(EDITOR'S NOTE — Fresh off its recent debut gig on a bill with some big names at Days Park Tavern, the young upstart band Forest Fire aims to make its mark on the scene. 1120 Press spoke recently with the group's guitarist Jamison Hendricks to talk about being the new band on the block. Forest Fire also includes Kami on vocals and Jude on drums. — Photos by Sarah Bruno-1120 Press)
1120 PRESS: Thank you for speaking with us and welcome to the scene! Tell us the Forest Fire story: How and when did you get together?
JAMISON: I met Jude a few years ago and around late summer early fall of 2023 I met
Kami and we all jammed the day I met Kami and it was a really fun experience and we started Forest Fire shortly after that.
1120: The band just played its first show at Days Park Tavern, and right off the bat you started on a bill with some big names: G.O.A., Monomaniac, K-Hole and Selfish Act. That had to be quite the experience for a debut. What was it like for you going into a big show like that, and now that it’s over how do you think things went?
JAMISON: It was an honor to get to play with Monomaniac, G.O.A, K-Hole and Selfish Act
for our first show. They were all there for our set and to get that support at our first show from them really made us feel at home and gave us the confidence to let loose and put on a good show. I’m very proud of how we did. I was really impressed with how Kami and Jude did — that was their first show ever and they killed it. I’ve played shows before and my first performance I had nowhere near the amount of confidence and energy they came with that night.
1120: Older hardcore bands are saying they are seeing a-sort-of hardcore “revival” in Buffalo, driven by young people who are turning out in droves to local shows. What do you think is driving that revival from your perspective?
I think there’s definitely something growing in the Buffalo scene. I’m new to the scene but there’s a strong sense of community among everyone and that makes for an inviting environment. The bands are great so it makes it very appealing for people to want to come out to shows and support one another.
1120: Tell us about your music: The band released a demo in early January. When did the writing begin for that release? And tell us, too, about the process: how did you put it together (was it DIY, self-produced), and what was the experience like working/writing/recording together for the first time as a band?
JAMISON: The first day we all played together we played Balls in a Bear Trap and Forest Fire,. They sounded a lot different back then, but since then we’ve started to make more songs and get them to a point where we felt like they were strong songs. Jude’s dad has a studio space and he was kind enough to record our demo there for us. The energy is awesome between all of us and I think we have a high ceiling of how good we can get if we keep at it, so I’m really excited about our future as a band.
1120: So, now that the first show is in the books, what lies ahead for the band this year? What are you hoping to accomplish?
JAMISON: We have some shows in the works and one on May 4th. We have making an album on our minds, so we’re gonna start coming up with some more songs soon.
1120: Is there anything else you want to add that we haven’t touched on?
JAMISON: Thanks for taking the time to ask about us. There really is a good sense of community in the Buffalo scene and 1120 Press helps in making that community more connected.