Baltimore band Fiction 20 Down is not any ordinary indie band. Rather they push the envelope, and do so successfully, by blending various genres like rock, pop, hip-hop and reggae, and together with their energetic live performances, the band has built a growing fan base from the northeast to the southern tip of Florida, and increasingly, across the United States.
With the recent completion of the “ideal band line-up,” and the success of their debut album, Where’s The Levity, dropped on April 30th, the stage has been set for F20D’s 15-city tour that kicks off at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey today, June 20th. The five-week tour will take the band as far south as Florida for a series of shows through the end of July. If you happen to be in Vero Beach for the Fourth of July, don’t miss the band’s electrifying performance at Filthy McNasty’s.
Following a string of shows throughout south Florida, from June 28th to July 9th, and a show on July 10th at Bourbon Street in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the band will take a week off before setting out to perform another series of shows in the mid-Atlantic states of Maryland and Virginia starting on July 17th. F20D will wrap up their five-week tour on July 26th with an appearance at Bill Bateman’s in Perry Hall, Maryland.
The band’s sound has been compared to popular 90’s groups like Sublime and 311, but Fiction 20 Down, are unlike any band you’ve ever heard. They take their art form a step further with a more pronounced infusion of genre-mixing, compelling songwriting, clever instrumentations, and enticing vocalizations, creating an overall original sound that is unmistakably all their own.
Front man and singer/songwriter, Jordan Lally, says that F20D aims to be more artistic, fresh and original than “just another indie band.” This sentiment is evident on Where’s The Levity. The album’s lead single, “Down Like Hip Hop,” is a perfect example of the band’s experimentation with incorporating hip-hop and other genres together not as a gimmick, but as an exploration of a new musical style. The song, which is a favorite amongst Fiction 20 Down’s growing fan base, and a crowd pleaser at live shows, was a Song of the Day last month via our Twitter feed.
“Down Like Hip-Hop” – Fiction 20 Down from Where’s The Levity – April 30th
Lally said that Where’s The Levity is the first time he has incorporated “sampled drum loops, aka, hip hop beats,” as part of the songwriting process, and infused them into songs such as “Down Like Hip-Hop,” “Money Come, Money Go,” and “Lead On Me.” Lally said that the band plans to expand even more on infusing hip-hop into their live shows.
“For the shows on the upcoming tour,” Lally said, “we plan to use a backing drum track from some of those songs and allow Dre (drummer Andre “Dre” Toney) to come out from behind the drum kit to show off his MC skills displayed on the new LP and bring a fresh and interesting edge to the live show.”
Lally’s own vocal transitions, which range from pop-influenced crooning to rhythmic emcee-style singing, are complimented by Dre’s soulful harmonies and deep vocals to create a perfect balance in the band’s overall sound that comes across nicely on their recordings and in their live performances. With the added skills of Wes Anderson‘s brilliant guitar riffs and the groove-rich bass playing of D.J. Frtizges, F20D have emerged as a band to watch in 2013.
“The band members get along great,” Lally said. “We have the same priorities, objectives, lack of ego and work ethic. We don’t have the problems that plague some other bands as far as egos, fights, drinking and drugs.”
Lally brings a unique perspective to music as a former professional producer and engineer. When he opened his own studio some years ago to work with independent bands, he had a nagging desire.
“The more I produced and engineered for bands,” Lally said, “the more I wanted to be on the other side of the glass. So, I started playing the guitar and wrote a few acoustic-based albums with a friend who was a session guitarist. And things just evolved from there.” In 2008 and 2009, Lally recorded a couple of acoustic albums, but he considers the real beginning of F20D to have started with the 2010 release of the debut EP, Let It Ride, followed a year later by their second EP, Do Not Feed The Radio.
“Say So Long” – Fiction 20 Down from Do Not Feed The Radio
Since the release this past April of Where’s The Levity, the debut LP has been warmly welcomed by the band’s loyal following of fans, and also hailed by the music press. Skope Magazine called the band’s sound “an incredibly cool brand of music” and Indie Music Review dubbed it a “delightful, upbeat rock fusion mix with pop, hip-hop, reggae, and pure rock.”
Currently, F20D are in the process of creating a number of new music videos. The music video for the crowd-pleasing “Down Like Hip-Hop,” directed by Rod Lopez of New Style Independent Pictures, was released in April to coincide with the release of the band’s debut LP. Plus, F20D are set to release another music video next month for their second single, “My Prisoner,” and are also currently in pre-production on yet another music video with Lopez for the track, “Mr. Sunshine.” The band’s second EP, Do Not Feed The Radio features the single, “Say So Long.” The music video (above) for the single has had over 165,000 views on YouTube.
“Some Beautiful Days” – Fiction 20 Down from Where’s The Levity
For music lovers craving original and unique music that combines pop and rock and reggae and hip-hop, and that is well-written, fresh, exciting, and superbly executed, Baltimore’s indie quartet Fiction 20 Down is a band that achieves all of that and more.
Download Where’s The Levity for free (until July 17th) from F20D’s official website and connect with the band on Facebook.
F20D’s Summer 2013 Tour Schedule
6/20 – Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ w/ Loose Fit
6/21 – Sunset Grill, Ocean City, MD
6/22 – Irish Eyes, Lewes, DE
6/28 – Al’s Landing, Tavares, FL
6/29 – Jake’s Tavern, Sarasota, FL w/ Crazy Carls
7/4 – Filthy McNasty’s, Vero Beach, FL
7/5 – Debaucher, Melbourne, FL
7/6 – ER Bradley’s Saloon, West Palm Beach, FL
7/9 – Ocean Deck, Daytona Beach, FL
7/10 – Bourbon Street, Myrtle Beach, FL
7/17 – Federal House, Annapolis, MD
7/18 – Looney’s North, Bel Air, MD
7/19 – Tortoise & Hare, Arlington, VA
7/25 – Angel’s Rockbar, Baltimore, MD
7/26 – Bill Bateman’s – Perry Hall, MD
View the full interactive tour schedule here.
