Metalcore frontrunners Memphis May Fire boast millions of fans worldwide, but they're always trying to hit the next big milestone. When the band found themselves in the belly of New Jersey during their headlining March of Madness Tour, they let us take them out for a pre-show lunch at Rivoli’s Grill And Chill in the small town of Howell. It was in this memorabilia-covered sports pub that vocalist Matty Mullins and bassist Cory Elder began to reveal what they have in mind for the future of the band.
Their latest record, This Light I Hold — which claimed a nice spot on Billboard’s Top 200 list — came out a mere few months ago, yet while Memphis May Fire are enjoying the ride of this record cycle, they are already pondering what mountains they can scale next. As we settle into a table cornered inside a makeshift batting cage, the two band members start to discuss their desire to become a band for anyone and everyone.
“We toured with Killswitch [Engage] and got to play for an older fanbase,” Mullins says. “ [We] just realized how many people are out there that haven’t heard of us yet. We really want to play music for those people, so [we’re] just taking steps in the right direction to do tours that we wouldn’t be able to do in the Warped Tour world.” He makes it clear that Memphis May Fire won’t ever try to shirk their initial fanbase, but that their sound will head in a direction that a larger population can enjoy."
“I think our next record will definitely have even more of an active rock influence to it,” the vocalist continues. “We’re just really interested in that. We’re getting older and we’re excited about doing something different that feels fresh.”
Really, this tactic will expand upon what the band's already about: mixing it up. “I think we’re a band that’s always prided ourself on having something for everybody,” Elder adds. “Ballads, super heavy songs, super slow songs; just an array of topics that Matt sings about.” It’s that kind of dexterity when it comes to songwriting that the two point to as the potential reason they’re so successful. As they continue to discuss this topic, the main theme appears to be that MMF is a very democratic band — of the people, by the people, for the people, as the slogan goes. However, not everyone has a standby barber on tour or their own haircare line.
“A year ago I launched a hair product company called On Point Pomade,” the incredibly well-groomed vocalist says. “It’s a men’s grooming line, but I have a lot of female customers that use it for short hair, which is awesome. The Pomade is strong hold, classic shine, water soluble, which is super easy to wash out but holds your hair all day. It’s a multi-use product so you can apply it when your hair is dry for it to be a shine look, or apply it to your hair when your hair is wet and then blow-dry it through to have a dry look.”
From top to bottom, music to fashion, Mullins fits the description of an icon for the Warped Tour music scene. But by no means does he carry the vibe that it’s all about him. The main motivator that keeps him and the band going, he says, is hope. “If someone comes to our show,” he explains, “I want them to feel better walking out than they did walking in. And when they listen to a record, same [thing]; to feel more hopeful about what the future can hold and about how valuable they are as people. To write music that makes people feel valuable, there’s no greater gift. I don’t ever see myself writing a record that feels hopeless or just all dark.”
After some talk our food arrives. Unfortunately, everyone has a good tasting experience except for Elder whose ahi tuna dish is more like a blackened rock of a steak. We order him the salmon that Mullins has already gleefully begun tackling as a replacement, with a proverbial pat on the back for being such a champ. “He’ll never complain, ever,” Mullins says, laughing. “Even stuff that most people would think is gross he likes. Like dude, that’s so next level.” But an unfortunate little experience always makes for good laughter and good conversation.
It’s small strokes of bad luck like this that remind us rockstars can be down to earth, just like anyone else. In fact, despite their fame, they enjoy living a quiet, small town life in Nashville. To paint the picture, Mullins says, “The lady that bags my groceries knows my name. That’s what I like life to be like.”
For as many cities and packed venues as they encounter, these two love the allure of a simple life away from all of that; especially Elder, who loves the outdoors and dreams of being a farmer someday. “It’s not just a joke,” he says. “I would love to be an agricultural king someday. Just grow all my own food and not have to go to the grocery store and life out in the country and not have to worry about the big city life.” Hopefully then, he can escape despicable tuna. Until that day comes, though, it looks like they’re out of luck, because it’s nothing but world tours for them from here.
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