Rigby Fawkes
Encyclopedia
Rigby Fawkes is an alternative rock
band from Little Rock, Arkansas
. The band is composed of Ed Cheek (bass guitar
, vocals, trumpet), Kyle Heflin (guitar and effects), Daniel Moody (guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Jordan Ryan (drums). The band is best known for their multifarious sound and mature song writing style.
Rigby Fawkes was born on March 2, 2005. Ed and Jordan had been best friends
since they were eight years old and had been members in a variety of unsuccessful bands. The two also performed in Catholic High School for Boys' marching, concert, and jazz bands. Kyle and Daniel had been best friends since they were in the 8th grade
. Both had written a plethora of music together but needed a bassist and drummer to complete their line up. The two pairs of best friends were brought together by fate and a mutual friend.
Rigby Fawkes was not the original name of the group, however. Several name ideas were tossed around including Jordan's Death Camp for Kittens, PUSH audio, Aero Apollo, and Bugatalaphobia. The band In the summer of 2005, Redefined released their first 6 song demo entitled "Audio Anachronism Vol. 2." The band performed several shows in 2005 and 2006 in support of their release, but they weren't satisfied with the direction of their sound. They scrapped every song from their demo and started writing new material. With new material also came a new name. Daniel and Kyle approached the rest of the band with the name idea of "Rigby" from the Beatles
' song "Eleanor Rigby
." Ed and Jordan liked it, but felt that something needed to be placed after it. The two had just read T. S. Eliot
's poem "The Hollow Men
" in class. The epigraph of this poem alludes to 17th century revolutionary named Guy Fawkes
. They took the last name
"Fawkes" and put it after Rigby, forming the band name "Rigby Fawkes."
In 2006, the band released their first full length album entitled "A Penny for the Old Guy." This album immediately became a local favorite, and many were stunned to find out that it had been written by some kids who were only 17 and 18 years old. The songs "34" "The Spanish Inquisition" and "Kremlin" immediately became crowd favorites and are the only songs that remain in the Rigby Fawkes live show set list
from that album.
Throughout the rest of 2006 and early into 2007, Rigby Fawkes were hard at work on a follow up to "A Penny for the Old Guy." However, the band and its fans were met with some very bad news: Daniel would be moving out to Los Angeles, California
to pursue a solo career with his brother Ben. The band played a final farewell show at Riverfest 2007. They released all of the material they had been working on as "Your Head is Completely Gone" for free online. The album received over 700 downloads in its first two weeks.
Each of the band went their separate ways during 2007 and 2008. Jordan worked diligently on both of his degrees in Psychology and Spanish at the University of Arkansas
at Little Rock. Ed and Kyle moved up to Fayetteville, Arkansas
to attend the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. And of course, Daniel moved to Los Angeles to work on his solo album
. The band played a "reunion show" in June 2008. The rest of 2008 saw no activity from Rigby Fawkes, despite numerous show offers from local venues.
In early 2009, the band decided that they would get back together at the beginning of the summer indefinitely to perform shows and to write a new EP. Currently, the band is hard at work on their new EP and expect it to be released mid to late August 2009.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. The band is composed of Ed Cheek (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals, trumpet), Kyle Heflin (guitar and effects), Daniel Moody (guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Jordan Ryan (drums). The band is best known for their multifarious sound and mature song writing style.
Rigby Fawkes was born on March 2, 2005. Ed and Jordan had been best friends
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
since they were eight years old and had been members in a variety of unsuccessful bands. The two also performed in Catholic High School for Boys' marching, concert, and jazz bands. Kyle and Daniel had been best friends since they were in the 8th grade
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
. Both had written a plethora of music together but needed a bassist and drummer to complete their line up. The two pairs of best friends were brought together by fate and a mutual friend.
Rigby Fawkes was not the original name of the group, however. Several name ideas were tossed around including Jordan's Death Camp for Kittens, PUSH audio, Aero Apollo, and Bugatalaphobia. The band In the summer of 2005, Redefined released their first 6 song demo entitled "Audio Anachronism Vol. 2." The band performed several shows in 2005 and 2006 in support of their release, but they weren't satisfied with the direction of their sound. They scrapped every song from their demo and started writing new material. With new material also came a new name. Daniel and Kyle approached the rest of the band with the name idea of "Rigby" from the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' song "Eleanor Rigby
Eleanor Rigby
"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney...
." Ed and Jordan liked it, but felt that something needed to be placed after it. The two had just read T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
's poem "The Hollow Men
The Hollow Men
The Hollow Men is a major poem by T. S. Eliot. Its themes are, like many of Eliot's poems, overlapping and fragmentary, but it is recognised to be concerned most with post-World War I Europe under the Treaty of Versailles , the difficulty of hope and religious conversion, and, as some critics...
" in class. The epigraph of this poem alludes to 17th century revolutionary named Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
. They took the last name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
"Fawkes" and put it after Rigby, forming the band name "Rigby Fawkes."
In 2006, the band released their first full length album entitled "A Penny for the Old Guy." This album immediately became a local favorite, and many were stunned to find out that it had been written by some kids who were only 17 and 18 years old. The songs "34" "The Spanish Inquisition" and "Kremlin" immediately became crowd favorites and are the only songs that remain in the Rigby Fawkes live show set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
from that album.
Throughout the rest of 2006 and early into 2007, Rigby Fawkes were hard at work on a follow up to "A Penny for the Old Guy." However, the band and its fans were met with some very bad news: Daniel would be moving out to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to pursue a solo career with his brother Ben. The band played a final farewell show at Riverfest 2007. They released all of the material they had been working on as "Your Head is Completely Gone" for free online. The album received over 700 downloads in its first two weeks.
Each of the band went their separate ways during 2007 and 2008. Jordan worked diligently on both of his degrees in Psychology and Spanish at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
at Little Rock. Ed and Kyle moved up to Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
to attend the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. And of course, Daniel moved to Los Angeles to work on his solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
. The band played a "reunion show" in June 2008. The rest of 2008 saw no activity from Rigby Fawkes, despite numerous show offers from local venues.
In early 2009, the band decided that they would get back together at the beginning of the summer indefinitely to perform shows and to write a new EP. Currently, the band is hard at work on their new EP and expect it to be released mid to late August 2009.