Imagine Dragons, Young The Giant, Grouplove, Foster The People, Matt and Kim – those are just a few of the powerhouse musical acts who can say they’ve played the Firefly Music Festival in Dover twice since its inception in 2012.
But this summer, Delaware natives Brian Bruce, Sam Nobles and Andrew Fusca, three members of the Newark-based band Fiancé, can add their names to the list.
Each of them played with fellow Newark rockers Mean Lady last year, and now return to the state’s biggest music festival with band mates Jeff Marvel and Tyler Yoder.
Bruce, who has played drums since middle school, reflected a bit on playing last year during a recent practice session at their home base on Kells Avenue in Newark. The 25-year-old recalled stepping off stage at Firefly in 2014 and feeling like his new band Fiancé could fit the bill.
“We all went last year, and I remember hanging out with these guys and thinking, ‘Man, I want this to be us next year,’” said Bruce. “I felt like our music would translate really well and I thought it would be awesome to get our shot. Now it’s actually going to happen, which is pretty cool.”
Though members of the indie pop/shoegaze quintet didn’t officially apply for a spot at Firefly, it was another Delaware band connection that helped get them on the bill. According to Bruce, Red Frog Events, the Chicago based company that organizes Firefly, reached out to someone on the local music scene for some suggestions.
“Brianna Hansen, who was involved with getting New Sweden on the bill last year, messaged us and said she had been asked for a short list of local bands that would be a good fit for Firefly,” said Bruce. “I guess Firefly liked us, because it wasn’t much long after that before they asked us to play.”
Hansen, who serves as the INWilmington campaign manager for Mobius New Media in the city, said she sent an unsolicited list of acts she thought were “deserving” of consideration for Firefly, and that Fiancé was her leading choice.
“You don’t’ put together a UK tour like they did last year without putting maximum effort into what you’re doing,” said Hansen. “They market themselves, they’re hard workers, and they know how to rock a stage; all that’s important when you’re playing a festival as big as Firefly.”
Despite their name, none of the young band members are engaged. Fusca, who sings lead vocals and plays guitar, said the band name is organic in nature: “We wanted a one-word, one-syllable name that wasn’t too cheesy, and Fiancé just came up. We thought it was pretty simple, though people sometimes call us Beyoncé or Finance.”
Marvel and Yoder fill out the band on guitar and bass, while Nobles, a veteran of several local bands, adds guitar and keys to the mix. The Newark native said that, after playing an afternoon gig with Mean Lady last year, this go-round at Firefly would feel much more relaxed.
“You always wonder how the crowds will be at a show in the middle of the day,” said Nobles, referring to Fiancé’s 1 p.m. Friday time slot on the Forest Stage. “But the audience was really awesome and supportive last year around the same time. I feel like at a festival of that size, on the second day, everyone is amped and ready to go.”
Bruce said the band has 45 minutes for their set, which will give them enough time to blow through eight to 10 songs. Most of those songs, he said, will be ripped from their yet-to-be-titled album, set for release later in 2015.
“We’ve been working on these songs for about a year, spending all of last summer writing and recording basic, then selecting 9 of the 15 strongest tracks over the winter,” Bruce said. “Now we’re ready to master the album, but that’s all on Andrew, who is a perfectionist when it comes to sound and mixing.”
One song Fiancé is really excited to debut at Firefly is titled “Empty Room,” about Fusca’s recent move from a house he shared with friends for 5 years. Fusca said the album is a work in process, but plans to finish the project by the end of summer and have a single ready to be released either by or before Firefly weekend.
“The album is pretty far along, and we will have a single out by late June, though I’m not sure which song yet,” Fusca said. “I know these guys are waiting on me, but albums take a proper amount of time and focus, especially when things pop up in different tracks that maybe you didn’t plan for in the original songwriting.”
You can check out all of Fiancé’s songs and videos at fiancemusic.com, as well as at fiancé.bandcamp.com. You can also like them on Facebook by searching “fianceDE,” where in late February, they posted, “I don’t care what any of you say, we’re opening for the f**king Beatles.” Paul McCartney is scheduled to headline Firefly Friday evening, almost nine hours after Fiancé plays their set.