Fighter V are:
- Felix Commerell, synthesizer, keyboards (2019–present)
- Lucien Egloff, drums (2019–present)
- Emmo Acar, vocals (2021–present)
- Roman Stalder, bass (2021–present)
- Thomy Gunn, guitar (2022–present)
Last week we reviewed these rockers and their new album “Heart of the Young.” The review is here.
The press pack information on these guys reads: After their highly acclaimed debut album, “Fighter,” they are coming back stronger than ever. With international success on the released singles “Eye To Eye,” “Heart Of The Young,” and “Power” from the new album “Heart Of The Young,” the band promises top-notch melodic rock that will make hearts beat faster. With powerful guitar riffs, vibrant keyboard sounds, and distinctive vocals, the five passionate musicians take their fans on an unforgettable musical journey. The songs are filled with energy, emotion, and passion, showcasing the band’s growth. Teaming up with the award-winning producer and mastering engineer Thomas “Plec” Johansson, Fighter V has created a big production and exceptional sound with their second studio album that competes with the genre’s top acts. “Heart of the Young” is a must-have for all fans of Bon Jovi, Nestor, Gotthard, and Whitesnake. The album will be released on September 20, 2024, accompanied by an extensive European tour as a special guest of the legendary Axel Rudi Pell. This marks another milestone in the band’s rising career. With over 20 planned shows in the fall of 2024, the five guys will seize every opportunity to present their new songs to their fans. A tour full of unforgettable moments and musical highlights lies ahead.
What we have for you here is a great exclusive interview with vocalist Emmo along with two original members, Felix (keyboards) and Lucien (drums).
We began with noting that the new album was a blast of fun metal and great rock n’ roll. And was that how the guys saw it as well?
Emmo: Yes, of course. Especially now, where we live in a world that is full of stress, mental health worries and seriousness, it is so important to be able to turn to music for entertainment and to fill people with joy. We aim to support people and give them joy, to entertain.
A favorite song for us at the magazine was the song “Speed Demon,” which had so many different shades; it had so many interesting instrumental touches in a very short space of time. So who came up with that one?
Emmo: The opening riff and the verse riffs were from our bass player Roman, and he and I sat down in the rehearsal space and worked on it. For me, it was important because the verse is so fast, so the song had to breathe. It was important to let the chords stay a while and I had the idea to go with the idea of Deep Purple on “Burn.” There is a lot in the chorus; it allows you to push the power of the song. Also, because the song is quite rough rock n’roll; we did try to achieve the crossover to melodic rock as well. We are a melodic hard rock band, so it is important not to lose that element; it is important to allow the keyboards to shine; therefore, we have some parts in the free chorus to give the characteristic of melody. After the solo, it was important to pick that up again and the instrumental part with the lead guitar all helped with the melody.
Felix: It’s a fun song; it has energy.
Emmo: It’s a banger live, but everything must be on point; it is not the easiest to play.
A drummer question now for Lucien: was he varying his kit between studio and live performance? And how did he approach “Speed Demon” as a track? As a drumming note, it can often be easier playing fast than getting those slower tracks right.
Lucien: In the studio, I used the kit that was already there; it is a hybrid drum, a composite between acrylic and wood, so you have a lot of attack from the acrylic and a lot of mid-sounds from the wood and normally on stage I use an acrylic drum, a German brand called Kirchoff. It is for the show as it has LED lights and is illuminated, so that is the reason I use acrylic live; it looks good. As for “Speed Demon,” the fast part with the double bass is not the easiest part for me as the drummer! I had to get the bridge right and the hardest part is the really fast part; it is hard to play.
Looking at the history of the band, the first album came out and there was real momentum being gained with the band opening for the Dead Daisies, among others. Then when Covid hit everything for the band seems to have halted (as for so much at that time), how do the original members look back at that time?
Felix: It was a lot more than just COVID going on. I am just glad that we made it through and have a new album now. We released the debut album in October 2019 and after that we went on tour playing around eight shows for The New Roses; we had plenty of shows planned for into 2020, but then COVID came and everything got cancelled, which was a big knockback. We wanted to keep going, and we wanted to build up the social media, work on new songs and plan for a new album. That time saw our singer, who was working hard on the new songs and demos, notice that his voice was getting worse. He had lower endurance, and he figured out that he had vocal difficulty (sulcus vocalis) and would have to step back; he would have to leave the band as he couldn’t perform like that. We all suddenly began to wonder if we could continue, and our former singer pushed us to move on and continue to perform without him. But as we tried to progress to find a new singer, the two brothers with us, Marco and Luca Troxler, just didn’t feel that they were in the mindset with us any more so they decided to leave as well. So then there were just the two of us left, Lucien and me, so it was not a great time. However, stepping into a new time with different band members and songwriters, every one of us brought in songs that helped with the sound. But we did try to retain similarity with the original album and see this as continuity, not a break.
The new album has a feel of Cinderella, Whitesnake, and Poison—that kind of vibe. It takes me back to Kiss with that one album, “Crazy Nights.” It has that late eighties feel that the band has given a polish to and represented to us in 2024. Is that where the roots are?
Emmo: For me personally, Whitesnake was a huge influence. Whether it is about the singing or in songwriting. They were a supergroup really, with the best musicians that David Coverdale could find; they were a legendary band who had a huge impact on me. What I do almost instinctively is give the song a form of blues, a groove that people hear. It is important to try to be respectful to the past, but when you change three musicians, then you won’t just feel the same; it can’t sound the same exactly. But it is always a great pleasure being compared to those greats. I saw Whitesnake many times in the reviews and I was very pleased with that. I think that people who note that make me smile.
The keyboard influence, men like Jon Lord of Deep Purple, who set the flag down for this, is clear on the new album. The new sound is almost keyboard-led at times; they are not tucked away, they were to the fore.
Felix: I was playing piano to the start, but moved to the keyboard as it opened up possibilities for me. I think the genre of eighties rock is probably the best time for the keyboard and gives the chance to go all in with the keyboards. The keyboard supports the melodic element of the music we do, and we like the variety in music, which we love.
Without the melody in the songwriting, it is not really a song that we want to listen to. We do love a melody in a song. Rock is a very wide umbrella, but how does the songwriting process work for Fighter V?
Emmo: I totally agree with that point. I think it is one of the most important things in songwriting to have the melody, the hooks to catch, so they come away loving the song. It is great when you come away humming the melody and singing along. With the songwriting, some songs were started on the vocals, others on the guitars and developed. Some songs we wrote all together and the guitars and keyboards, everyone had a shout. I think we didn’t have one way to write a song; there were different approaches.
There is always so much attention going into the running order of an album. Was it always a natural decision to begin with “Eye to Eye” and end with “Radio Tokyo?”
Felix: If I remember correctly, every band member wrote the running order for the album, then we sat and compared and I think we were very similar. But we all agreed on “Ete to Eye” as the opener, as it is so powerful and it speaks for the album.
Emmo: For “Radio Toyko,” it was originally a bonus track, and then in the end it came out so strong that we felt it would be a great pity if it never made the whole album. Then we had to leave one song out, and that led to some discussion over what had to go. But all the songs are really good, and like Felix said, we are on point with all the songs and the order they are in. But to speak about an album in the age of Spotify, do we listen to an album through as we used to? There is so much work put into the artwork and the whole development of an album. But we are proud of the effort and the result. We appreciate that we have an album in our hand and not just the digital.
Of course, here at the magazine, we are all big vinyl fans. We admire bands who are committed to the album in a world where so many artists are more interested in single releases alone.
Felix: With vinyl, I appreciate it—the physical experience when you put the needle on the vinyl. You really listen to vinyl and experience it.
Back in the day, you would sometimes be introduced to a band just by looking at the album covers that were sometimes works of art.
Felix: I can’t speak for those days, as I am still too young to remember the pre-internet days! But I can imagine going to the vinyl stores of old and the owner suggesting this record or that one. It is a whole experience that everyone gets through Spotify today. And, the album cover for our new album, “Heart of the Young.” We had an idea of a merge between the city and the heart, but we employed a graphic studio for it, as that would be beyond our graphic skills!
And what are Fighter V listening to at the moment? They have been checking out the new LL Cool J album!
And there we ended our talk! As a finishing point, to keep us improving the magazine, we really do need your support, and if you can go to the “support us” button and buy us a coffee or follow us; it helps us feel appreciated and keep improving the magazine.
The band is on tour in Germany and Switzerland in October and November. Full dates and tickets are available here
The bands website is here
You can stream their music from here
By Mark C Chambers
and
Lorraine Foley
