By : Adrian Kjøsnes
MISSFIT TOYS
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FORMED IN ORLANDO,FL BACK IN 2007, MISSFIT TOYS IS A BAND WHO`S SLOWLY MAKING THEIR WAY UP. PLAYING WHAT MOST WOULD CALL AGGROTECH OR ALTERNATIVELY “TERROR EBM” THEY`VE TOURED AROUND THE U.S OPENING FOR WELL KNOWN NAMES WITHIN THE INDUSTRIAL/ALTERNATIVE SCENE SUCH AS TIM SKOLD`S (PRECIOUSLY OF MARILYN MANSON, KMFDM, SHOTGUN MESSIAH) EPONYMOUS SOLO ACT, GRENDEL, PIG, DOPE , DAVEY SUICIDE AND PSYCLON NINE.
MISSFIT TOYS RELEASED THEIR LATEST ALBUM “THROUGH THE GLASS” OCTOBER 20TH WHICH WAS ALSO THEIR FIRST DATE OPENING THE SHOW FOR PSYCLON NINE ON THEIR RUINATWOUR.
AS THE SAYING GOES THERE IS NO SLEEP FOR THE WICKED AND WITH THAT IN MIND SOUNDS & SHADOWS GOT A HOLD OF VOCALIST/BANDLEADER RICHIE V. SURIV FOR A QUICK INTERROGATION REGARDING THE BAND, RELIGION AND OF COURSE, THE ALBUM.
(Adrian) Could you give a short backstory to MissFit Toys? How long have you been around and who makes up the current incarnation?
(MT) MissFit Toys has been around since 2007 but was only active on line until 2011 when we played our first show. Currently the members are as followed my self Richie V. Suriv as the vocalist/ song writer, followed by Travis Lee our drummer, Damien Carrion our guitarist and Adrian KJØSNES as a contributing studio artist at the moment.
(Adrian) What is the meaning behind your name?
(MT) The meaning behind the name came after a suicide attempt when I was 20. Only after an argument with my family telling me I wouldn’t amount to anything and that the people I associate with are nothing more than misfit toys. Broken people that can’t do anything on their own. I took that and used it as fuel to do something more, I added “Miss” as a play on words to show my obvious androgynous nature. Thus the name was born.
(Adrian) MissFit Toys seem to fall under the industrial/aggrotech umbrella, what made you want to create music within that particular genre?
(MT) Honestly I have always loved electronic music but also metal and always wanted something that mixed the 2 but never knew how or what that would sound like until I discovered industrial.
And I fell in love.
(Adrian) Do you currently have any other musical project or have you been involved in others in the past? If so which ones and how were they different from MissFit Toys?
(MT) I have been involved in several different projects including ludovico technique and Forever Dawn ” project of the vegan black metal chef”.
Some of the projects were definitely in line with what Missfit Toys does currently and some were completely different I love all types of music.
There are talks right now of collaborating with a few different artists but I can’t disclose any of that at the moment.
(Adrian) Tell us about your new album “Through The Glass”. What does the title mean and how long has it been in the making?
(MT) Through the glass is a combination of feelings, struggles and beliefs.It was inspired by a fan that felt like they weren’t good enough for me to ever acknowledge that they existed. So I went on the hunt trying to figure out who had sent me this message when I did find them I asked them if they would be alright with me turning their message into a song and album concept.Through the glass is not only important to me but also the band as we continue to evolve.It shows the hurt, the doubt and the struggles that not only I go through in my faith but others like me go through everyday.
(Adrian) A lot of your lyrics are inspired by faith, would you say the band as a whole has an agenda tied to this or is it more an expression of yourself as a person?
(MT) – There’s no hidden agenda behind the band whatsoever and I am very open with it’s message and my beliefs. I am a Christian and the band is full of references to that, but more importantly it shows me and who I am through it. That not everything is sunshine and rainbows. that I am not better than any one else. it shows that I am broken and that I live in a broken world and this is what every one goes through. We do everything with intent and purpose, nothing is on accident. I use music as a way to not only cope with my emotions and the struggles that I have daily but as a way to communicate with people. Listening to the music you’ll understand the struggles that I go through and what their impact on me is.This album in particular shows a sense of longing, overwhelming feelings of drowning , guilt and desperation.
So It’s more a reflection of myself and what I go through, along with the struggles of others.
(Adrian) How do you think you’ve evolved musically since the beginning of the band? Has there been any major changes as far as the creation process or is it all more or less the same?
(MT) I feel that the music took a more developed appeal than what it was in the early days.As far as writing I do put a lot more care and effort into the message than I used to mostly so the message is not twisted and manipulated into something else. But other than that not much has changed.
(Adrian) The last word is yours, feel free to promote anything you`ve got going on or just leave a message, shout out etc for your listeners.
(MT) We love our fans. the connections that we have with them at the shows and online are amazing and without them we couldn’t do what we do.Currently we are working on our next release and at the beginning of the year we will put through the glass online and will be available on all major streaming sights.
Thank you so much for your love and support.