Meet FELICITY - The Weekend Worriers INTERVIEW
As our alarm clocks are hit to snooze every morning half a dozen times like the buzzers on a game show, Orlando FL pop-punk band FELICITY reminds us that we're not alone in this...
- "I don't wanna go back to work."
FELICITY is a band that can't just be defined as a pop-punk band. With heavy breakdowns, gang vocals, melodic harmonies and hardcore punk beats, the band gets its chops from all over the genre with bands like Coheed & Cambria, Four Years Strong and Taking Back Sunday.
Starting in 2013, Damien Fagiolino (vox) put out a Craigslist post and Andrew Rapier (guitarist) responded. They realized they clicked instantly with similar interests and goals in mind. After two years of line-up changes they found the right recipe of mates that makes up the quintet today. Cory Comly (Guitar), Mike Alosa (Bass), and Tyler Dennett (Drums).
The band released Brace Yourself in 2016, an EP produced by Andrew Wade (A Day to Remember/ Neck Deep/ Issues/ Motionless in White)
FELICITY has grown quite a following since playing dive bars in Central FL and has gained much success in such little time like selling out the House of Blues in Orlando, FL (Disney World) for their CD release show where they are always welcome, opening up for Fall Out Boy in 2015 at the SunFest, and playing the main stage at their hometown Vans Warped Tour.
Recently the band played the Warped Tour Rewind, a sea cruise featuring some of your favorite pop-punk bands including Good Charlotte, Mayday Parade and The Starting Line.
The band also just dropped their latest single "Weekend Worrier"
With 2018 lurking its unfamiliar head around the corner, I recently caught up with the guys to see what their plans for 2018 are, to talk about Weekend Worrier, and their thoughts on this being the last cross country Vans Warped Tour.
TPPD: What are your plans for 2018?
FELICITY: We have HUGE plans! We plan on releasing 5 more single and 5 more music videos, about one a month from here on out! We are planning tours, recording more music, and hopefully a few festival slots!
TPPD: You guys recently played your last show of the year. Do you have a tour planned/ lined up for 2018 yet?
FELICITY: We have a few things in the works we can’t announce yet, but we will be back on stage very soon...
TPPD: Let’s talk about your new single Weekend Worrier ( Love the Double Entendre). “Wes Papes” summed up the song perfectly in a YouTube comment: “The Ultimate Anthem For A Job You Hate”. Is that pretty much what you guys were going for.
FELICITY: Thats pretty much exactly what we were going for! Not only about hating your job, but the song is about chasing your dreams and not letting your job that you hate hold you back from doing what you love. We have all worked dead end jobs we hated, but needed them to pursue music. While its a necessary evil, we want to encourage people to do what they love and follow their passions.
TPPD: Was the idea for the video for Weekend Worrier shot anyway special? I love the whole montage-y hometown feel. Was it shot in your guys town/with friends? It reminds me of The Used’s - A Taste of Ink meets ADTR’s - Ocala.
FELICITY: The entire video was shot in Orlando, FL (our hometown). We basically wanted to shoot at places where we or our friends work. The idea was be playing a show basically in these peoples work place. We performed in a walk in cooler at WaWa, a mechanic shop, an 8th grade class room, all over the place!
TPPD: Still speaking of Weekend Worrier. Is music your guys full time gig? Any of you got the “day job?” Any of you guys do the college thing?
FELICITY: We actually do all still have day jobs at this point! We all want to make music our full time career and thats our dream, which is kind of why we wrote the song… Believe it or not 4/5 of the band has gone to college and graduated.
TPPD: You guys recently did Warped Rewind and have played the actual Vans Warped Tour in the past. Other than (being on a boat, on a boat, on a mother fucking boat) what were some of the differences between those experiences.
FELICITY: There were both some similarities and differences between the two! On the boat there was no where to really ..go.. you’re on a cruise ship, so all the artists are on the same boat you are! You could be at the pool or eating lunch and see all your favorite bands doing the same thing as you. The whole culture of Warped Tour definitely shined through on the boat. We were on a boat but the Warped Tour spirit was alive and well. Everyone was there for the same reason, music and community and celebrate the bands they love. It was an amazing experience!
TPPD: I have to ask, thoughts on the FINAL Vans Warped Tour.
FELICITY: We are heartbroken. We have always dreamed to someday do a FULL Warped Tour. Its always seemed like a “right of passage” for bands. In this day and age the music industry is changing and it definitely makes sense why they are deciding to change the format. We feel like Warped Tour will live on forever! Just not in the traditional sense that we are so accustom to. Perhaps its only 3-5 dates a year in major markets, or perhaps its a full weekend festival like Coachella or Lollapalooza… The possibilities are endless!
TPPD: Growing up, if you played metal a goal was always Mayhem/Ozzfest and if you played punk it was the Vans Warped Tour. With 2/3 of those now gone, Warped Tour ending THIS YEAR what do you think is going to be the next “thing” for up and coming bands to aspire to want to play at. Yourselves included.
FELICITY: I think things are going the direction of Self Help fest went this year. 5 Major cities, 5 dates, two stages, and STACKED lineups. I think there will always be a market for awesome music festivals, but the 20+ date road shows just aren’t feasible. We really love what "Danny Wimmer Presents:" is doing with Rock on the Range, Fort Rock, Welcome to Rockville, Carolina Rebellion etc ect. Its the same setup as a Warped Tour but with just the two main stages and really amazing lineups.
TPPD: I read in your bio that you started out playing dive bars. I love that. I’ve spent years playing dives in my own bands. Question, what was your guys angle? All covers at first? All covers and sprinkling your own in? What songs did you play if you did play covers? (It’s a whole lot of country and 70’s-80’s rock here in PA.)
FELICITY: Our singer Damien actually started in cover bands. He got sick of the cover scene, even though the money was good. He felt that he wasn’t utilizing his talents to the fullest and there was no where else to grow. We never have been a “cover band” however we always have a few covers up our sleeve depending on the crowd if we ever want to get a certain reaction. Or sometimes we just bust out a Blink 182 song if "we’re feeling it"! (Pun Intended)
TPPD: Do you guys still play any of those gigs for shits and well, gigs?
FELICITY: SURE DO! haha for every Warped Tour, Fort Rock, SunFest, theres 10+ small intimate live shows with just us and the crowd playing venues, sometimes with no heat / AC, sometimes no sound guy.. the list goes on! However we always appreciate every show we get to play. The BAD shows help us APPRECIATE when we get to play amazing shows.
TPPD: I have to ask because I’m a dad. Do any of you guys have kids?
FELICITY: NO KIDS for us! (not that we know about at least)
* GOOD! Save yourself! ALL OF YOU! Chop it off now and put it in a box with your respective names on it and give it to your manager to hide!
TPPD: Have your families/parents been supportive of you guys?
FELICITY: We have been extremely lucky in that sense. We have the most supporting families ever, most of them are front row every chance they get. Even at the crazy shows! My Dad was in the most pit of our last hometown show!
TPPD: At Warped Rewind you guys ripped up the stage with Dan Marsala of Story of the Year with an awesome tribute to Chester Bennington of Linkin Park playing One Step Closer. How did that come about? Planned? Impromptu?
FELICITY: That was absolutely INSANE! We were asked from the people who run Warped Rewind to perform a cover song of an artist who has influenced us who has passed away. Naturally the first one that came to mind was Chester Bennington. All of us grew up on Linkin Park, it was actually the first CD I ever bought. When we met Dan from Story of the Year we had gotten talking about how we were playing the song and we said to him “hey man, you’re the only band on this boat who ACTUALLY toured with Linkin Park for years, would you want to come perform Chester’s parts with us” … We weren’t expecting him to say yes, but he was totally stoked to do it! The actual performance was magical for all of us and is one of those moments we will never forget!
TPPD: Do you guys have any “dream colabs”?
FELICITY: Oh wow, thats a tough one! We would love to collaborate with the guys in Four YearStrong, they have so much energy and we are OBSESSED with their guitar work, it would be a blast!
TPPD: Any guilty pleasure bands outside of the pop-punk genre?
FELICITY: We pretty much listen to everything except Country… We have an unhealthy obsession with Limp Bizkit.
TPPD: Last (kind of cliche’) any New Years Resolutions?
FELICITY: Nothing too big! We just want to continue to grow as musicians and a family. We want to see as many places in the world and meet as many people as possible!
Look out for FELICITY in 2018. In the meantime listen to them now through any of the links below:
Also check them out on Thumbhole Records: Tracks You Might Have Missed VOL.2 Compilation Album.
- The Pop Punk Dad features artists from all around the globe. Email me awesome bands at: thepoppunkdad@gmail.com
