Frank Iero, best known as the rhythm guitarist for My Chemical Romance, has had several solo projects since the bandâs breakup in 2013. Each time he has used a different band name including, Frnkiero and the Cellabration, Frank Iero and the Patience, and his latest, Frank Iero and the Future Violence. “Losing My Religion” is the first song off the bandâs Heaven is a Place, This is a Place EP. The EP features Evan Nestor on guitar and backing vocals, Murder By Deathâs Matt Armstrong on bass, Thursdayâs Tucker Rule on drums and Kayleigh Goldsworthy on keys, mandolin, and violin.
Iero and his brother in law, Evan Nestor, were involved in a near-fatal accident in Australia in 2016 when they were struck by a passenger bus. When the two started touring again in 2017, they met Kayleigh Goldsworthy, who was member of the supporting band. Iero notes âFrom the first show I was completely impressed with her musicianship and by touring together I realized she was also a rad human being who I desperately wanted to write and play music with. In my mind she was already in my next band, I just had to write the music, name the band, find the other musicians, oh and of course ask her. But during that first tour together we got to talking about how she played the mandolin and how we shared a love for R.E.M., and more specifically âLosing my Religionâ. So, on the last night of tour in San Francisco we found an empty room/hallway/stairwell type place and made an iPhone voice memo demo of the song. It felt like magic and that was the moment I was convinced this couldnât be the only thing we did together.â
Goldsworthyâs band was subsequently invited by Iero to join him on his tour of the UK and Europe. While in London, Iero, Nestor, and Goldsworthy recorded âLosing My Religionâ. Recording a cover version of a classic song can be a difficult task for a musical artist. It can be a delicate balance between being true to the original song but at the same time introducing your own interpretation and variations on the song. Frank Iero and the Future Violence found that perfect balance with their cover of the R.E.M. classic.
Ieroâs cover of âLosing My Religionâ is a stripped down, less polished version of the original. Whereas R.E.M. launches into the song with full band, Inero builds and develops as the song progresses. It starts with Goldsworthy playing the songâs famous mandolin intro. Iero sings solo alongside the Mandolin for the first verse with Goldworthy joining in on vocals during the pre-chorus and chorus. The intensity builds when the drums finally kick in on the second verse. Guitars do not make an appearance until the last pre-chorus. It’s the rawness and gradual addition of musical layers that give the song a unique feel.
This adaptation of the song places more of an emphasis on Ieroâs vocals rather than the music. A sense of despair is heard in Ieroâs voice throughout the song creating more emotion than the original song. My college sons listened to the original and cover and both preferred the Iero cover version. I was a recent college graduate when R.E.M. released “Losing My Religion” in 1991 and it has always been a personal favorite. However, this is one of the rare situations where I give the edge to the cover version.
âLosing My Religionâ is now available on iTunes, Apple Music, and Spotify. Heaven is a Place, This is a Place is scheduled to be released on January 15, 2021.
Post by Scott Raymer (Website | Instagram | Facebook)
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The post Song Review: Frank Iero and the Future Violence – Losing My Religion appeared first on Concert Crap.
