Free Mace

Welcome to Review Zoo

1. Where is “Free Mace” based?

Free Mace was formerly based in St. Augustine Beach, FL and later relocated in 2020 to Jacksonville, FL. Free Mace is still located in Jacksonville, FL to date.

2. For individuals new to “Free Mace”, which song would you recommend listeners play first?

Which song best represents your sound overall?

I would recommend a song from each release to new listeners to truly capture the essence of Free Mace. Starting off, I would recommend the song Gone Away off the “Free Mace EP.” The rest of this EP was heavily influenced by underground Sublime with a Florida perspective. The next step would be the album, “After Hours,” and the song New Jack. “After Hours” was the first full-length album released by Free Mace. Next, I would recommend Gone Away (Acoustic Version) off the “Hawaii Drive” album. “Hawaii Drive” was a stripped-down acoustic album of previously released songs, with a heavy Latin influence, ran through a cassette-machine. “World on Fire EP” is next with the song 2020 Vision. The “World on Fire EP” concept came from the global pandemic and protests in 2020. The final song would be Sunday Afternoon off the “Media” album. “Media” was a transition into a more Rock/Indie feel and an exploration into the future of Free Mace. I believe that these songs are great to prepare new listeners for the new album, “Better off Bitter,” that will be available everywhere 7/19/2024.

3. Which band and artists influence you most?

The artists that influenced me the most in regards to creating the sound of the new album, “Better off Bitter,” span across multiple genres. Obvious to the sound are Dance Gavin Dance, Senses Fail, A Day to Remember, Fall Out Boy, and Taking Back Sunday. Influences that may not be as prominent on the album are Roy Ayers, Tokyo Police Club, and the Red-Hot Chili Peppers. All of these artists, with the addition of my own artistry, directly translates to the sound of “Better off Bitter.”

4. What can we expect to see/hear from “Free Mace” in the near future?

Upon the release of “Better off Bitter,” Free Mace will be releasing an animated music video. There will be a live-action Frank Sinatra/Edgar Allan Poe inspired music video in the near future as well.

5., “Where did the idea for the artwork for “Better off Bitter” come from?

The idea for the artwork came from a freehand sketch on a notepad. It took me a long time to conceptualize a visual for “Better off Bitter,” and the last thing I wanted to do was be cliché about the term “Bitter.” My first thoughts were doing a rotten fruit or a poisonous drink, but then I got to thinking about “Bitter” in a different light; instead of doing something bitter tasting, visualizing the nature of bitterness. All the previous Free Mace releases have been a concept with an artwork reflecting it. The unnamed mascot Free Mace has used for most of the artworks has been in varying places (starting in an apartment, then on a beach drive, stopping in a city), I started thinking, “What’s next?” Throughout Free Mace, I have found myself frequenting bars all over the place. This is from the profession as well as the normalized abnormal lifestyle that comes along with it. And I’m thinking, “That’s it!” That’s the artwork concept for “Better off Bitter.” When you’re in a bar, it’s clear that there’s a multitude of personalities, but with one common thing bringing them together. Upon deeper inspection, I started thinking about other common factors; consumerism, human nature, and vice. To apply all of that into something became clear, every individual would be consuming except the Free Mace mascot. I knew immediately I didn’t want the Free Mace mascot’s face to be direct, I wanted more focus on the surrounding elements of the artwork.

I started sketching out an idea where the Free Mace mascot sat centered at a bar, with the face reflecting in a mirror. I started sketching varying animals at first (like a squid bartender, a rhino, a parrot), but then started thinking about ways to relate my home state of Florida in the art, so I started sketching a jaguar for Jacksonville, a polar bear for Orlando, a Dolphin for Miami. Later I added an alligator for Gainesville and swashbucklers for Tampa Bay, while still saving room for some extra characters. I initially sketched all the animals drinking beers and cocktails, but later changed them to sodas with the Free Mace logo to maintain a clean content album, and it’s a first!

6. .How would you describe your sound to anyone who hasn’t heard you yet?

I would describe the sound of “Better off Bitter” as a “Jazz Orchestra in a Pop-Punk band format.” The songs are progressive, experimental, and nostalgically new. The album from beginning to end is a story and a journey. Enjoy!

7.  What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy reading non-fiction, exploring nature, watching [adult swim] and the History channel, gardening, illustrating, and board sports.

8. Will you be touring the new album?

There is potential for shows in the future, but am needing a backing band on location for performance. If you’d like a Free Mace show where you are located and have a professional band to provide, I will see you there!

9. Which bands or artists would you like to tour with?

I am open to touring with any band that is fun, professional, punctual, and fashionable.

10. Do you collaborate with other artists or bands? If so, how has that influenced your music?

I officially and unofficially collaborate with other artists frequently. I really enjoy producing other people’s original music as well as performing with other groups on varying instruments. It keeps things fresh and the experiences of those collaborations influence my music. Everybody shares music with each other, and in the process, we can learn about new artists that we would’ve never known about prior. If it weren’t for occurrences like these, I would’ve never known bands like August Burns Red or Vulfpeck. Collaboration opens horizons and that’s where the biggest influences come from.

11. Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re excited about and can share with us?

Upcoming is the latest album addition to the Free Mace discography, “Better off Bitter,” will be available everywhere 7/19/2024.

12. How do you balance your personal life with the demands of your music career?

Currently, I balance my personal life and profession a lot more maturely than previously at now, almost 27 years old beginning August. I balance it by definitively separating the demands of the profession with my personal life. The demands of the profession sometimes take priority and I’ve lost myself in that before.  There are aspects of my personal life that are how I decompress from my profession.

Before I chose the entertainment industry as a profession, I was a hobbyist. I became a hobbyist for the same reason I feel a lot of people do and that’s to express your emotions and ideas, which help escape the sometimes-harsh realities of circumstances. I think by finding new hobbies to explore and enjoy helps us to feel fulfilled. The blessing and the curse are that every hobby can become a business, it’s up to you to balance which ones do and don’t if that’s your pursuit.

13. What role do you think music plays in society, and how do you hope your music impacts your listeners?

I think the part my music plays in society is that it is a disruption to mainstream concepts. There are seemingly more standards being applied to artists, that can significantly limit expression. I feel that in the modern social media driven world, we spend so much time comparing ourselves to others, rather than celebrating all forms of individuality. I feel we are so concerned with the final product or content, that we forget to enjoy the journey as well as the purpose of why we create.

The impact my music has on listeners is different per individual. I hope to bring a normalization to freedom of expression and interpretation. The new album, “Better off Bitter,” is the first clean content album by Free Mace and will be available everywhere 7/19/2024. I anticipate listeners identifying with the varying emotions of the album as well as the alternative methods to inspire people to enjoy music for the music. Not anything artificial or inorganic.

14. Can you tell us about a song that was particularly challenging to write or record, and how you managed to complete it?

The song Of This World was the most challenging to write and record. Initially, the song started out with the catchy chorus, then slowly was built from there. As I started outlining the verse, the message of this song became more prominent. The message of this song practically is, “I’m just some dude, so why do my stories matter more than another person’s? Do they even?” As recording started, I never considered a second verse for the song. For a good amount of time, I had a close friend of mine, Orlando Actor/Singer Nik, help coach me with singing some songs while he still lived in Jacksonville. Nik has always been an excellent friend an effective collaborator. Not many people know, but he has the capability of singing opera and 80s power metal, so who better to have as a coach? I remember that the hook was sounding better with the more strain on my voice there was. The best takes were the ones where my voice was about to go out, or where I was about to cough out all the hours of weed smoke. Now is a perfect time to mention how lax my recording process is, especially with friends. It always starts with a spliff and brainstorming while we play GameCube or Xbox. After an hour or so, we get to work (in a workplace with alcohol, herbs, no shirt or shoes) and start applying our ideas. Because we’re all just a bunch of goofballs, we joke around a lot and don’t take mistakes as failure. I think it’s very positive to create an environment with minimal stress and allowing counter-production to be productive in some sort of way.

After having the recordings finalized for months, it felt like something was missing from the song. The second verse was added as a final touch. It enhanced the message to now, “I’m just some dude, so what do I know? If I have more credibility, do I know more? What a paradox.” I wanted the second verse to not be as clear as the first, and added a bunch of FX to create motion. I really enjoy having what I refer to as “Trippy Sections” in my music to lead listeners on a journey of sound and thought.

15. How has your music evolved since you first started?

The music of Free Mace has drastically evolved since the establishing in 2018. Originally, Free Mace was a Florida Reggae, Ska, Surf-Punk band with urban influences. When everything on the airwaves was dominated by Californians (now referred to as Pre-Floridians). Reggae to most people is something “Tropical” or Bob Marley-esque. In Florida, especially with an upbringing and adolescence in South Florida, you learn the genuine nature of Reggae from the rock (Jamaica). We weren’t about Santeria, we all listened to underground Sublime like “Robbin’ the Hood” or “Second Hand Smoke.” Maybe that influence was lost when everyone started attempting to be Bradley Nowell instead of being themselves. The Caribbean, board sport, and urban cultures are what influenced the original sound of Free Mace.

As time went on, I started noticing a couple of distinctive things that really started to shift the direction of Free Mace. The first thing was all the Florida bands I was around that would play Reggae would be identical to their California influences, rather than promoting their own state’s signatures with integrity. That really started to bother me how much they disregard home to be a part of a sound. Another thing was we would always get booked with bands heavier than us (punk, metal, rap), and it could’ve been for numerous reasons; we were a rowdy band, I have a hard time biting my tongue when I don’t like something or someone, or maybe all the non-pot smokers that play Reggae didn’t behind the head guitar solos. As I became more observant of these shifts, my music taste changed. I really was seeing that Warped Tour was coming back, and for all of those that experienced that time, it was refreshing to have that back. The fact that these old bands were creating new and good music and inspiring new bands to do the same was motivating. The same argument can be made towards Warped Tour as with my view on Florida Reggae, but I haven’t gotten there just yet, so allow me to enjoy the ride for a bit longer.

Even when playing Reggae, I wouldn’t really listen to it as much over time. I was so sick of the repetition and the inability to separate songs from artists to what location they were based in. This airplay pop blandness really bored me, so my tastes evolved. I still buy all my music on iTunes, so there was plenty of content to listen to without WIFI and that has never left my phone. Those that know me personally, know just exactly when I’m arriving because of the uptempo and high-volume music heard from blocks away. Gotta make an entrance right?