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Charlee Conley of Farewell, My Love Interview

Glam rock isn’t dead, folks! Theatrical rock is slowly returning, and heading up the crowd is a group that if you don’t know them yet, you definitely need to! Farewell, My Love is a band I can only describe as Tim Burton’s version of a hair metal band. Stage costumes, a few well placed lights and fog machines isn’t all this band has to offer though! They bring a beautiful glam rock style back to a genre that was desperately in need of a new sound. Farewell, My Love has obvious influences from bands like My Chemical Romance, but they’ve made it all their own. These guys bring their passion to the stage; a passion shared equally throughout the band. Bassist Charlee Conley recently spoke with Drift N Die Press about the future of the band, the memories they’ve gained, and gave us insight towards his own personal influences.

fml — From L to R: Charlee Conley, Chad Kowal and Robby Creasey

DND: What’s the general concept & mission of Farewell, My Love?

Charlee: From day one, we’ve always labeled ourselves as “Theatrical Rock.” We’d like to become characters and be larger than life. We show this in the songs we write and our stage performance. Our mission has been to change lives, create a positive outlook for others and change the music lifestyle to something that we can be all proud of. Writing songs that mix real life situations with fictional story lines to give fans a great message to live by.

DND: How’d you all meet & how’d you guys get started as a band?

Charlee: I personally have been in a few bands. The last show I played with my previous band was with F,ML. It was a showcase at the Viper Room in Hollywood. Though I never really talked to anyone from the band that night, I did watch them play. A few months later when they were looking for a new bassist, I was someone they had remembered. I taught myself the songs in 2 weeks and drove out to Arizona to try out for them.

DND: Can you give some insight towards the new album you’ve been teasing?

Charlee: I’m really excited for this upcoming album. The writing, the process, the ideas, have all been great so far. We have a lot of things we are working on currently so to mention anything would be jumping the gun.

DND: Of all the songs you’ve written in your history as a musician, which meant the most to you & why?

Charlee: I’ve been lucky enough to be able to express myself through writing songs and lyrics. It’s helped me so much to get through a lot of dark times. Two songs that mean the most to me is “Skip The Memories” and “Meet Me In Seattle.” Both were written about my best friend Chris, who passed away over 5 years ago. Best friends for 17 years and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him. It hurts, so I am grateful I got to write about it and hopefully help others who have went through the same experience.

DND: Outside of your own songs, what’s one song that will always touch your heart?

Charlee: That’s such a hard question to answer. I’ve had so many songs impact my life. I love the feeling I get when you hear that perfect song, when you’re in the right mood that just opens your heart up. It really is an amazing feeling to share a connection with a song and it’s lyrics; the power that it can have on you. My favorite song in the whole world is “Disconnected” by Face To Face. Never have I felt so alive as when the first time I heard that song.

DND: What 3 albums would you want to be buried with?

Charlee: “Exile in Oblivion” by Strung Out, “Shoot the moon” by Face To face, “Everything Sucks” by Descendents.

DND: I know you’ve had tons of humbling experiences w/ fans. Can you share any that stuck out?

Charlee: It’s amazing the amount of experiences I’ve had with so many fans. Sometimes I find it so hard to believe that I’ve helped someone with the problems they’ve had in life. Talking to a man I met once that had been born deaf was one that sticks out. It made me realize how lucky I am to be able to play and listen to music. He had surgery that allowed him to hear up to 60% of what a normal person would hear. His favorite thing to do now is attend concerts.

DND: So far, what has been your favorite memory made with your band?

Charlee: My favorite memory is when we played House of Blues Chicago. The whole day was surreal and playing at such an amazing venue in front of so many kids was a dream come true for me.

DND: What’s the best tour prank you’ve either pulled or been victim to?

Charlee: The funniest tour prank I’ve ever seen was at the end of the Alesana tour. They taped and shrank wrapped our entire van and had put ripped out porn magazine pictures all over it.

DND: What’s your general reaction towards fan fiction?

Charlee: I’m pretty sure I feel more awkward than them. Sometimes it’s hard to process.

DND: You all have individual influences, but as a whole, who is your biggest inspiration as a band?

Charlee: This band has no boundaries on our music. We are inspired by everything and want to always showcase it in our music.

DND: On an individual basis, what bands inspire you?

Charlee: I’m a punk kid at heart. Strung Out and Face To Face will always be my biggest inspirations. From the music to the lyrics, it truly has changed my life.

DND: What’s it like to know you inspire others?

Charlee: It’s a great feeling. I have the opportunity to help so many, to encourage others to do great things. I have the best job in the world.

DND: Finally, what’s down the road for the band, and where would you like to be in your career by this time next year?

Charlee: I really want to build this band into something more. I’d like to branch out to organizations and charities to help the community, to continue the path we are destined to be on. This time next year I hope to be on tour and hopefully preparing to start touring overseas.

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