The Present
Unfortunately, 2005 saw the departure of original member and lead guitarist Josh Megyessy (who focused on a career as a gallery owner), and cellist Dana Feder who went on to join national acts Matt Pond PA and Anomie Belle. Suitable replacements were found in Derek Mabra (guitar) and Kristen Antolik (Cello), but within six months both musicians moved elsewhere in the US for other personal commitments. The final blow came when original drummer and long time musical collaborator of Korkidis’, Mike Ushinski moved to New York City. At that same time Alex Maniatis decided to focus more time on his own group Radka.
In the spring of 2006, after contemplating dissolving what was left of the band completely, the main composers and founding members of the group - Shumaker and Korkidis - decided to push forward slowly and carefully, focusing on re-arranging/composing new music, adding strong multi instrumentalists/collaborators from different musical backgrounds, and abandoning the typical ensemble format that they had been using (two guitars, vocals, bass, keys, cellos, and drums) since the group’s inception. On Fire added Clara Kebabian (ex-Jumblies, Emily Grogan) on violin and vocals; Sean Will (ex-Tint, ex-Brass Monkeys) on trumpet/flugelhorn, piano, samples; Nick Knouf on viola and samples, and Alex Mihm on drums. The new sextet maximizes each individual musician and pushes all elements of their original orchestral post rock sound to new levels coming off more immediate, dynamic and cinematic than ever.
In 2008 On Fire decided with the new line-up, altered instrumentation, and new direction to change the name of the group to Eksi Ekso. 2008 marks the emergence of Eksi Ekso, both live and on record, with the long awaited full length I Am Your Bastard Wings due out June 10 on VA’s Magic Bullet Records, with subsequent tours following.
Read more about this topic: On Fire (band)
Famous quotes containing the word present:
“When we leave our child in nursery school for the first time, it won’t be just our child’s feelings about separation that we will have to cope with, but our own feelings as well—from our present and from our past, parents are extra vulnerable to new tremors from old earthquakes.”
—Fred Rogers (20th century)
“It is remarkable that there are few men so well employed, so much to their minds, but that a little money or fame would commonly buy them off from their present pursuit.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)