Title: “Fighter”
Artist: My Girl Friday
From: TBA Debut Album (2014)
Release Date: January 11, 2014
Length: 3:48
Format: CD Single, Digital Download, 7” Single, Weekly Airplay
Recorded: December 2013 – Avatar Studios, New York City, New York
Genres: Pop-Punk, Alternative Rock
Label: Songs to Love and Die By
Written: November/December 2013
Writer(s): Amelia Fontaine, Austin Bowen, Joel Stone
Producer(s): My Girl Friday, Amy Meyer, Christian Fallon

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Returning with their follow-up single to ‘Mayday Awaits’ are the band that we tipped last year as a possible breakthrough act of 2014, almost everything is perfectly aligned for ‘My Girl Friday’ to really make a big impression on the music industry and the ever-growing rock scene within the industry. From the energy and aggression in their music that epitomises a classic pop-punk feel and sound, to the backing from ‘Songs to Love and Die By’ a record label that embraces the elements of the alternative genres and supports them greatly, throw in the fact that label owner ‘Amy Meyer’ appears to have a vested interest and a lot of support for this band and you’d imagine ‘My Girl Friday’ could achieve great things this year, ‘Meyer’ herself has been in the same position as this band when she broke into the industry with ‘R!ot’ and so surely she knows how to replicate such a breakthrough, but it appears that ‘My Girl Friday’ are looking to take things a little more slowly, their debut single ‘Mayday Awaits’ was released back in October, surprising a lot of people when it peaked at number #3 in the charts. You’d have thought that they would have wanted to really capitalise on that, but that has not been the case. The band have been working hard on crafting their debut album in the recording studio, not to mention building their fanbase through touring on the ‘Reckless Infinity Tour’ where they formed a close bond with fellow rock band ‘Fathers Of Fury’ … the similarities between ‘My Girl Friday’ and ‘R!ot’ are difficult to avoid, however.

But the band have decided to begin the new year in their own way. They have the majority of their debut album completed, teasing fans that the record could be released a lot sooner than planned. It seems like they prefer to just do things, no major build up or teasers or previews, no thrills or anything like that. Just a case of here’s the music, listen to it, if you like it then purchase it or come see us at a show. And that has worked very well for acts in the past, it could very well continue to work for them in the modern day music industry, the evidence of course may suggest otherwise, there is much more of an emphasis on promotion and forcing certain artists down your throat, it’s a tactic that works. But it’s not a tactic that you’re likely to see from ‘My Girl Friday’, their feisty lead singer Amelia seems to know exactly what she doesn’t want to become in the industry, as recent quotes suggest, “You look at a lot of acts out there and you can tell which ones are products, you can immediately tell which ones are clueless and oblivious to what their labels or management are doing to them. Sure they’ll probably end up earning more money and having more success, but you look at them and there’s nothing behind their eyes, they’re just vacant products. Not gonna lie and I’ve even said this to Amy, that’s the same thing I thought of ‘R!ot’ when they started out, it was slightly less obvious and it least it was highlighting their music and not their image as much as you tend to see with the more mainstream side of thing, but it was essentially the same thing.”

Despite those comments, it seems like Amelia and her cohorts do know how to write a catchy tune, not evident on their debut single though, the dark-toned song about suicide. But in their follow-up, they sure their real pop-punk roots, fast-paced guitars and a feisty female vocalist, we’ve all seen and heard it before, but this adds something unique, the lyrical honesty of Amelia and her band-mates, she throws out lines like, “I’ll find that glimmer of hope somewhere in the wreckage of my perfectly f*cked up life.” and lyrics drenched in an underdog spirit, “I’ll step out of the shadows/Exhale the smoke and down another shot/I’ll put on my war-paint/Show the world what I’ve got.” and the instrumentations seem to highlight the energy and aggression of the lyrics perfectly, notable during the songs chorus which could have easily been written for the biggest popstars around, “I’m a warrior and I’m a fighter/Yeah, I’m the spark that will ignite ya/I’m the one, standing strong/Showing the world where I belong.”, and it becomes very difficult to not think of comparisons to the early material of the likes of ‘R!ot’, no doubt a comparison that will frustrate the band, but on the evidence of this, it is one that is likely to continue, at least for a little while. The track overall, is a very catchy and powerful start to the new year for ‘My Girl Friday’, we certainly hope that this band doesn’t get lost in the crowd, because there is the potential, however unlikely, for a ‘Riot! In The Boulevard-esque’ dominance, we don’t quite see that happening, but we definitely think that ‘My Girl Friday’ can become the scrappy unlikely heroes of the rock scene.
- Written by Alter The Press

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Lyrics

“I won’t let the fire in my heart fade out
The sparks will always ignite
No matter how many times I find myself pushed to the ground
I’ll find that glimmer of hope somewhere in the wreckage of my perfectly f*cked up life
Yeah, I know that I’ll be strong
After you’ve gone
Because the f*ck ups learn to move on

So I’ll step out of the shadows
Exhale the smoke and down another shot
I’ll put on my war-paint
Show the world what I’ve got

I’m a warrior and I’m a fighter
Yeah, I’m the spark that will ignite ya
I’m the one, standing strong
Showing the world where I belong
I’m a warrior and I’m a fighter
Yeah, I’m the spark that will ignite ya

You can try to cut me down with your cold dead stare
I don’t really f*cking care
Because I’ve grown strong, I’ve moved on
With all of the fighters where I belong
And now I’m back in town
I’ll turn your world upside down

I’ve stepped out of the shadows
The girl you used to know
Has long gone
No longer the girl next door
She’s no longer there
Yeah, I’m your f*cking nightmare
So fuel me up with alcohol and cigarettes
I wanna be the one that you regret

So I’ll step out of the shadows
Exhale the smoke and down another shot
I’ll put on my war-paint
Show the world what I’ve got
Yeah and I’ll show you everything you’ve lost

I’m a f*cking warrior
I’m the fighter
I’m the spark that will ignite ya
I’m a warrior, I’m the fighter
Yeah, I’m the spark that will ignite ya”

Personnel

Amelia Fontaine – lead vocals, lyrics, composition, production
Austin Bowen – backing vocals, rhythm guitar, lyrics, composition, production
Zach Hudson - bass guitar, composition, production
Joel Stone – lead guitar, lyrics, composition, production
Charlie Costello – drums, percussion, composition, production
Amy Meyer – production, mixing, engineering
Christian Fallon – production, mixing