Hey. So this is just a quick blog to show some appreciation and support for a drummer named Eric Kuhn.
As most FMTM listeners know, Francis Choung was, is, and forever will be the FMTM drummer. He was there when the band started, and will most likely be there when it ends. However, Francis' extraordinary proximity to me (Matthew) and Sergio, as well as his commitment to his day-job has challenged the long-held notion that the 3 principal members of FMTM are "indispensable" to playing live shows. A few months ago, Sergio and I started seriously discussing the idea of finding a drummer who could go on tour with us and play Francis' drum parts well enough to make it work. We ran the idea past Francis and, although skeptical, he was down to see how it would go. So, upon finding out that Francis would have to leave last month's tour three-fourths of the way through, and realizing that we would need to book shows to make our way back to Cali, we asked Eric if he would rehearse with us and see what happens.
Eric is an incredibly skilled musician and, lucky for us, he specializes in drums and is extremely adaptable to a bunch of styles. I first met Eric back in '05 when he and Robin (
Silian Rail) gave me a demo after an FMTM show... so he's actually been a fan of our music for quite a while. Even though he's super busy with other musical projects (
SR,
Built for the Sea,
Aimless Never Miss, and
Michael Musika) he jumped at the chance to learn a set's-worth of our songs and hit the road with us. He flew out and met us in Tampa, FL and after we said goodbye to Francis, he played seven shows with us on our way back home. I heard such responses as, "That guy is ridiculously good," and "I can't believe that guy only practiced with you 5 times,"... and most of all, "I'm glad you'll be able to play more often now."
So anyway, on behalf of the band, I just wanted to say thank you to Eric for sharing his talent with us, gracing us with his positivity, and investing countless hours to complete the Spring FMTM tour. I doubt that you've seen the last of him on the live FMTM stage. -Matthew/FMTM
This is Robin & Eric of
Silian Rail:
