RAGINPIT MAGAZINE

It was one fateful night in July where this particular journey began. I had the privilege of witnessing Nicci DeSoto's first live performance as Falling to Pieces' new lead singer. After seeing these guys at the various shows on the Raginpit Put Up or Shut Up tour, I was eager to see what this band had up their sleeve.

Something was different this night. The band's dynamic, the energy was more vibrant than I had seen before. This could be attributed to the fact that most members were nice and toasty by the time they hit the stage or that new blood has given this band a breath of something new and different.

It is after their set I interview Kimo Sanborn (bass and backing vocals), Nick Benigno (drums), and Eric Stewart (guitar) in the parking lot of the Pine St. in Livermore, CA. I did mention this was after their set, but I did not mention this was also before Pop Murder went on, which those three gentleman, and I use that term loosely, are also members of. That was fun talking over roaring motorcycles. Don't people know when I am conducting business everything else stops, damn it.

So by now you're probably expecting an interview I did in July. All I have to say is - PSYCHE! Okay, so the life as editor of Raginpit Magazine is pretty freaking hectic and I unfortunately was not able to post that particular interview. I was; however, able to catch Kimo and Nick on the phone and follow up to that interview. Not only do we get to find out what the band is up to, but we also talk about their newest members, yes plural. Not only has Nicci taken over on lead vocals, but Scott Danough (Bleeding Through - Trustkill Records) on guitar has rounded out this five person group.

Let's just see what Nick and Kimo have to say about all these shenanigans.

So how are you guys doing?

Nick: Super duper.

Right on. This is a follow up to the last interview we did in July because a lot of things have happened since then. So let's just start off with the obvious, who is the current line up of FTP?

Nick: Currently it's me, Nick Benigno on drums, Kimo Sanborn on bass and back up vocals, Nicci DeSoto on vocals, Eric Stewart on guitar, and Scott Danough also on guitar. He's the newest member.

I did read about him. He was formerly of Bleeding Through. Why don't you tell us how he came to be a member of the band.

Nick: He is a friend of Nicci's. He lives in Concord, the same area she's from and he was talking to us about possibly managing us or just helping us out - get us going in the right direction and what not. When Eric Ruxton decided he was going to quit the band, Nicci just nonchalantly kind of asked him if he knew of anyone and he was like, "Fuck it, I'll try to play with you guys and see how it goes." He learned a couple of songs within a couple of days and came out and jammed with us and it has been working out ever since. He fits really well with us and brings a kind of new flavor to the band, but it still works - a little heavier, a little thrashier.

Nice. So I saw he is also working on another project. How is he handling juggling the multiple projects?

Nick: He's practicing with both bands through out the week. We have alternating schedules. His other project, The Crimson Tide, their singer lives in Minnesota, I believe. He used to sing for Martyr AD, so they have actually yet to practice with him, but there is no conflict there. It seems to work out, he makes time when he needs to for either band and he makes all the shows we have scheduled.

And how far along would you say Nicci has come since I last saw her in July? I think I saw her first show with you guys.

Kimo: She's rockin' it. She came out of the gates swinging. When she first joined the band, I think we played a show every week for the first two and a half months when she joined the band. Some weekends we played two shows and it was kind of crazy - we played a whole bunch of shows all of a sudden and we decided to stop booking for a month so we could start working on a new EP. That first show that you saw, she killed it then, obviously, and we were all stoked on that. She has just become way more comfortable, not only with her singing, but with us as individuals. She fits real well with us. This is her first project where she is the actual front person if you want to call it that and she's just gone balls out. She's helping us with our sound. She's bringing a lot to the table as far as writing and what not, she's just really stepped up and we're proud of how far she's come.

That's a good lead into my next question because I was wanting to know what the chemistry is like now that you have two newer members and how it's affecting your music.

Kimo: It's affecting it in a positive way, we all click, we can all hang out and get retarded and talk about buttfucking titties, you don't know what that is. It's good we bust each others balls and then we play some fucking metal, it all works out really well.

How soon do you plan on getting into the studio?

Nick: Hopefully within the next couple of months we're just wrapping up some new songs we've been working on doing pre-production and what not. They're pretty much done - 85% maybe. So the next few weeks we're just going to patch some stuff together. I'm probably going to track my drums hopefully the middle of next month and then all will follow after that. So we'll probably have a spring release.

Kimo: Yeah, like April or May.

Do you guys have any plans of going out on tour?

Nick: Eventually. At the moment we're just focusing on getting the EP done and shopping it out. We want to get on the road. We'll definitely start doing trips down to southern California because that's where Scott's from. So he can do some home town shows for once. We'll definitely venture around the west coast. As far as getting out further than that it's going to take some time. We gotta make sure it will be worth it to do so that we don't come back and have no place to live. It'll happen though, we've just got to get on the ball, but we're just gonna focus on the record for now.

Kimo: And Scott's kind of been there done that too. He's gone on tour and come home bankrupt. He wants to make sure that doesn't happen again. Not that we're against the whole do it yourself mentality to touring, it's just that if we're going to do it, we're going to do it properly. You know, looking at the proper resources to get it done right.

Right, well if you guys could place a cardinal rule in the DIY survival guide, what would it be?

Nick: Just make sure you cover all your bases. If you can get yourself a rider list or make sure you can get some money. Don't hop on any show you can get or deal with some off the cuff promoter. Make sure you are working it professionally. There are a lot of business things on that end. Unfortunately, it's not just about getting out there and playing metal, there's other aspects to look at. You just gotta make sure you are handling everything properly so you don't get fucked over.

Well, I've got one final question for you guys. Who is your number one groupie?

Kimo: My number one groupie? They kind of change through out time.

Nick: My number one is Lisa, the Shocker's wife, because she has our logo tattooed on her neck.

Nice, well that does it guys.

There doesn't appear to be any shenanigans going on here. What you have is a fun loving group of individuals who handle their business and like to rock the fuck out. I expect the future EP to show how much Falling to Pieces has evolved. Don't just take my word for it - go check them out for yourselves.

http://raginpit.ning.com/profile/FallingtoPieces