S.Y.F.T.

      Hard rock/heavy metal band, S.Y.F.T. from Seattle, WA won't reveal what their acronym really means (if anything), but they do enjoy the many meanings friends and family have come up with. One of their favorites being, "See You F@#kers Tonight."
      About 16 years ago, Taylor Klise (guitar), Sean Ingalls (vocals), and Nick Switzer (drums) started a band in high school. They weren't exactly good, but they had plenty of fun. After graduation, everyone wen their seperate ways until 2004, when miraculously, the friends ended up jamming again. They picked up Eric Sorensen (bass) on Craigslist and have been an active band since.

(Photo: 'Iron' Mike at Savoiaphotographylive.com)

      The band's heavy sound has been compared to bands like Sevendust, Mudvayne, and even Deftones. They describe their sound as a pinch of Alice in Chains, a sprinkling of Tool and a generous splash of Sevendust.
      The band has stayed together and motivated for several years, partly due to the steady growth and clear goals. At first, their goals were fairly simple, get out of the garage, play shows, play bigger venues with bigger bands and get on the radio. "It’s never been boring.  The shows have gotten bigger, and bigger.  The challenge lately has been to reproduce the tightness of the new record in a live setting.  There’s a lot of stops and starts, odd time signatures, etc…We’ve been striving to make the live experience as good as possible."
      The band is very active in the local scene, claiming that the locals are mostly responsible for their success thus far. "You have to get out there and press flesh.  Make your presence known, even if it’s not your show.  We’re lucky that Seattle has not only a good music scene, but one where the local bands really support each other."
      As far as live shows go, the band tries to keep it high energy with a bit of a twist. Often times, bringing on a guest musician or performing a unique cover. Just a little something extra to get people to remember them.

(Photo: 'Iron' Mike at Savoiaphotographylive.com)

      Last Chance for a Legacy, the band's first album, was a bit faster and more metal than what the band does now. "We weren’t sure at the time that there would ever be a second album, hence the title, so we threw the kitchen sink at it.  A lot of big endings on that album."
      When asked to compare their latest album, New Beginnings, the band replied, "New Beginnings is definitely more complex, more polished, and a little heavier in intensity and less in speed.  There’s also a large variation in styles between tracks.  If you just picked any song at random you probably wouldn’t get the full scope of the band."
      With New Beginnings, the band was able to work with Grammy-winning producer, Justin Armstrong. "Working with Justin, you see why he earned his Grammy.  He gave us everything we were looking for and had many a great idea of his own.  He doesn’t waste a lot of time in the studio either; quick setups, quick changes, very efficient with takes.  Drums are by far the most difficult to record and he is amazing at it, knows exactly what he’s doing."

(Photo: David K. Archer)

      The band has a music video for "Ten Brick" up on the band's website, and you can get their music on iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon.