Illuminate Me – The Highwire Daze Legacy Interviews

Illuminate Me – The Highwire Daze Legacy Interviews

Originally Posted: 08/03/14

From the Tragic Hero Press Release:  Tragic Hero Records has signed the metalcore group Illuminate Me and have plans to release their debut album I Have Become A Corpse this summer. What started as a studio project, Illuminate Me quickly became one of south Florida’s most intense and energetic live acts.

Introduce yourself, what you do in Illuminate Me and how long the band has been in existence.
My name is Christopher Murray the singer for Illuminate Me, the band has been around for about a year and half now.

Where are you based out of and what is your local music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We are based out of Fort Lauderdale even though I am technically from Tampa. The music scene is extremely supportive, and we’re very lucky to be able to be a part of such a great scene here. Bands I would check out would be Fero Lux, My Sweet Symphony, Reveal Renew, there are tons more I can list here that all deserve everyone’s support equally. Those are just the ones off the top of my head at the moment.

How did you wind up being signed to Tragic Hero Records?
Tommy had heard our album online and ended up emailing us since he really enjoyed it, that’s pretty much it haha. I wish it was a super neat story where he saw us in a basement or someone’s backyard (where we usually end up playing) but it’s not, we’re okay with that, though. We’re super grateful to be on such an amazing label with awesome artists.

Is there any story or concept behind the CD title I Have Become A Corpse?
The overall theme of the CD is to never let anyone else tell you what you were meant to do with your life. Everyone has a dream, a passion, or an overall goal. I’ve met countless people who give up that dream just because “so and so says its a bad idea“. I hate that. This is YOUR life, do what is best for YOU. Not everyone will agree with it, but you know what? That’s okay, because in the end, your life was never about pleasing other people or living up to their expectations. If they truly care about you, they will support you.

Select two songs from I Have Become A Corpse and what inspired the lyrics.
Apples to Whoranges and Ouija Board Taught Me Everything I Know.

Apples to Whoranges was about me coping with the loss of one of my longest relationships. It’s about how someone can change so drastically over a short amount of time, and your whole world can flip because of it. But throughout all the bullshit, you can always pull something positive to learn from the experience, and ultimately become stronger from it.

Ouija Board Taught Me Everything I Know is about how we live in a society where having money, nice cars, and huge homes is a priority over good morals and caring about one another. I’ve been abandoned way too many times just because I didn’t have enough money in my pocket. I guess it’s just a big call out to people who are way too materialistic. When we’re on our death bed, we don’t get to take any of these objects with us, the last thing we get to appreciate are the people who are next to us when we pass. What’s the point of having a bunch of shitty things if you have no one to share it with?

Who did the cover art for I Have Become A Corpse and how much input did you have on it?
Our friend Jordan Pryke (www.jordanpryke.tumblr.com) he’s an incredible artist and I fell in love with his work the instant I saw it.  I honestly had a good amount of input if not most of it, he’s a great guy to work with and really knows how to put down what you’re thinking on paper.

Has Illuminate Me ever played here in the Los Angeles/OC area or plan to do so in the future?
We haven’t yet, but we definitely plan on it. We’ll be there before the end of the year that’s for sure.

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming Tour Of Thrones excursion?
Playing places we haven’t played yet, and playing in front of people that haven’t watched us yet. We’re just some boys who play noisey shit from south Florida, I don’t think most kids who are attending this tour are expecting what we’re bringing.

What could one expect from a live Illuminate Me show?
The unexpected. Hell, we don’t even know what we’re gonna do next. It’s chaos. You can expect to lose your mind, and literally just let go of any preconceived idea of what you think you should or shouldn’t do at a normal show.

If Illuminate Me could open up for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Probably The Dillinger Escape Plan, or Every Time I Die. We’ve been fans of both of those bands for so long, and they definitely helped inspire us to write and play what we do now. There’s no denying our influence comes from those two and we aren’t ashamed to admit it. Of coarse those aren’t our ONLY influences.

What is it you like a listener to remember the most after hearing your music for the first time?
That this isn’t supposed to be friendly music. It’s supposed to be noisey, fast, and pissed off. We didn’t start a band to fit into what’s popular right now or what’s technically gonna sell a ton of records. This has no gimmicks, it’s just pure aggression.

Any final words of wisdom?
I’m far from wise, but if I learned anything so far in life, it’s to do what makes YOU happy. And be YOU the loudest way you can. If you’re happy at the end of the day, it was all worth it.

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions! Hope to see your band out here in the Los Angeles area sometime soon!
Same! Thanks for having us.

(Interview by Ken Morton)