Interview with Rock Band We Are the Fury

With the release of Venus, We are the Fury successfully reclaimed the swaggering rock, and roll, of a time gone by. The Toledo, OH, band constructed a smart, catchy, furiously infectious record with swanky rockers and sweet ballads.

Frontman, in the truest sense of the word, Jeremy took a few minutes to answer some questions while the band is on a tour that can see no end in sight for 2007.

When did the band get started?

"Stephan and I have played together as far back as I can remember. As for everyone else, we started playing together as far back as '99 when we were all in high school. We did not officially start playing as We Are The Fury until 2004.

There was an issue with the band's name, what was the deal?

We had to change our name from The Fury to We Are The Fury due to legal issues. When we first picked the name The Fury we were surprised we could not find any bands online or elsewhere that had it. About 2 years later, a band out of Detroit that had not played a show in about 25 years came at us saying it was their name. We changed it to avoid lawsuits and such.

What would you say is the band's "mission statement"?

To murder the current state of rock 'n roll.

Who are some of your influences? What do you think is the most obvious? Most important? Completely unnecessary?

Bowie, T-Rex and the Rolling Stones. Those are obvious. I do not know who is more important. Sometimes people think that we sound like bands that have no influence on us such as My Chemical Romance, Hot Hot Heat or IMA Robot. It is bizarre for us because those individuals think that they have us pinpointed. We really do not listen to a lot of new music.

What is the music scene like in Toledo?

It is getting there. It was good when we were teenagers, then it kind of fell off. There is not really a Toledo sound or anything. There are many good musicians though.

What songs from Venus get the best crowd reaction?

We have been in the opening slot so we only get to play seven or eight songs a night. So far, the best reactions are to "So Physical" and "Camera Tricks". I think maybe because they are so in your face and involve the crowd quite a bit.

What is the songwriting process like for your band?