In 2012, Chris Pietrangelo and his brother, Patrick, started Fingertrick in an effort to take their high school hobby to the next level. Since then, the trio has taken the Memphis, TN scene by storm with their live performances. In June 2018, they released their second album “If Requiems were Record Deals”, 4 years after their first release. After listening to Fingertrick’s latest album, I was immediately captivated by their unique sound and outstanding song writing, so I reached out to lead vocalist, Chris, to find out more about their album.

It’s hard to put this album in one genre. It features so many different sounds that come together to produce one of the most individualistic rock albums I’ve heard in a while. Chris told me that, although there is some carry over from their last studio album, “Wildfire”, they wanted to move away from the “classic rock” sound and move towards their own distinct sound. They nailed it; this album is grittier, angrier, and does not hold back when taking a deeper look into the darker side of life for American Millennials. Lyrically, this album is catchy while not losing the honesty of moving into adulthood in America today. As Chris says, “There are teeth and claws in these songs that just didn’t exist before.”

“When you have people arguing about how to classify your band’s sound, you know you’re doing something right!”

-Chris Pietrangelo, lead vocalist/guitarist

When I asked Chris to talk about his favorite song, he told me that “Originally, the plan was for the album to have 10 tracks, but when the writing and recording process was finished, I knew there was something missing. . .So I locked myself up for a day and a half and came out with ‘Requiem (Until My Dying Day)’.” This song is the only ballad on the album and is the second to last song on the album. Chris “felt [they] needed this dark, agonizing acoustic ballad to tie the album together. It sits right at the very end reminding everyone what the album is really about, just in case they tried to escaped on a positive note.” I agree that this song truly ties the album together. It feels like the end scene of a movie before the credits start rolling and the final song plays: the last chance for a tear jerker.

“If we had a record deal for every friend we’ve had to bury along the way, we’d have it made. This is in their memory”.

-Chris Pietrangelo, lead vocalist/guitarist

Chris described this album to me as “captivat[ing] listeners with its aggressive, unapologetic approach to both music and lyrics. The album deals with quite a few distinct themes, driven mainly by an extremely dark look into the day-to-day lives of the American Millennials, seen through the eyes of a rock musician in survival mode”. Their live shows have been described as “unforgettable”, and although I haven’t had a chance to see them live, Chris told me that they are in the process of planning a tour as I write this article, so look forward to seeing what the future holds for this phenomenal rock band emerging out of a city famous for birthing some of the most talented musicians of all time.