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God Fires Man

From Alfawiki
God Fires Man
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded2006 in Brooklyn, New York, United States
Headquarters
Brooklyn
,
United States
Key people
Arthur Shepherd, Joseph Grillo, John Wilkinson, Drew Thomas
ProductsMusic albums, EPs

God Fires Man was a rock ensemble from the United States, originating in the summer of 2006 in Brooklyn, New York. The group consisted of Arthur Shepherd (vocals and guitar), Joseph Grillo (vocals and guitar), John Wilkinson (bass guitar), and Drew Thomas (drums).

Previous and affiliated bands

Prior to establishing God Fires Man, each member had been involved with several influential bands. Arthur Shepherd, also known as "Arty," contributed to Mind Over Matter, Errortype: Eleven, Instruction, and performed under the name Marty Leopard in Gay For Johnny Depp. He currently plays with Primitive Weapons. Joseph Grillo was a member of Garrison, Instruction, and performed as Sid Jagger in Gay For Johnny Depp; he is now part of I Hate Our Freedom. John Wilkinson formerly played guitar and keyboards for The Symphony Case and was involved with Slept. Drew Thomas has a history with bands such as Youth of Today, Bold, Into Another, Walking Concert, New Rising Sons, Bloody Social, and presently performs with Dead Heavens.

Origins, musical style, and first album

God Fires Man came into existence in 2006 after the breakup of Instruction, a band that included Arty and Joseph, as well as following their time with Gay For Johnny Depp. Initially called “Fires,” the group completed its lineup and adopted its final name upon adding John Wilkinson and Drew Thomas. Their initial sound blended elements of shoegaze and punk rock, especially noticeable in their b-sides, which gradually transitioned into a more robust rock approach through collective songwriting efforts.

The band’s inaugural performance took place on September 5, 2006, at CBGB in their hometown. Their official introduction to audiences occurred at the Lilypad venue in Cambridge, Massachusetts. By late 2006, they had released a five-track EP and embarked on a UK tour in January 2007 alongside Hundred Reasons and Kids in Glass Houses.

Following their return to the United States, God Fires Man secured recording contracts with InDeGoot Recordings for the US market and XTRA Mile for the UK. In 2007, they recorded their debut full-length album, A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun, collaborating with producers Ethan Dussault and Brian Virtue. After its release in March 2008, the band toured across the US supporting Filter and performed alongside acts such as Taking Back Sunday, Thursday, Frank Turner, 65daysofstatic, Chevelle, and Scott Weiland. In 2008, iTunes recognized them as one of the “Top 10 New Rock Artists.”

Life Like

God Fires Man completed their sophomore album titled Life Like in January 2009; it was officially released on June 26 that year. The record was produced by Alex Newport—renowned for his work with At The Drive In, Mars Volta, and Death Cab for Cutie—and distributed by Arctic Rodeo Recordings across Europe and Japan. Rejecting prevailing trends in music distribution, Life Like initially launched on vinyl LP before becoming available on iTunes on September 22, 2009. During October and November, the band conducted their first headline tour in Germany alongside the Picture Books. The tour commenced in Dortmund during the 20th anniversary celebration of the music magazine Visions. Supported by groups such as the Donots and Fire in the Attic, segments of their live shows were broadcast on German music program Rockpalast. By the end of that year, iTunes included Life Like among its top rock albums of 2009.

Following their German tour, God Fires Man entered an indefinite hiatus but reunited briefly for two performances in March 2010 as support for Rival Schools.

Past Shrugs (2005-2009)

Past Shrugs is a collection of tracks by God Fires Man recorded between 2005 and 2009 that were not included on their two main studio releases. This compilation features selections from the 2007 Dark EP, additional bonus material from Life Like, along with four previously unreleased songs, including "There's Nothing Left to Underachieve," which was produced by Brian Virtue in Nashville during a break on tour with Filter. The album became available on iTunes in May 2010.

A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun

  1. "Braille Graffiti"
  2. "Be Here Forever"
  3. "The Killer"
  4. "Happy, Unhappy, Afraid"
  5. "Heartbreak"
  6. "Melt Away"
  7. "Dark"
  8. "Simple Things"
  9. "The Shrug"
  10. "Sermons"

Life Like

  1. "Kill the Pundits"
  2. "Archetype"
  3. "Always Late"
  4. "Procreating Atheists"
  5. "Billion Balconies"
  6. "The Future is Old Obey the Past"
  7. "Training Bullets"
  8. "I'm Worth More Dead than Alive"
  9. "Let 'Em Burn"

Life Like bonus tracks

  1. "Sorted Backwards"
  2. "Transgression"
  3. "The Great Wake Up Call"

Past Shrugs (2005-2009)

  1. "There's Nothing Left to Underachieve"
  2. "Bombs"
  3. "Sorted Backwards"
  4. "Redefine"
  5. "The Day I Knew Everything"
  6. "Transgression"
  7. "Miracle"
  8. "Unfold"
  9. "The Great Wake Up Call"
  10. "Still?"

External links

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