Review Fix Exclusive: Faiyaz And The Wasted Chances Talks ‘Glow’ And More

Review Fix chats with Faiyaz from Faiyaz And The Wasted Chances, to find out about the band’s new album, “Dead Animals” and more.

Review Fix: How did you you get involved in music? 

Faiyaz: Well my family is the most musical non musical family to ever exist. Kinda.

Basically no one in my family plays musical instruments except for me and my older brother. That being said though, they all love music very much and have great taste. My mother is more in the abba/Bee gees vibe while my dad was like the only person in Bangladesh during the 60s to have Beatles, stones,  who records. He was the best dressed mod for miles away. 

Him and my brother really gave me the musical upbringing that few can get.  My Older brother is  roughly 8 years older then me so I got the whole 90s music hand me downs. My brother started to learn guitar while I was 8 and even though he wasn’t cool with it (at all), I just kinda waited till everyone in the house was gone for something and played it or tried to hah! 

Eventually I wanted it so bad it couldn’t wait. I took a paper route and bought my first guitar a 1980s squire telecaster in an old pawnshop. I was still really horrible till I got into high school. At that point I had possibly the best luck any musician could ask for. 

The high school I was gonna go to “George s henry academy” had just built a state of the art studio . The head of the department Mr. Love (rip) decided there was something worth while in me. Basically he gave me every bit of musical knowledge possible.

He knew my mom wasn’t cool with me going further in music and made sure that Would never hinder me. 

I was in every music course and extra curricular. It was orchestra in the morning, my teenage punk bands practice at lunch, studio after lunch and pop covers  after school. By the time I got outta high school I was already able to do pretty much what I do now in my 20s.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Faiyaz: Most of the time it’s guitar riff first, then like months of it bouncing in my head and me trying to arrange it. Eventually I have this half ass song In my head and hands and I bring it to my drummer Dylan. Dylan is something else as an arranger and has given so much help over the years making my riffs into full fledged songs. Without Dylan this band would suck! Most of the time the lyrics come after or I pick it up from a pile in my room.  

That being said dead animals our last single came as the whole package, sometime aliens beam it all down for me hah!  I do workshop guitar tones and overdubs an incredible amount in the studio. The whole studio side to it is probably the most worked. I rarely spend too long writing a song, spend forever mixing and overdubbing it though hah! 

Review Fix: What inspires you?

Faiyaz: Most Of my best songs deal with real emotion. It doesn’t work when you’re lying to the song or to your self. People can smell the fakeness on you. To be true to myself is the most important thing. I’m not gonna write a song because it deals with a  topic that is headline worthy. I’m gonna write this song because I have no other choice. That inspires me. I love artists that don’t answer to anyone but themselves. Lou Reed, Iggy pop, Miles Davis  these people wouldn’t allow someone to stop them! 

Review Fix: What does music mean to you?

Faiyaz: Music to me is the ultimate outlet. Without music I’d probably be a total asshole. I wake up in the morning to music to calm me. I listen to don’t fear the reaper in the shower to get me prepared. The toughest times in my life a record or two was always there for me. More then my friends or family music has always been there through thick and thin. 

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Faiyaz: A lazy slacker playing jazz chords with fuzz to a disco beat with a solo or two in there. There’s a chorus and you’ll probably sing along? 

Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?

Faiyaz: Everything breaks all the time! Sometimes by accident or sometimes because I got violent. Almost everything that could possibly go wrong goes wrong. Somehow it’s still glorious? There’s a lot more energy live. In the studio it’s very very calculated while on stage I improv every solo ( I get bored ). In the studio I’m always trying to be cleaner for clarity. Live it’s so fuzzy, and rambunctious that clarity is a joke. 

Review Fix: What inspired your latest single?

Faiyaz: A lot of pain! Right before Covid nearly everything bad that could possibly happen to me happened. My band kinda broke up, I’d been Inna few crap relationships, and the room I was living in was horrible. I was out of my mind everyday either drunk or on drugs in a downward spiral of self hatred. The world around me with Covid and bigotry also continued spiralling. I just wanted to feel better. I decided to go to Rehersal place and just be loud. On the way I saw some road kill and the rest is history. 

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2021? 

Faiyaz: Hopefully finally playing shows again but will live with a sick live stream or two. Be daddies? Pet doggies in Trinity Bellwood’s? Give hugs and mosh with all the homies? 

Review Fix: What’s next?

Faiyaz: Well we’ve got a new single “Glow” coming out later in April With a video, another single after that and maybe An ep? 

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add

Faiyaz: We really appreciate all the press and support dead animals has been getting over the past

Month. Id like to thank Lootbag records for supporting the hell out the Wasted chances with everything from studio time to release advice to just  sending me good coffee beans. Also My partner blue for keeping me sane this past year. There isn’t anyone else I’d rather spend all this time with. 

Anyways We hope your all safe and healthy!