With arrangements that range from acoustic to atmospheric, Fires in France has begun its journey that started in the brain of guitarist/ vocalist Josh Foulk. Foulk recruited guitarist Daniel Kunz ( ALARMS), singer-songwriter and college-crowd favorite Cary Judd on bass and drummer Ukiah Bogle for the current arena-sounding outfit . Relocating to Boise, Id., Foulk and Co. began work on their sel...f titled album.

The album has been in the works for the past three years and the demos have sparked label interest already—a nice feat for a band that hasn’t done a full U.S. tour yet. The songs in Fires In France have hints of U2 with pop-punk sensibilities that resemble bands like Yellowcard and Relient K.

“These songs were written over a 3-year time period, so as you can guess, people change over that time,” Foulk said. “There have been a lot of changes for me in my family life and spiritual life as well that I have written about. I have been transitioning into new ideas and beliefs that are foreign to what I grew up with. So some songs are from before, and some are from after. I experienced being close to a few divorces, and it definitely changes your perspective. A lot of the songs are about either the person being left, or the person leaving. I think the album is the perfect balance of the negative side of things, and the positive side of things.”

After turning those negatives in to positives, Fires in France is aiming to take the next step. The band is currently planning shows and shopping the album around. They hope the record inspires listeners, like the writing process inspired the band, to get through hardships.

The very last lyric on the album is one of my favorites; ‘With November come’s the cold, give me your hand to hold,’” said Foulk. “It sums up a situation that is really negative and hard, and yet it leaves you with hope that things can be better and what we make them.”

-Mike Damante