BEAUTIFUL SKELETONS – AN INTERVIEW WITH TINA FIREFLY
By Ralph Beauchamp
The last time AMP spoke with Tina Firefly was in 2024 right before the release of Beautiful Skeleton’s EP, Temperance. Recently, Beautiful Skeletons dropped a new full length entitled Pulse/Line/Scar via Wurmgroup. The album was produced by Ulrich Wild (Pantera, Static-X, Breaking Benjamin, White Zombie}. With Pulse/Line/Scar, Beautiful Skeletons have constructed a sound that combines driving tension and melodic soundscapes. Their songs couple muscular riffs with haunting atmospheres in order to deliver a truly unique ambiance.
Beautiful Skeletons is comprised of Tina Firefly (Lead Vocals), Einar Einarsson (Guitars), Jason Johnson (Bass) and Huwy Williams (Drums). The band’s identity includes moving from full-throttle assault to passages of emotional heaviness. Beautiful Skeletons compose songs with a powerful propulsive dynamic in order to forge a sound completely original and fresh. Also, the group uses imposing textures and strong songwriting to capture the souls of their listeners.
Pulse/Line/Scar showcases Beautiful Skeletons‘ ability to devise hard hitting grooves while still carrying cinematic weight. Firefly’s vocals are crisp while still being explosive. Einarsson’s guitar wails with determination. Johnson’s bass lays down volumes of rage while Williams’ drums hit with audacity. Songs like “Myrkur” and “Running Cold” are prime examples of the decisive evolution of the band. Beautiful Skeletons are ready to command immediate attention in the alt-metal arena.
Tina Firefly was kind enough to sit with AMP for this interview.
AMP: You’ve described Pulse/Line/Scar as the result of Beautiful Skeletons really finding its identity. What does this album say about who the band is now that you couldn’t have said on Temperance?
TINA: Hit me hard right out of the gate! What we have now is time. We start all our projects with different goals. Time has given us the ability to examine the past 10 years and figure out where our direction and personality should be at this moment. That has helped us secure a permanent drummer. Also, we have always continued to nurture our industry relationships. In addition, time gave us the opportunity to apply a lot more intention to our songwriting.
AMP: The title Pulse/Line/Scar is intriguing. What do those three words mean to you, and how do they connect to the emotional journey of the record?
TINA: Super glad you asked that question. When I suggested the title to the guys, it felt like we all had some strange ESP moment because they got it right away. I really didn’t have to explain the meaning.
The way the title came about is the fact that each of these ten songs is an anthology and an experience. For example, there’s a track on the album called “Bitter End” and it is about losing a beloved pet. There is also a song about self harm and suicidal tendencies. Each song has a story that is feels totally relatable.
All ten tracks have some sort of connection. Imagine a red pulse line. We all have hearts but each person has a different heartbeat. The album falls under the same parameter. The songs have a definite relationship with each other but each emits a distinct vibe. That’s the Pulse. The Line is the link that binds it all altogether. The reason I chose Scar is because I believe that in most people, the tracks create a visceral reaction.
Even though Scar can be some trauma in someone’s life, there can be another slant to the feeling. The end result of the Scar will always generate a story. Even a bad one can be an impetus for a true awakening. Trying to discover one’s personal insights is the real meaning of those three words.
AMP: One of the things that makes your music interesting is the contrast between heaviness and melody. How do you decide when a song needs to hit like a brick wall and when it needs to breathe?
TINA: There has been so many times I wondered about the ballads we write. When we go on tour, the bill is usually really heavy or very poppy. It would actually make me upset because I felt our softer material just didn’t fit in. Einar would constantly differ and claim it would be a perfect spot for a ballad. Losing the audience’s attention is a huge fear of mine but it was only in my head because every time we played one, we got an excellent response.
During our writing sessions, nobody ever says “we are going to write a metalcore song today.” That’s not our style. The fact is that the four of us are so musically diverse in our origins and taste. That’s what creates our sound. That is why our music has contrast. But within that variance, we manage to find common ground. The combination of those varied elements gives us a uniqueness that is truly our own.
AMP: Your influences stretch from Alice In Chains and Sevendust, while you’ve also talked about growing up admiring singers like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. How does that seemingly strange combination actually come together when you are writing?
TINA: There are two ways we write. Einar and Huwy are an endless source of new material. Every time I turn around, they are working on a new song we can build upon. But when we are jamming all together, the songs just begin to flow. It seems we can’t stop creating. Sometimes, we rein things in and focus on specific tunes.
The reason you hear influences like Whitney Houston and Barbara Streisand is because I grew up in the South Pacific. My dad was much older than my mom who was Asian. So, her taste in music at the time was divas like Mariah Carey. Then, my dad was into disco. And he liked Barbara Streisand.
In fact, the first movie I ever watched was Yentl. I learned every song in the movie and from there we moved on to Hello Dolly. So, that is the real start to my weirdness. When I finally moved to the mainland, I had this huge cultural awakening. I had to catch up.
There is also a big age difference between myself and the rest of the band. We evolved in different musical eras. That’s why our songwriting is so crazy.
AMP: Is there a song on Pulse/Line/Scar that you’re nervous – or particularly excited – to have people hear because it reveals something especially personal?
TINA: I have to be honest, there are three of those on there. Two in particular. One is an apology song. The other is a song about childhood trauma which is “The Test”. I’m not going to discuss who it is about but it references people close to me. I don’t hold back when it comes to my lyrics. Every time, I write after I hear it. I sleep and eat to it. I let the song and lyrics find me.
AMP: What’s something each of your bandmates bring to the music that you couldn’t replace?
TINA: They are all going to throw shit at me after they read this {laughing). Huwy is the best drummer I’ve had the pleasure to work with. He is Welsh, anal and crazy. Half the time I have no idea what he is saying. But he is so tapped into our music. He brings us to a complete other level. I’m truly grateful he is our permanent drummer. His talents speak for themselves.
Jason on bass is a super cool guy. Completely oblivious like most bass players (cracking up). We tease him all the time about his love of country music. He has this superpower of staying calm under some seriously crazy circumstances. He never pushes back and just rolls with it which in this industry is an amazing talent. Obviously, he is a great bass player and I do appreciate his energy and nature.
Einar and me are basically the founders of the the band. He’s like a brother to me. The way he focuses when he writes is utterly incredible. There is this level of connection that is always present. For example, he was going through some personal shit I didn’t know about when he sent me the music to our breakup song “GAFY”. When I sent him back the lyrics, he explains to me what is happening in his life and that the lyrics were spot on. That happens to us all the time. We have this psychic musical bond that can’t be explained.
AMP: What’s something you understand about being a frontwoman now that you didn’t understand when Beautiful Skeletons first started?
TINA: So many things. One, always wear shorts under a skirt no matter the what the stage height is. Two, let the guys take care of the equipment because everyone want to talk to you, Go out and connect with the fans. Three, be comfortable in what you are wearing. I struggled with that for a long time,
In the metal world, there is this unwritten pressure on female fronted acts. There is this expectation of how you should dress and look like on stage and I had difficulties with that. Corsets and stockings are cool but so is being comfortable, After ten year, I’m confident in myself to do either. I am more secure as a performer and realize that what I look like doesn’t affect my voice or our sound.
AMP: You have toured with a bevy of major artists. What did those experiences teach you about what Beautiful Skeletons needs to become a larger band?
TINA: It taught us the fact that it doesn’t matter how much money you pour into the tour or who are your industry connections, if everyone in the band is not on the same page regarding what the end goal is, things aren’t going to work. We all have to agree on what success looks like. On a different scale, these major artists struggle just as much as we do. So, before we go on the road, we have decide on what our end objective is. We should be all moving in the same direction.
AMP: If someone hears Pulse/Line/Scar and has never heard Beautiful Skeletons before, what do you hope they understand about the band by the time the final track ends?
TINA: I hope they understand that every song on the album is relatable in some shape or form. Even though the themes can be a little upsetting, by the end there is positivity. I want people to be able to move past the anxiety and sadness and find some relief. We need to get them to the other side. If they experience something hurtful or negative, I want them to realize they are not alone. We should all be connected as a society and hopefully our music can facilitate that.
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