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For booking information please call Sally on +44(0)208 679 9289 or email sally@fruitpiemusic.com

Four Star Mary

Mention Buffy The Vampire Slayer to anyone with a television, and two things spring to mind: the gorgeous, high kicking and slightly scary Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the pile driving ‘Buffy Rock’ she slays to. Usually in that order. And while the name Four Star Mary will mean nothing to all but the most obsessive Buffy fanatics, anyone who’s even seen as much as a trailer for the hit US TV show will instantly recognise their adrenaline charged guitar lines. Four Star Mary are the band that make Buffy rock.

Between providing music for loveable werewolf Oz and his fictional band Dingoes Ate My Baby and rocking the show’s major scenes with their churning riffs, the Los Angeles four piece who originally hail from Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, Salt Lake City and San Fernando Valley] have had 11 tracks featured in the cult programme, and contributed to the official Sony UK Buffy Soundtrack. They even made a cameo appearance in the finale to season three, after Buffy creator Joss Whedon was deluged with requests from fans asking for an FSM appearance.

Not content with reaching Buffy’s audience of millions, FSM’s volatile guitar charges and mighty choruses has also been used on a host of other US TV smashes including Party Of Five (starring Scream’s Neve Campbell), and MTV’s The Real World. But it’s the Buffy connection which says the most about the band. Not just because the crashing anthems featured on the show exemplify the passion fuelled rock of their debut album, Thrown To The Wolves, but because the fairy tale stroke of luck which got them the gig in the first place typifies FSM’s bizarre fortunes.

“We were at a party,” explains singer Tad Looney. “Steve, our bassist [who was waiting tables at the party] took the CD out of the player and threw our tape into the sound system. John King [Buffy's Music Supervisor] just happened to be there and said “Who the hell is this?” Our response was “It's FOUR STAR MARY and if you don't like it, leave!” He then explained that he actually loved the tracks and wanted the band on the show. Well, we felt like idiots. A couple of days later John called us and was like, “I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is I don't want you on the show anymore. But I want to use your music for this fictitious band.” And we were like “yeah, we’ll do it. Not appearing actually makes us look even better... kinda mysterious.”

Naturally the Buffy connection has led to the band - named after a fortune cookie or a drag bar in West Hollywood, depending on whose story you believe- gaining some truly fanatical followers. “I've never met a group of more loyal and sincere people in my life.” Tad muses on the question of
Buffy fans. “They are amazing. We just got off a tour of England and had a group of about 30 people that caravaned to every single show.....now that's a fan!”

Inevitably, a flurry of interest from major record labels was another by product of the exposure. But with Buffy addicts ensuring healthy sales of their self titled debut EP via the FSM website, Tad explains that they were more adamant than ever to stick to the band’s original plan of setting up
their own label MSG Records to release their records in the US. “It’s a case of what can they [major labels] do for us at the moment that we can’t do for ourselves. We’re independent. We have control. We don’t want our career decided on the flip of a coin on whether the label is going to push us or some other band they have signed.”

In another bizarre FSM twist of fate, a chance email to a UK based tour agent led to the four signing a UK management and record deal. It took just a week to iron-out, sign and seal the deal with London rock label Spitfire Records. This signified the start of Four Star Mary’s campaign for world domination; allowing them to build on earlier sold-out tours of England and France, with the European release of Thrown To The Wolves – which was released during the summer, during another sold-out tour!

The strident guitar lines and majestic choruses of Buffy favourites She Knows, new single Pain and Dilate, bag Thrown To The Wolves as more than just the latest cash-in on the world’s current fascinations with frat boy skate-punk and nu-metal. Inspired by rock greats like the Sex Pistols, The
Police, Catherine Wheel and Stone Temple Pilots, it’s little wonder that LA Weekly were compelled to say “Four Star Mary’s seductive brand of harmonic, tight rock seems burnished with far more sense and sensitivity (plus a dose of mighty melodic intuition) than they have any right to.”

But there is more to their debut long-player than just killer guitar lines and monumental hooks. Dark Sky and the gorgeous Run reveal a sensitive side to FSM, with Looney’s aching vocals (think Eddie Vedder with soul) and thoughts on life and love, making them Thrown To The Wolves’ most captivating moments. Looney’s words aren’t always as clear cut as they might seem though. “For me, my lyrics are my therapy. The way to deal with your past is to get it out there and realise it. You’ve gone through these things, and the only way to accept them is to bring them to the surface.
It’s funny ‘cos there are a couple of songs where people think “Oh my God, that is such a romantic song.” If they knew the real meaning they’d know it was pretty far from romantic.”

If sales of Thrown To The Wolves were restricted just to the planet’s Buffy fans, Four Star Mary would sell more albums that Limp Bizkit and Blink 182 put together. Given that there will be no such rationing, and their steak driving tunes make for a phenomenal debut, it shouldn’t be long before they’ve converted everyone else too.

For booking information please call Sally on +44(0)208 679 9289
or email sally@fruitpiemusic.com