ON THE RISE
The Reckless, made up of Fritz Fayman, Michael Kennedy, Riku Myllykoski, and John Kelly, amalgamate various rock genres, eras, styles, and talents to bring you mood-improving reckless music. But first, an origin story, with frontman Fritz Fayman.
Fritz shares that during the pandemic, like many battling with the uncertainty of life, he decided to start recording music to keep himself preoccupied. Fritz’s dad was a musician, so he grew up surrounded by music, learning guitar at 14 and developing a deep respect for its power. However, he didn’t consider himself a songwriter at the time. It wasn’t until 2019-2020, when facing one of the world’s biggest shutdowns, that he realized the true force behind music and that, maybe after all, he was meant to pursue it. He recalls that this adventure started out as a personal project, riff writing and lyricising, until the release of the self-titled album, “The Reckless.”
Jumping timelines, Fritz lands a job with the School of Rock, teaching music to youth of all ages, backgrounds, and interests. With continued exposure to various musical styles and the environment of collaboration, he was inspired to begin assembling his own band mates. Fritz admits it took a few trials to identify the right musicians who were in sync both musically and with the vision.
In order of alignment, Fritz first finds Michael Kennedy, who’s responsible for both the melodic and slap bass contributions you'll hear throughout the works. Next, they bring in Riku Myllykoski, a dynamic drummer who has an unexpected love for singing and a knack for helping with lyrical melodies. Finally, there's John Kelly, whose 'lightning-fast guitar licks' and 'shred-tastic' elements, as Fritz likes to say, brings powerful energy to complete the quartet. From different corners of San Diego, in an era of isolation, the band locked in their chemistry and off they went. Where? Down a creative, reckless rabbit hole. Fritz shares that his favorite thing about this band is the open-source nature of songwriting. Everyone has their own contributions, skills, and creative ideas that make the process truly collaborative, fun as shit, and crazy at times. Fritz loves that it not only helps them build and evolve their songs but also helps them grow as musicians.
Over the last few years, between releases like “Get Loud,” “Remember Me,” and a sick recreation of Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack," the band’s fan base grew rapidly. Naturally, with traction comes the stage of weeding out fans vs. non-fans. Fritz jokes in the interview that when you finally get haters, that's when you know you're making it. Ironically, after a negative interaction with some faceless internet troll, it inspired the song "Who Are You," the EP's title track. To make light of the situation, "Who Are You" channels a hype energy similar to an MLB walk-up song or the cinematic portrayal of a hero about to defy odds and face immense pressure. Experimenting with drop D tuning, heavy riffs, and driving rhythms, the track builds momentum and pushes you to face any challenge ahead. Through the resilient and confident energy of “Who Are You” it emerges as the centerpiece of the EP. Thematically each song is a mirror into our own decisions, actions, and mindsets that make up who we are.
Next on the EP is “Do It For Free,” a rock and roll anthem about passion and purpose. The song speaks to the idea that the reward lies in the output itself—the energy, the expression, and the impact—rather than material gain. If you genuinely love what you’re doing, you’d rather do it for free than not do it at all.
Then we get “Home,” an upbeat pop-punk banger that blends arena rock choruses, '80s new wave vibes, and themes of self-discovery. It’s an ode to the rich history of rock’s evolution and the players who continue to drive its power and legacy forward. Subjectively speaking, the guitar parts in this track are stellar.
“GO ON,” the 4th track on the EP, is a reimagining of a past alt-rock song Fritz wrote during a time of discouragement and frustration with the political climate during 2020. Timely once again, it resurfaces in the midst of a still polarized and disconnected society. Fritz appreciated how each bandmate brought their own interpretation, ideas, and energy to revamp it. The song reminds us to persevere and push onward.
Fritz notes that at this stage of the EP, the dynamics have shifted from the ascension in both message and instrumentation, to a sense of resolve.
The EP concludes with "Remember Me," a song that invites introspection. Fritz explains that it’s a reflection on the duality of our desire and struggle to leave our mark on the world, in order to not be forgotten. It’s part of the human experience to feel lost or aimless at times, but once you can “break through” that and chart your impact, you won’t fade away.
From building you up, helping you overcome adversity to pursuing your passion and leaving a legacy, The Reckless create music that helps fans feel better and come out stronger on the other side.
Fritz shares a parting sentiment with readers and fans: “[Starting your path, whether it's a band or a project, can be challenging, and you'll face moments of doubt and tough decisions. Recognize the importance of chemistry, humility, and talent, and it will lead to greater confidence and happiness for everyone involved. Stay respectful, understanding, and seize those moments of connection to build something meaningful.]”
Listen to EP “Who Are You” here
Stay tuned on social media for upcoming shows in the San Diego and Bay Area, and keep an eye out for more music coming soon!
ON THE RISE
Blossoms caught up with NME to discuss competing with The Beatles and Johnny Marr for this week’s Number One album. With ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ in the running, the band also explained why making things themselves remains such an important part of their work as AI becomes more common.
The Stockport group put out their sixth album last Friday, October 2. By the midweek update, it was sitting at Number Two, between The Beatles’ expanded edition of ‘Rubber Soul’ and Johnny Marr’s latest solo album, ‘The Age Of Everything’.
“It’s mad, to be honest,” singer Tom Ogden said to NME about the chart race. “Liverpool on one side, Manchester on the other and Stockport in the middle. If you’d told us this 10 years ago, when we were releasing our debut, I wouldn’t have believed you. But I mean, we’re in good company aren’t we?”
Discussing the stories behind the album, Ogden described ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ as “about being married and all the everyday stuff that comes with it”. He married Katie Donovan, the sister of Blossoms drummer Joe, in 2021. Married life has since given him a new appreciation for what he describes as “the extraordinary ordinary”.
“Saying the wrong thing in an argument, losing your wife’s no claims bonus, crying at the Kardashians, it’s all in there,” he explained. “The album is named after Stockport Town Hall, which everyone round where we live calls the Wedding Cake, and it’s where I got married, so it couldn’t be much closer to home.
“The last album [‘Gary’, 2024] had a song about a stolen fibreglass gorilla, which everyone loved, and that gave us the confidence to bring the same playfulness to this one, just with more personal subject matter this time.”
Alongside tracks that came out of writing sessions with Declan McKenna in a hot tub, the album reflects the band’s desire to stay involved in every part of the creative process.
“It started with the recording,” Ogden explained. “We made the album with Shawn Lee, playing live straight to tape, and once you’ve done it that way you can’t really go and fake everything else. We sat down as a band and picked the colour palette, and everything visual followed from that. We had body scans taken of ourselves and cake toppers of the five of us 3D printed, put them on a real cake and photographed it. I’ve directed and edited the videos, and the sets are all built by hand, no green screen. For the pop-up shop on launch weekend, a local artist hand-painted the album cover for the sign outside.
“It’s more work, but you end up with a world that’s yours, and I think people can tell when a band’s had its hands on everything.”
With AI tools and digital effects becoming increasingly widespread, that approach feels particularly relevant. For Blossoms, though, the motivation is simple: “the fun is in the making”.
“Tape doesn’t let you cheat and neither does a real cake,” Ogden said. “If a set’s a bit wonky, it’s because one of us or our mates built it. I think the more stuff gets generated, the more people want to know a human being actually did it. We’ve been in this band together for over 10 years, five lads from Stockport, and that isn’t something you can ‘prompt’.”
Maya Jama also appeared in the video for the album’s first single, ‘Meet Me In Love’. Her appearance came shortly before the UK launch of Celebrity Traitors, where she took on the role of a traitor alongside a cast that included Richard E Grant and James Acaster.
“She was brilliant,” Ogden recalled of working with Jama. “We’d met her at the MTV EMAs in Manchester a couple of years ago, so we took a chance and sent her a DM …and she said yes. Next thing she’s in a theatre in Cheadle miming my vocals while a load of people dressed as me serenade her. She got the idea straight away and was a proper laugh about it.”
The conversation then turned to whether he thought Jama could take home the win on Celebrity Traitors.
Ogden joked: “As for Traitors, she spent a whole day pretending to sing my song and I almost believed her, so I’d say she’s got every chance.”
Fans can listen to ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ now. In November, Blossoms head out on a UK arena tour with The Royston Club. Tickets and further details are available here.
Before the tour begins, the group is also scheduled to appear on SNL UK on Saturday, October 24.
