Memphis May Fire vocalist Matty Mullins admits it’s getting more difficult to curate a set list, as his band recently released its seventh full-length record, “Remade in Misery.”
Although the album is a fresh release, most of the songs were released as singles as early as June 2021 — a year before the album dropped.
“I wanted every single song on this album to have its spotlight,” Mullins says. “When we were writing the album, it felt so special that I didn’t want to just release three singles then the album. I wanted people to get a new song every month and digest it slowly.”
This is in part because the music was meticulously written and recorded during a time when the band couldn’t tour.
“We weren’t on a deadline since it was written during the pandemic, so we had the ability to take our time and enjoy the process of writing and tracking demos,” he says.
The result was a body of work that Memphis May Fire considers to be its most mature record to date.
“We rediscovered some of the angst from our early years and paired that up with a lot of the knowledge that we’ve learned along the way,” Mullins says. “I think we made the best record we’ve ever made.”
Because this album offers a mature presence for the metalcore outfit that has been churning out tracks for over a decade and a half, Mullins wanted to set the tone for the album by releasing the personal track “Blood & Water.”
“The song is about abuse and things that happened in my childhood that I’ve never gone into detail about and I’ve done a lot of therapy and healing around,” Mullins says.
“I knew that a lot of people would need a song like that to relate to. The beauty of music is that we get to share our experiences through these art forms to where my story can become someone else’s story and my healing can become someone else’s healing.”
“Blood & Water” is not the only tune Mullins is particularly proud of, as he has a strong affinity for the ballad-like ditty dubbed “Make Believe.”
“‘Make Believe’ feels like such a special tune to me because it’s different than anything else that we’ve ever done as a band sonically and lyrically,” he says. “I was stoked when we finished that song and it felt like a step up for us.”
Although the band’s newer works offer a contrast from staple tracks like “Miles Away,” “The Sinner” and “Vices,” Mullins and the rest of Memphis May Fire curated a set list for their first headline tour since 2019 that integrates new tunes and staple songs to create a cathartic experience.
“I want the show to be therapeutic, and that looks different for everybody, whether they’re dancing and moshing or they’re sitting in the balcony and soaking in the words,” Mullins says. “I want people to feel a release when they leave our shows, and I want them to feel a sense of community when they’re at our show to where they can be themselves and let go.”
Although Mullins admits artists are sometimes overwhelmed with the response to their lyrics, he views his music as a way to bridge a connection with his legion of fans.
“When we start to understand that when fans come to us and give us praise, that is them saying they’re a lot like us,” he says. “It helps us realize that it puts us on the same playing field and helps me feel a lot more connected with fans and feel that I have a bond beyond a stranger who listens to my art.”
Memphis May Fire’s Remade In Misery Tour w/From Ashes to New, Rain City Drive and Wolves at the Gate
WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday, July 24
WHERE: Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix
COST: Tickets start at $23
INFO: memphismayfire.com
