Erin Mullins fronts an exciting rock band called Fools For Rowan (FFR). Having shared the stage with groups like Evanescence and Halestorm, FFR is set out to record the band’s second studio album. To do this, the members are taking to the fundraising platform Kickstarter. Mullins recently stopped by to talk FFR, Kickstarter and Ke$ha as a guilty pleasure.
Q – Thank you, Erin, for talking to me. I don’t know much about Fools For Rowan so I apologize ahead of time. However, I do love the name of the band. Where did the name Fools For Rowan come from?
A – Thanks! I came up with the name Rowan when I combined my mom’s name, Robyn, and my grandpa’s name, Darwin. Both of them always supported my singing career and told me to go for it, so it seemed to make sense to name the band after them. The “fools for” just fell into place after that.
Q – I had the chance of listening to some of the band’s 2009 debut album, “Twisted. Tied Up. Tangled.” There seems to be some country rock fused in with catchy pop/rock melodies. How would you describe Fools For Rowan’s sound?
A – It’s always hard for me to try to describe our sound. Personally, I think it’s a great blend of soft rock, pop rock, hard rock with real lyrics… it’s just fun, emotional, and real.
Q – The band has had the opportunity to play with huge bands such as Evanescence and Halestorm, two other rock acts that feature a dominant female voice on lead vocals. First of all, what separates Fools For Rowan from other female led groups like the two aforementioned ones and others such as The Pretty Reckless and Paramore?
A – Yes, we’ve definitely had some amazing opportunities to play with some awesome bands! I think a couple things separate us from them though. First, none of us sound alike; we’ve all got our own things going on vocally for sure. Also, musically and even with stage presence, entertaining, etc., all of the bands aforementioned including FFR do things our own way and put on a unique show. A Halestorm show doesn’t look like a Paramore show and an Evanescence show doesn’t look like an FFR show. But all of those bands are our mentors so to speak so we learn an incredible amount from them every time we get to be around them or see them! They are awesome!
Q – Secondly, what did you, from a personal stand point, learn from Amy Lee of Evanescence and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm that has helped get the band to the next level?
A – From Amy Lee I’ve learned a lot about dynamic, the dynamic of the show and how to make it larger than life – vocal dynamic, lyrical dynamic, you name it! Have you ever seen an Evanescence show?! They are massive!
From Lzzy I learned how important it is to make each and every fan feel like you are singing just for them, and to stay until the very end, until every single fan gets a hug and an autograph! The fans are the reason we’re there!!
Q – The new album will drop late 2012. To help subsidize costs, Fools For Rowan has looked to Kickstarter to solicit donations from fans. (For those unaware of Kickstarter, it’s an online pledge platform to help assist with creative projects.) Why did you decide to go this route?
A – We have always tried to let our fans know how special they are to us and that we really do appreciate and love each and every one of them! So when it came down to the new record, we knew we needed help to defray the costs so we decided to turn to the ones we knew supported us, cheered for us, and had a passion for the music – the fans. Plus, it’s just a really cool thing! Instead of just donating money, you get something totally unique and special from the band! I think it’s just another cool way to get the fans even more involved in the music!!
Q — How will this new album differ from the band’s debut in terms of writing, recording, etc.?
A – We’ve really grown a lot since our debut album. We’re tighter as a band in every aspect and that translates in a major way to our writing and the energy in the studio. For the new album, one of our main goals is to capture more of the energy that you feel at one of our live shows. It’s really exciting to try and get that type of feeling and momentum in a recording!
Q – If I were to turn on your iPod or MP3 player, what guilty pleasure artist would be on it that fans would be surprised to see? (And to be fair, if you turned on my Zune there would be WHAM!)
A – Ha! No judgment, I can appreciate a little WHAM! Ok, I literally just scrolled thru my iPhone playlists and the only artist I saw on there that I would have to say is a guilty pleasure is Ke$ha. Are you judging me?! Ha!
Q – Thank you again for chatting. Is there anything you wanted to add?
A – Thanks for taking the time to interview me!