[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] Getting To Know The Members Of FYKE

FYKE is an American 5-member rock band comprised of Enik, Mikee, Gerard, Steven and Justin.

The group made their debut in February of 2017 with their first single entitled “Favorite Mistake” under Universal Music Group International. The band aims to spread awareness about social issues – mental health, depression, suicide, anxiety and more. Their latest album “Disorder” features many well-known artists including Amber Liu, James Lee, and Vanness Wu!

The members answer various questions about how the band was formed, what their music aims to say and what their future holds. Get to know the members of FYKE.

*Justin did not participate in this interview.

HYPNOTICASIA: Please introduce yourself to the audience of HypnoticAsia.

• ENIK: Hi, I’m Enik and I sing and produce for FYKE.
• MIKEE: What’s up! I’m Mikee and I play bass for FYKE.
• GERARD: Hi! My name is Gerard and I am the drummer of FYKE.
• STEVEN: I’m Steven and I play guitar in FYKE!

HYPNOTICASIA: What does your music aim to say?

• MIKEE: I think our main aim we want to do with our music is to talk about about the social issues that other artists, or just people in general don’t really talk about (mental health, suicide, depression, anxiety etc.)  We want people to know that it’s okay to go through these things and there are a million other people who go through it too.

HYPNOTICASIA: Who or what are some of your musical influences?

• MIKEE: Currently for me, its Bad Suns. Me and some of the guys just watched them at the Glasshouse in Pomona the other day and all of our minds were blown!
• GERARD: My musical influences are everywhere.  I will listen to almost anything modern.

HYPNOTICASIA: Do the lyrics written in your tracks come from personal experiences?

• ENIK: Yes, they’re all extremely personal for me.
• GERARD: These lyrics are definitely super personal for me too.  Just as much as they speak to others going through struggles with mental health, they speak to me just the same.

HYPNOTICASIA: How did the members meet and how did you decide to create the band, FYKE?

• MIKEE: Me and Steven were in a band together before Fyke. During that same time, he was already writing and recording for Fyke. He showed me ‘VICES’, told me about the message of the band and I just knew I wanted to be a part of this movement.
• GERARD:  I joined the band through Mikee.  It’s always a funny story to tell.  So me and Mikee went to the same church and we never really talked much, but we definitely knew of each other.  One day in Geology class, I got a text from him asking if I was interested to potentially be a part of FYKE.  And at that point, I stopped caring about school.  I’m just kidding.  Not really.
• STEVEN:  I’ve known Enik for 15 years and we’ve been playing on and off since then!

HYPNOTICASIA: Can you explain a little about how you came up with the band name, FYKE?

• ENIK: A “Fyke” is a large fishing net used to capture large masses of fish. We named the band “FYKE” in the hopes that we could capture large masses of people with our music. Our name is based off of a verse from the bible: Matthew 4:19 – 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

HYPNOTICASIA: How would you say you have developed since your debut in 2017 as a band and individually?

• MIKEE: As a band, I’m definitely proud of everything we’ve accomplished so far. One of those things is a group we call ‘FYKE CLUB’ on Facebook. We’ve created this mini community where people can just vent about their day and it’s just awesome to see how important that can be to someone. It’s a place where everyone matters and where everyone listens. No judgements, no looking down on anyone. Just a community where you can be yourself.

HYPNOTICASIA: You have collaborated with Vanness Wu, James Lee, and Amber Liu. What other artists do you wish to collaborate with?

• ENIK: There are a ton of artists I’d love to collab with one day: Halsey, Yungblud, Zedd, Underoath, Post Malone, The 1975, PVRIS, Jon Bellion, Seven Lions….I can probably keep going but the list will be too long.
• STEVEN: Enik covered most of the artists I’ve wanted to collab with, just add Logic in there!

HYPNOTICASIA: We know you write your own music. Would you be interested in writing for other artists?

• ENIK: I already do. You can say that’s my day job. I’ve produced, written, co-written tracks for artists such as Amber Liu, James Lee, Royal Pirates, Flowsik, Nicky Lee, Vanness Wu, and Park Jung Min(SS501) just to name a few.

HYPNOTICASIA: You went on tour with James Lee and Kevin Woo, how did that come to be, and can we expect more tours like this in the future?

• ENIK: Well, James is one of my best friends and Kevin is one of his….it just kind of came together lol.

HYPNOTICASIA: Do you get nervous before going on stage to perform? If so, how do you overcome it?

• MIKEE: I used to be! I think I can speak for the other guys too but it’s just something that you get used to. I think we get more nervous about any technical difficulties happening during the set.
• GERARD:  I’m lucky.  I’m the drummer.  So right before I perform I’m nervous, but that nervous energy quickly turns into passion.  I bash on the drums and let out all the excitement I have inside.

HYPNOTICASIA: Have you always thought of doing music growing up or did you have another career plan in mind? Do you currently do music full-time?

• ENIK: I always knew that I wanted to do music. I grew up in a family full of musicians; my mother a piano teacher and my father, a former opera singer. Of course, they didn’t want me to pursue music. Like all asian parents, they wanted me to choose a more lucrative career that had more financial security but we’re all created for something. Music is my thing. I am fortunate enough to be able to survive by doing music full time…. for now.
• GERARD: It has always been my dream to do music for a living.  Ever since I was in middle school I was doing talent shows.  I also had a career plan to go into Psychology, but I find myself always drawn back to making a difference through music.
• STEVEN: I always knew I wanted to play music ever since my parents got me my first guitar.

HYPNOTICASIA:  What would you say is your favorite performance so far and why?

• MIKEE: Definitely the show at the El Rey theatre on the last tour with Kevin and James. There’s just something about the LA shows that I can’t describe.
• GERARD:  El Rey Theatre for sure.  It is always a blessing to see so many people sing their hearts out to the songs we create and our fans definitely  didn’t hold back that night.

HYPNOTICASIA: From your own releases, do you have a favorite track? How about a favorite music video?

• ENIK: My favorite tracks of all our releases is probably Insecure, Favorite Mistake, and Antisocial. Favorite MV is probably “Get Myself”.
• STEVEN:  Favorite Songs:  Insecure, Fav Mistake, Nightmares.  Favorite Video:  Nightmares, Get Myself, Silhouettes

HYPNOTICASIA: What do you have planned for the rest of 2019? How about 2020?

• MIKEE: Right now our main focus is touring. We hope we get the chance to meet as many of our fans as possible the rest of this year and in 2020 as well!

Connect with FYKE

• Website: fykemusic.com
• Facebook: fykemusic
• Instagram: @fykemusic
• Twitter: @fykemusic
  
• YouTube: FYKE
  

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PHOTO CREDIT: LEX HIDALGO