COLUMNS | FEATURES | EVENT PREVIEWS
featured events

originally published: 03/06/2023 

On Friday, March 10th, East Coast alternative-rock band Fear Of Falling and Quark Records (InGrooves/Virgin/Universal Music) will drop "Looking Out For Number One" in style as WFUV's Alisa Ali will spin the new single during the 12 noon hour on NYC's WFUV 90.7FM.

The 2nd week of March will be a busy one for FOF with the release of "Looking Out For Number One" by Quark on March 10th, coinciding with Alisa spinning the tune that afternoon, to be followed the next day with the band's first concert showcase in 23 years at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ, on March 11th.

Recorded at The Ultrascene this winter, producer Kimon Katafigiotis weaves “Looking Out For Number One” into the perfect blend of melody and sonic nuance. Singer/songwriter Steve Lanni’s indelible voice and poetic lyrics hearken back to Fear of Falling’s halcyon days.

Before “Looking Out For Number One”, Fear of Falling’s last release was “Live”, which was recorded during their "Auf Mit Der Scheiße" tour of America, Germany, and England in 1996. The band did also record an EP in London, but it was never released, so this new single will mark the first studio recording from the quartet made available to the public since FOF’s iconic album, “Tree” in 1995.

Lanni explains, "Back in the day, we were touring all the time. We were so busy playing places like the 930 in DC, Metropol in Pittsburgh, Maggie Mae's in Austin, CBGB and  Limelight in NYC, World’s End in London, and Kulturzentrum in Berlin. We logged tens of thousands of miles, so there wasn’t enough time for recording.”

 

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

---

"This time around," adds bassist Bruce DiBisceglie, "we put writing and recording back upfront, and at Ultrascene, we’ve got unlimited studio time to experiment with synthesizers, vocal samples, and all kinds of arrangements. It’s important for us to see what’s ahead while staying true to where we’ve been as brothers."

Fear of Falling’s new music combines their 1990s guitar-bass-drum sound, and their late 80s sequencing, but with a definite 2023 feel. They still have that distinctive FOF sound, but because of the new-found luxury of time and technology, the band’s new music shows how much they’ve grown after their hiatus.

Before the time off, Fear of Falling had well earned a reputation for having a moving rhythm section, and on this new single, the bass/drum partnership of Bruce D and Rob Savoy sets the throbbing foundation for the architecture provided by multi-instrumentalist Katafigiotis. “Looking Out For Number One” is clearly FOF, but with a new fusion of aural notes not unlike those honed by Clearmountain, Iovine, and Lillywhite.

"We just missed the hell out of each other” says Savoy. “We missed playing together, our chemistry as friends, and our respect for each other as musicians. Right now, we’re just thankful that the stars aligned and we’re back together.”

Kimon continued, “With Curtis and Quark Music Group on board, it is exciting for our team to get FOF’s music out to the public again, because that's where it belongs. And in addition to “Looking Out For Number One”, we have a lot more to come.”

Another nine tracks have been written and recorded and are being worked on in parallel with this release. A steady cadence of singles will be released to build towards Fear of Falling’s fifth album.

In addition to digital release on March 10th, a limited collector’s edition CD single, in a special 4-panel digipak featuring original paintings by New Jersey artist Mihea Park, will be available at the live Fear of Falling reunion show at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ, on March 11th.