business side of things, and Ian was the producer and engineer. From there it was about establishing a list of goals: Rock Hunt, play a show at Lupo’s, Summer Concert Series. The first two have already been checked off the list, with the Summer Concert Series achievement trophy set to be unlocked on August 14, followed the next day by a show at The Met where their set will be filmed for Rhode Island PBS’ Meet Me At The Met. All of this lines up perfectly for the release of their new EP, To the Sound of…, which drops on August 1 from Midday Records.

To the Sound of… continues in the tradition of their previous, proof of concept recordings and live performances. Teasing the edge of ambient without tipping into noise – though certainly not afraid to get loud – dreamy, lovelorn soundscapes fill the five tracks with all of the mystery we talked about at Track 84.

“We have a lot of people describe us as being very mysterious,” Brad says, smiling. “We feel like we’re a bunch of goofballs.”

Goofballs. I guess it’s naive for me to think that it’s outside a goofball’s wheelhouse to create something that sounds like Forest Fires. Goofballs have their mysteries too. Or maybe the whole goofball thing is a ruse, at once disarming people who think the band is too mysterious while simultaneously raising new questions. Maybe Forest Fires is a rock band wrapped in a mystery wrapped in five goofballs wrapped in a smoke screen of other false mysteries. Or maybe I’m just having too much fun ignoring the men behind the curtain when the Wizard is coming through the speakers. - Providence Monthly

The BRU Crew and WBRU fans flooded Lupo’s Tuesday night for WBRU’s Holiday Jam where the crowd was treated to performances by Forest Fires, Panama Wedding, Robert DeLong, and The Airborne Toxic Event. Forest Fires took the stage first. The crowd stood virtually motionless as they absorbed the musical wailing of the band. There songs had an oddly hypnotizing affect. After plugging their new $15 shirts, they ended their set with a heartwarming performance of “Lessons Learned.”

Read More: WBRU Holiday Jam featuring The Airborne Toxic Event | 95.5 WBRU | http://www.wbru.com/wbru-holiday-jam-featuring-the-airborne-toxic-event/?trackback=tsmclip - 95.5 WBRU

Up next, Forest Fires‘ set is as smooth and composed as Southpier’s is exciting, although the band seems psyched to be playing Rock Hunt: guitarist Cal Cadoret takes pictures of the crowd on his phone before beginning the set. BRU fans will be familiar with Forest Fires, a five-piece band from Providence, from their Home BRU’d session or their set at Holiday Jam in December. After their introduction by our MC and BRU Breakfast DJ Stuth, they immediately slide into their first song, smooth and synchronized. Lead singer Mike Sweet’s vocals are creamy and soaring, and the band’s guitar driven but melodic style lies somewhere between The Head and the Heart, The War on Drugs, and Snow Patrol. They play through the first couple of songs with flawless transitions, pause to introduce themselves, and continue on. The fourth song, “Days of the Night,” is quieter and heartfelt (check out a live version filmed in-station during a Home BRU’d session here.) They conclude their set with sustained cymbals and big, gut-wrenching chords.


Read More: 2015 Rock Hunt Semifinal Night 3 RECAP | 95.5 WBRU | http://www.wbru.com/2015-rock-hunt-semifinal-night-3-recap/?trackback=tsmclip - 95.5 WBRU

Hailing from Chad’s home state of Rhode Island, Forest Fires is a hot new quintet out of Providence that is quickly gaining momentum in New England as they approach the release of their first album To The Sound Of… on Aug 1. Their sound has been compared to Death Cab for Cutie, and based on the superlative play between subtle yet raw emotion and grandiose musical explosions on their first single “Lessons Learned,” the comparison is fair.

If you’re in New England and want to see Forest Fires live, they’re opening for We Were Astronauts at Great Scott in Boston on Aug 10, and for Something Corporate and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at Waterplace Park in Providence on Aug 14 (This one’s FREE). Otherwise, check out their website www.forestfiresmusic.com for upcoming news and tour dates.

Listen to their lead single "Lessons Learned" - Ribbon and Rail

Voted #8 top local/ regional band of all-time on 95.5 WBRU - 95.5 WBRU