Performing at the 2nd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival Sunday August 18th on the Tattoo Stage at 6:30 p.m.
By Noe Gutierrez
Los Angeles-based metal band Fate DeStroyed will be performing at the 2nd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival this weekend along with 100 other artists from multiple genres and styles. They are scheduled to appear on the Tattoo Stage located at 25980 CA-243 Idyllwild, CA at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday August 18th. The 3-day event is FREE to ALL AGES and benefits those who continue to be affected by the Cranston Fire of 2018 and the Valentine’s Day 2019 flood damage.
Fate DeStroyed was formed in 2016 and is fronted by Franccesca De Struct. Their sound is refreshing, and their attitude is even more invigorating. Their most recent single, “Art of Betrayal,” hits on all cylinders and includes all the elements that make up hard hitting 90’s industrial and modern heavy metal; raw emotion, visceral guitars and driving synths. They derive influences from Deftones, Trivium and Nine Inch Nails.
Coachella Valley Weekly connected with De Struct to learn more about the band and their desire to be a part of the whole.
CVW: How did you become involved with the 2nd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival?
De Struct: “Our bass player, Nathan Young, who is a very established SoCal music promoter, brought the opportunity to our attention; and it was one we definitely couldn’t pass up. The ability to make music has given us so much joy and happiness, and I think it’s only fair that we give back to our community in any way that we can. This festival seemed like the perfect opportunity to do what we love, while helping those who need it.”
CVW: Tell us what we need to know about Franccesca De Struct, Jonni Law, Ben Levi, Nathan Youngblood & Roger Bohlen.
De Struct: “I am the lead singer, contribute to songwriting, and am the founder of Fate DeStroyed. I spent years as a bass player touring with bands such as The Dreaming (featuring Chris Hall from Stabbing Westward), and decided it was time to take the lead and try out singing my own music! Jonni Law is our lead guitar player, and he has been with the band since day one. He shreds like crazy and brings a level of complexity to our music. Roger Bohlen is our rhythm guitar player. He also contributes heavily to songwriting, and helps us with some production, and is a great sound person! Ben Levi is our drummer extraordinaire! He basically keeps the entire show together and is a business whiz. Together we bring our own individual strengths in order to build a solid team of seasoned professionals – and I feel that that translates well into our music and band as a whole.”
CVW: The band is based in L.A. With the lengthy history of hard rock and heavy metal in SoCal, where does Fate DeStroyed fit in?
De Struct: “I hope that we carve our own niche into the saturated SoCal metal scene. I think every band tries hard to do something different; to leave a lasting memory and mark on the music scene as a whole. When I started this project, my vision was to do something a little different than what had come before me. Thankfully we have a solid team of creative and driven artists who share that same feeling, and I think with some time, a lot of work, and a little luck, we will leave our mark loud and proud.”
CVW: I listened to your music on Spotify and I’m loving it. It’s so driving, melodic and metal. Assumedly, having diverse backgrounds, how did you all agree that this was the sound you would present?
De Struct: “Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoy it. When I started this project, I wrote our first two singles, “We Fall” and “Break Free.” These two songs encompass my original vision of the project, but I didn’t have the technical skills to really accomplish the sound I wanted. I think as we have been creating and writing new music together, things fall into place and we land on a sound we all can agree on (despite our diverse backgrounds). I know what my vision is, and I think my favorite part of being involved in a collaborative effort is that the different minds are able to shift and alter that vision to an even higher level.”
CVW: “Art of Betrayal” is your most recent single. Once again, love the drive! The call and response of the clean singing with the pharyngeal vocals is great. The song encompasses everything that is right with metal today; diverse vocals, tempo changes and instrumentation. What are your thoughts on the song and its sound?
De Struct: “So “Art of Betrayal” is likely my favorite song we have released to date. The credit for this one mainly goes to Jonni. I remember the first time I got sent the demo version… my heart started racing and I knew it would turn into something amazing. I think of all the songs we have released to date, “Art of Betrayal” most encompasses our sound, our feel, our mood, and our creative efforts. I love that it is a mix of heavy, soft, breakdowns and electronic elements. It gave us a platform on which to expand and grow as a band. Just wait until the next singles – they are going to blow you away!”
CVW: I just read about your fire breathing. WOW! Where does that fit in the set and how important are the theatrical elements to your performance?
De Struct: “I do breathe fire! I’ve been breathing fire for over a decade, and I love it! Whenever we can find an appropriate venue, I love to incorporate breathing fire into our set list. I feel like it offers up a unique experience to our audience and leaves a long-lasting memory of who we are and what we do! In terms of theatrics, I would say that our current live show depends more on the music than a theatrical performance, but we all bring a huge amount of energy and passion to every show!”
CVW: What’s next for Fate DeStroyed?
De Struct: “We are about to release a new single which is a cover of Lead Belly’s “In The Pines.” The music was produced by Carlton Bost of Orgy and the music video was filmed by Ron Underwood. This song is a complete left turn from our heavy roots, but I think that the ability to show flexibility and diversity is really important to any project! We have another song in the pipeline to be released shortly after – and it’s likely the heaviest song we have ever done! After Idyllwild, we are playing the Whisky A Go-Go with Powerman5000, and from there? The sky is the limit!”
CVW: Anything else you’d like to share about Idyllwild Strong?
De Struct: “We are so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this festival and hope that the families who experienced devastating loss from the fires can enjoy a day of music and support. We are all a community and we have to stick together no matter what our background. Thank you so much for taking the time to interview us and we look forward to seeing everyone at the show!”
Listen to Fate DeStroyed on iTunes, reverbnation.com/fatedestroyed
and on Spotify
