Q&A With Rory Fitzsimmons of Calgary Metal band Victoria Lies
Q&A With Rory Fitzsimmons of Calgary Metal band Victoria Lies: Inside the Sound and World of Calgary’s Metalcore Victoria Lies.
Read a Q&A with Rory Fitzsimmons of Victoria Lies covering their origins, metalcore sound, songwriting process, influences, live shows, upcoming music, collaborations, and advice for emerging musicians.
Calgary’s metalcore band, Victoria Lies, is bringing crushing metal music and plenty of personality to the Albertan metalcore scene. Formed in 2023, the current lineup includes vocalist Brett Hetherington, drummer James Cuncannon, guitarists Chris Koehler and Rory Fitzsimmons, and bassist Jay Powell. Their single “Trial by Fire” (May 2024) has garnered thousands of streams and serves as a bombastic introduction to the Victoria Lies universe.
Haven’t heard of Victoria Lies yet? You need to.
Check out more Canadian metal bands right from your backyard. Having played across Alberta, including their hometown of Calgary, Drumheller, Lethbridge, and Edmonton, the quintet is focused on connecting with audiences through electrifying live performances.
Read the full Q&A With Rory Fitzsimmons of Victoria Lies and Switching Styles right here.
Tell us, where did it all start?
It started from the end of an earlier project; Chris and I had been working together for 5 or 6 years before Brett joined, and then we found Jay outside digging through the garbage. As it was the middle of winter, we felt bad for him and asked him to come in from the cold. It turns out he’s a pretty damn solid bass player. Anyways, we ended up losing our drummer. We decided it was a great time to draw a line in the sand and start fresh, so everyone had equal ownership over the project.
What was the spark that got everything started?
It was the end of that former project, and the promise of something new and exciting had lit a fire in all of us; we were foaming at the mouth to explore what we could be.
What’s one surprising fact about you that fans might not expect?
When I moved to Canada, I lived in Victoria for two years. I joined two tribute bands. I was in a Thor tribute band and an AC/DC tribute band as Angus.
How would you describe your sound or style to someone who’s never heard your work before?
While we are a heavy band, melody and dynamics drive our sound. We take influence from all kinds of music.
What artists, experiences, or moments shaped your current style?
For me personally, there was an incredible Alice Cooper show that I went to in Glasgow. It was Joan Jett, Motörhead, and of course Alice Cooper. The introduction was incredible. A giant kabuki curtain that had the silhouette of (who we all thought was) Alice. Everyone lost their minds. The air was so thick. But then, another silhouette appeared, pulled out a sword and killed the first silhouette. The curtain drops to reveal the real Alice killing the imposter. It was amazing and changed my mind about what a live show could be.
Can you walk us through your songwriting or production process?
A song usually starts out life as some noodling in my studio. I'll typically hear something that gets my mind going, and I'll just go on a huge side quest to see what it could become. For example, the intro track to our album ‘Victoria’ was inspired by a movie trailer (I forget what the movie was); they had used Carmen by Georges Bizet. They had used it in such a cool way. I just had to explore that idea.
Once we have flushed out my idea to where everyone is happy Brett goes right to work in coming up with the lyrics and theme. We typically leave him to it BUT we do reserve the right to ask him to take another pass at it if its not quite right haha.
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Oh man, I love huge/unique female voices, so Sabrina Carpenter or Gracie Abrams would be really cool!
What’s on your current playlist?
I have quite a lot of different stuff on my liked songs list. But songs I can’t skip right now would be by mostly unsigned bands.
“7 Years of Broken Mirrors" by Dancing with Ghosts is a fantastic song.
We actually collaborated with Ari (Dancing with Ghosts) and she absolutely killed it; she is such a great talent.
Other than that, Godfall has a great song that just came out called Living on Default. We really wanna collaborate with Karine!
What’s one piece of gear or software you can’t live without?
Quad Cortex! All the way! I used to be in the mindset that you HAD to have a giant 100-watt stack. Which is so unnecessary and so incredibly impractical, I’ve nearly broken my neck so many times navigating steep stairwells to play in the darkest holes in Calgary. Give me the compact light choice that offers me more versatility than I could ever use.
When do you know a song is finished?
After we go into the studio with our producer Scott Bennett. At this point, the five of us have spent hours hearing and rehearsing the song, so when we go in to record it, it gets a fresh set of ears and ideas, and we just let Scott cook. That is when the song is done.
How much of your personal life makes it into your lyrics?
I’ll have to tag Brett in for this one. I dabbled in writing lyrics that focused more on my personal emotions and experiences in our earlier project. With our concept, I focus more on the storytelling.
That being said, we do have a couple of songs on the album that transformed from personal feelings into a concept. Our track Laced with Hate comes originally from a rough situation I went through. It turned out that the lyrics fit so well into our new concept’s narrative that it was easy to tweak and repurpose.
How do you handle creative block when it happens?
Oh, I am the worst for that. I usually make really good progress until a certain point, usually around verse 2, where I think it’s time to change something up. It’s pretty funny when you step back; I love my mind, but I get severe imposter syndrome. It’s about that time that I start begging for help; that’s where he shines. His music knowledge is insanely vast. He’ll throw out all these comps and crazy suggestions, and they get my mind thinking outside of the box and back on track.
What’s been the proudest moment in your career so far?
Oh, that’s easy, without a doubt it was the last day of recording for Vendetta. This album has every last bit of us in it; we cut no corners, and we gave the utmost care to every last note.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced early in your career?
Finding people was always the biggest challenge. I moved around a lot. Most musicians I met were already in bands with high school/childhood friends. I’m also a guitarist, and we’re a dime a dozen. So, if you want to do anything in music, you have to start your own thing.
Whats been your most memorable show so far — good or bad?
Oh, we played this small festival in Edmonton a couple of years ago (it was our first time there, so we did not know what to expect). Halfway through the show (and I am not exaggerating), a hardcore wrestling match broke out in the bar complete with tables, barbed wire, fluorescent lights, fire, and ladders. It was INSANE!!!
What changes have you noticed in the music industry since you started?
Its all-social media, you have to be a savant in it to be successful.
What’s a part of the music business actually takes up most of your time?
Social media: I do more for social media content than I do for my own practice/growth.
What’s a stereotype about your genre or scene that you’re tired of explaining?
I feel like the label Metalcore scares a lot of people off. I think people just assume screaming, but that couldn't be further from what we do.
What adice would you give to emerging musicians?
Don't rush. Be happy with what you're releasing.
Are any upcoming projects or collaborations we can be excited for?
We have a lot of collaborations lined up for after this album cycle. You could see some as early as next year.
Is there anything we didn't ask that you wanted to mention?
If you're in the Calgary area, be sure to come to our dual album release with The Astral Prophets, Cabrakaan and Kyle Pullan! Get your tickets at showpass.com/aneveningwith.
Where to follow Victoria Lies
🌐 Official Website: victorialies.com
🎵 Spotify: Victoria Lies on Spotify
📘 Facebook: Victoria Lies on Facebook
📸 Instagram: @victorialiesband on Instagram
🎵 TikTok: @victoria.lies on TikTok
🎤 Upcoming Shows: Victoria Lies Shows
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