With their spring tour dates finalized and kicking off this April 1st, this year looks promising for Rome Hero Foxes (RHF). The self-labeled âprogressive indie rockâ band released their sophomore album For When Youâre Falling Backwards (FWYFB) earlier this year on Esque Records, piloted by Kurt Travis, bolstering the bandâs outreach to the massive post-hardcore community.
We spoke with CJ Burton, RHFâs songwriter, vocalist, and rhythm guitarist, about the bandâs Texan origins, working with a childhood hero, and handling hardships through music, both on a personal and interpersonal level between the band and their listeners.
Hailing from the thriving Texas music scene, three of the six current recording and live RHF members â CJ Burton, Matthew Benthal, and Emilio Garcia-Caro â started a band at the young age of 13. Although Burton attests to quips from members of a scene that was unwelcoming to kids of that age, he found power in the constant ageist shut downs. In more recent years, with the addition of Michael Beaudo, Michael Fox, and Adrian Romero, RHF have experienced the more well-known support system of the Houston scene.
âI canât even begin to explain what it has done for me and my band mates over the years and what itâs taught us,â Burton said. âHouston is definitely a successfully diverse scene in the way that thereâs a place for everyone with their music. You have scenes in other places that are pre-dominantly hardcore or classic rock, but you can find your little clique of bands and artists that play the music you play anywhere in Houston and thrive from it. Itâs really been a privilege to grow up as a musician in this city.â
When Burton moved to Texas at that age, the friends he made there showed him the âgood stuffâ â Dance Gavin Dance (DGD) quickly became a âbreakthroughâ band for young Burton. Kurt Travis-era DGD had a particular influence on Burtonâs vocal style, and this continued into Travisâs later solo- and A Lot Like Birds-related endeavors.
Although Burton was a regular at DGDâs Texas shows, it wasnât until he was 15 or 16 that he finally had a close encounter with Travis: After a half hour-long begging session with his mom over the phone, Burton skipped school to spend the night at a friendâs house, where Travis happened to be staying overnight during tour.
âSo at the house we all were just chillinâ in the garage, and then my friends started showing Kurt their music, and of course I went along and did the same thing,â Burton said. âI threw on a couple singles off [RHFâs] debut album, Hunters and Demons, that we had just released and nervously watched as Kurt listened to it. And as any rock star like Kurt would do, he just bobbed his head and was like âThis is dope man.â But of course, I thought he was only just saying that so my little 16Â year-old heart wouldnât be broken, haha.â
Two months later, however, a Facebook message from Travis ensued, reassuring Burton that it wasnât the case. Travis was in the early stages of band management, and RHF was well on his radar. Having stuck to Travisâs mind, RHF were offered management by Travis himself.
âI was literally so jittery and over stimulated about this happening that I accidentally sent him a frownie face emoji in response,â Burton said.
Yet even with Travisâs representation, labelsâ reluctance to work with teenagers still blocked RHF from signing to any. Thus, Esque Records was born from Travisâs desire to represent and boost any band of his choosing, regardless of age.
FWYFB¸RHFâs first album released with Esque, came straight from a time of hardship, during which Burton dealt with loss at the hands of suicide and cancer. At the time, Burton was in high school, and his increasing sense of insecurity led him to find stability in the form of a relationship, which ultimately became toxic. What remained truly stable was Burtonâs writing throughout it all, which later translated thematically into RHFâs second album.
âTo be honest, I didnât initially write this record for really anyone but myself,â Burton said. âThe things I was writing about werenât things that already happened, enabling me to share my experience at a post-grieving perspective. They were raw and happening to me right as I was writing about them.â
Translating this experiential darkness into something musical was backed by Burtonâs efforts to try out a different perspective: relating to othersâ struggles. Being able to write about his troubles after the fact cleared Burtonâs headspace and allowed him more time for introspection and developing a sound and theme to accompany it.
The product was an album with hard edges and a soft center: smooth vocals and dreamy instrumentals that echo Circa Survive, one of Burtonâs personal influences, weave into heavier, fuller choruses almost seamlessly. Fronted lyrically by such personal subject matter, the albumâs instrumentation is both contemplative and impulsive, encapsulating the thematic limbo of FWYFB.
âWith that perspective alone, it made me look at these songs as something to fall back on or something to help me admit and cope with what I was doing to myself in this situation,â Burton said. âAnd the instrumentation I was composing along with the lyrics gave me this powerful yet delicate imagery in my head of falling down endlessly but having enough time to think in depth about yourself falling before hitting the ground; thinking about why you fell, whatâs going to happen, what you couldâve done to prevent that fall.â
That suspension is illustrated on âThe Great Hallâ, on which Burton sings, âFaith can lie and love can fall/When youâre running down the staircase in the dark.â As spiraling guitars peer through crashing symbols, Burtonâs vocal range shines at the forefront.
Itâs a concept that isnât hard to grasp or relate to, and Burton takes pride in knowing that FWYFB can soften the blow for RHFâs listeners. Yet while Burton feels pride, there is no self-proclaimed pedestal â Burtonâs appreciation of music does not come from meaning or purpose, despite his efforts to put so much into his own.
âMusic is for a very vast spectrum of things. We use music for healing, communication, entertainment, background, advertisement, etc., so I donât think every artist will have the same intention as each other,â Burton said. âWith that being said, music is an expression no matter what way you look at it, and I think those expressions set by different artists do help or enhance their listenersâ lives in some aspect.â
Paralleling RHFâs outreach to help their listeners, Burton refuses idolization based on musician status. He is humbled by his own experiences as a fan, encouraging RHFâs own fans to approach him while on tour.
âNo matter what magazine cover or late night TV show you end up on, we all started out as fans and listeners like you ourselves,â Burton said. âSo please, if you see me at a show or anywhere, donât be afraid to come up and talk to me! I would love to have the privilege of meeting all of our fans that put me where I am today and hear how much our music means to you.â
Read our full interview with CJ here:Â https://www.dropbox.com/s/cjwy0jlipzzsdpl/Rome%20Hero%20Foxes%20Interview.docx?dl=0
Check out RHFâs tour dates below:
Listen to FWYFB: https://romeherofoxes.bandcamp.com/album/for-when-youre-falling-backwards
Things at Twin Size have been a bit slow lately, but with our swanky new contributor-based system and our next print installation in the works, weâre really excited to get right back at it.
This is why weâre extending a virtual hand to you for submissions! Our e-mail is always open to submissions and suggestions, but weâre going to be sending out a post like this with each zine we plan to distribute. Of course, you can always send whatever youâd like to our inbox; however, if you need some help with ideas, we are looking for:
- Band blurbs! Want to tell everyone about your new favorite band(s)? Are you in a band? Tell us about it/them in a paragraph or two.
- Photography! You can send us photos of shows, artists, studios - anything, as long as itâs music-related. This includes photoshoots with musicians, local or not.
- Art! We love doodles, and weâd really like to have some tiny drawings in our zine this month. You can send us your drawings in a .png and/or .jpeg format.You can also send us pictures of any art pieces you created. Keep in mind these will all be converted to black and white. Color printing is expensive!Â
- Things youâre passionate about! Do you have ideas and thoughts you think are important with nowhere to post them? Ever had a cool, weird, horrible, or otherwise interesting music-related experience? Tell us! Make sure youâre sharing something you feel comfortable writing and having posted online.
Youâre welcome to submit as many blurbs, photos, doodles, etc. as you want, and weâll credit you 100%. Still, we do reserve the right to pick and choose what we want in the zine - we canât include everything in the tiny pages, even though weâll appreciate your submissions.Â
Right now, we canât offer you anything in exchange for your content in terms of money. We hope that you contribute in the spirit of collaboration over cool stuff and the exchange of ideas.
The next NFY release will actually be the Dome of Obedience demo. Some real nice hardcore tracks here channeling pummeling NYHC such as Lifeâs Blood and early Boston bands like SSD. The singer of this band is a savage sounding skinhead who does Muay Thai so donât miss this demo or heâs gonna come after you.
Tapes available soon here: http://www.notforyourecordings.com/
NFY#02 is the long awaited Klout demo. Doug and I have been working on this band on and off for close to two years probably. If youâre looking for 86 Mentality with a little bit of d-beating, youâve come to the right place. Tapes will be available for purchase soon here:
Citizen and Turnover are hitting the road together for a full US tour with Sorority Noise and Milk Teeth.  Deluxe pre-sale available now at www.citizen.ducatking.com, general pre-sale is Monday, January 11 @ 12:00pm EST.
If for some reason you havenât, check out Ciz and TOâs latest full-lengths below
Citizen - Everybody Is Going To Heaven
Turnover - Peripheral Vision
3/09 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
3/10 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
3/11 - Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
3/12 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door
3/13 - St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
3/15 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th St Collective
3/19 - Grand Prairie, TX @ So What? Music Fest
3/20 - El Paso, TX @ Mesa Music Hall
3/22 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile
3/23 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
3/24 - San Diego, CA @ Lamppost Warehouse
3/25 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
3/26 - San Francisco, CA @ Slimâs
3/29 - Portland, OR @ Analog Theater
3/30 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
4/01 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
4/02 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
4/04 - Springfield, MO @ Outland Ballroom
4/05 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
4/06 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
4/07 - Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
4/08 - Margate, FL @ O'Malleyâs
4/09 - Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
4/10 - Jacksonville, FL @ 1904
4/12 - Greensboro, NC @ Greene Street
4/13 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Shakas Live
4/14 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
4/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
4/16 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
4/17 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
4/18 - Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium
4/19 - Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
4/20 - Ottawa, ON @ Ritual
4/21 - Toronto, ON @ Virgin Mobile Mod Club
4/22 - Buffalo, NY @ The Waiting Room
4/23 - Columbus, OH @ Skullyâs
The second installment in a planned musical trilogy, Sleeptalkâs Young EP dabbles between the realms of pop punk and dream pop. The four-piece, made up of former members of Like Giants, creates a youthful yet almost wistful sound, but a 16-minute EP doesnât seem enough to find their footing.
âPhenomenonâ, standing as an intro track for the EP, is probably the best example of what Sleeptalkâs aim might have been. In just under 2 minutes, âPhenomenonâ builds from a soft, atmospheric opening into a wild, hands-in-the-air ending. Itâs the EPâs most daring track, layering passionate yells of âYou are my phenomenon!â and synthesized strings.
The rest of the EP, however, feels a little less cohesive. Although it seems Sleeptalk meant to combine genres to create their âspace rockâ sound, tracks seem to go one way or the other. âYoungâ, the EPâs second track, feels very pop rock, as opposed to the immediately following bass-heavy âBonesâ. It feels as if âYoungâ and âDrowned Outâ could fit well together on a different release from the somber synth tracks, âBonesâ and âDrift Awayâ.
But Sleeptalk manage to make some of their contrasts more refreshing. The vocals are not heavily filtered or affected â they work well with the clean instrumentals, retaining a solid amount of honest youth. Moments of airy atmosphere break up repetition in some songs, most notably âBonesâ, and give the EP brief moments of breathing room.
Sleeptalkâs Young seems to be tentative in terms of experimentation, yet thereâs a certain amount of promise there. Â Remember â there is still one installment left in the trilogy.
After two years and a half, weâre trying something new: Twin Size will no longer have a staff, and we are openly allowing contributors to send us content for us to share with our followers.
Essentially, Twin Size will be accepting and posting work from anyone willing to send it to us. Weâll accept writing, edited or unedited photography, and unedited videos, but contributors have to understand that their work will be subject to feedback from us and anyone else who sees it once itâs posted. Of course, credit, views, and points of contributorsâ work will not be edited. Those will stay intact.
At the time, we are sorry to say that we canât offer you anything as far as payment. Everything we print (our first print issue and our zines) and produce is 100% from our own pockets - all we can promise is a place to post about music and music alone, and your work will be seen by a bunch of different people.
We hope this is good for us, but mostly, we hope itâs good for you.
Thank you.
Twin Size will be accepting submissions via e-mail: [email protected]
Gouge Away , Dies Record Release
AXIS
WRONG
Guilty Conscience
Insignificant Other
Woolbright
Pre-order it here: http://eightysixedrecords.bigcartel.com/
All pre-orders come with a poster and a chance to win a test pressing.
ALL AGES
$10
6:00
Omalleyâs 1388 N Stete Rd 7, Margate, Florida 33063
11/18 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos*
11/20 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex*
11/21 - Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theatre^
11/22 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room*
11/24 - St. Louis, MO @ Firebird*
11/25 - Iowa City, IA @ Gabes*
11/27 - Burtonsville, MN @ The Garage*
11/28 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Deluxe*
11/29 - Palatine, IL @ Durty Nellieâs*
12/01 - Columbus, OH @ Skullys*
12/02 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall*
12/03 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House*
12/04 - Ottawa, ON @ Ritual*
12/05 - Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Electriques*
12/06 - Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall*
12/08 - Providence, RI @ The Met*
12/09 - New Haven, CT @ Toads Place*
12/10 - Amityville, NY @ Revolution Bar & Grill*
12/11 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall*
12/12 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer*
* = w/ PUP, Jeff Rosenstock, Tiny Moving Parts
stormborns
yousharknotpass
jimmyeatworldofficial
amandla
2087
gummygunk
