Discography:
2007 - Memphis May Fire (EP)
2009 - Sleepwalking
2010 - Between the Lies (EP)
2011 - The Hollow
2012 - Challenger
2014 - Unconditional
2016 - This Light I Hold
2018 - Broken
In early 2007, the band recorded and self-released an EP, and began creating a local following. Shortly thereafter, Memphis May Fire caught the attention of Josh Grabelle, the president of Trustkill Records. In September 2007 the band had officially signed to Trustkill, and their self-titled EP (Memphis May Fire)was reissued through the label in December 2007.
Memphis May Fire hoped to release their debut album by summer 2008, however, during the recording sessions for the album, lead singer Chase Ryan decided to leave the band. Chase explained that he felt that his priorities should be with his newborn child and not a band. Upon announcing his resignation, bass player Austin Radford also decided to part ways with the band shortly thereafter. He would be replaced by Cory Elder. Open auditions were held shortly after Chase's departure, and he was eventually replaced by a new vocalist, Matty Mullins. By this time, Memphis May Fire had already recorded their instruments for the new album with producer Casey Bates and only needed Mullins to contribute his vocals.
Their debut full-length studio album, Sleepwalking, was released on July 21, 2009, through Trustkill Records. Memphis May Fire has described the album as "a new breed of rock n' roll" and musically it has "more aggressive guitar work and noticeably more melodic, but still retains that southern swagger." Their song "Ghost in the Mirror" was used on the soundtrack for the movie Saw VI.
The official music video for "Ghost in the Mirror" was released on February 2nd, 2010 through the Trustkill YouTube page.
Memphis May Fire released a second EP entitled Between the Lies on November 2, 2010, through Bullet Tooth Records with more energy and a different style than their previous releases. On December 9, 2010 the band post in their Facebook that the song "Action/Adventure" will be featured in the video game Rock Band 3. In 2010, Matty Mullins was featured in the song "That's What She Said", from Kid Liberty's debut album Fight with Your Fists.
On January 17, 2011, Rise Records announced Memphis May Fire signed to the label and that a new album will be released in spring. The band recently wrapped up the recording of their upcoming full-length record at Chango Studios (Of Machines, I See Stars, Sleeping with Sirens, etc.) in Orlando, Florida.
On March 3, 2011, a full album teaser for their sophomore album The Hollow was released via Rise Records YouTube page, including its release date of April 26, 2011. On March 22, a full song from The Hollow, titled "The Sinner", was released to Rise Records YouTube page and on iTunes. On April 23, the entire album was released on the Rise Records YouTube page.
On September 15th, the video for the lead single from The Hollow, "The Sinner", directed by Thunder Down Country was released on YouTube.
On February 15th, 2012, a live music video recorded in Orlando Florida for the song titled "The Unfaithful" was released on their YouTube Page.
On February 11th it was announced by Kellen McGregor that the band will be working with Cameron Mizell shortly again, to record their third studio album, Challenger. The album was released June 26th, 2012 through Rise Records while the band is on Warped Tour. On April 11th around midnight, Ryan Bentley announced he has parted ways with the band in a tweet saying "I'm no longer in Memphis May Fire. Details later." On April 17th, the band announced that Anthony Sepe (ex-Decoder) would be replacing Ryan Bentley as their new guitarist:
"For those who may not know already, we recently decided to part ways with our guitarist, Ryan Bentley, and wish him nothing but the best. He's a talented individual and we have no doubt that he will be successful no matter where life leads him. With that said, we'd like all of you to give a warm welcome to our new guitarist Anthony Sepe."
On March 25, 2014, their album Unconditional was released. On October 28, 2016, the band released the album This Light I Hold and on November 16, 2018, the album Broken was released, these last three all through Rise Records.
Current members:
Kellen McGregor – lead guitar, backing vocals, programming, keyboard (2006–present), lead vocals (2006)
Matty Mullins – lead vocals (2008–present)
Cory Elder – bass (2008–present)
Jake Garland – drums, percussion (2010–present)
Touring:
Samuel Penner – rhythm guitar (2017–present)
Former members:
Tanner Oakes – bass (2006–2007)
Ryan Dooley – drums (2006–2007)
Chase Ryan Robbins – lead vocals (2006–2008)
Jeremy Grisham – drums (2007–2008)
Austin Radford – bass (2007–2008)
Daniel De Los Santos – bass (2008)
Joel Seier – rhythm guitar (2009–2010)
Eric Molesworth – drums (2008–2010)
Ryan Bentley – rhythm guitar (2006–2009, 2010–2012)
Anthony Sepe – rhythm guitar (2012–2017)
Misery
Memphis May Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I try to speak, but it's saying to be silent
I grab the bottle, open up and make it quiet
But they get louder every time I try to hide it
Nothing left to lose at rock bottom
Wounds turn to scars, yeah, I got 'em
But I've come to learn, you've gotta let it burn
I try to take the pain away, nothing seems to change
When I go through hell, it's when I know myself
And all the lies that I believe are digging me a grave
But when I go through hell, that's where I find myself
Remade in misery
I found myself in the dark with blurry vision
The walls turn to bars, it was a prison
Could have found my way out if I had listened
I had to die to find what I've been missing
Nothing left to lose at rock bottom
Wounds turn to scars, yeah I got them
And I've come to learn, you've gotta let it burn
If you're gonna be forged in the fire
I try to take the pain away, but it kept chasing me
It's never gonna leave
I try to take the pain away, nothing seems to change
But when I go through hell, it's when I know myself
And all the lies that I believe are digging me a grave
But when I go through hell, that's where I find myself
Remade in misery
It's easier to say I hate it
Then to admit that I created it
I'm done running, I'm done running
I'm done running, I can't escape it
It's easier to say I hate it
Then to admit that I created it
I'm done running, I'm done running
I'm done running, I can't escape it
I try to take the pain away, nothing seems to change (nothing seems to change)
But when I go through hell it's when I know myself
And all the lies that I believe are digging me a grave (digging me a grave)
But when I go through hell, that's where I find myself
Remade in misery
Remade in misery
Memphis May Fire's song "Misery" describes a person's struggle to cope with their emotions and pain through alcohol abuse and self-destructive behavior. The opening lyrics convey the idea of the impending thoughts and feelings of anger and frustration that the singer is experiencing and their incapacity to communicate them verbally. The line "I try to speak, but it's saying to be silent" suggests that the person is facing an internal conflict that they can’t voice out. As a result of feeling misunderstood and unheard, they resort to numbing the pain with alcohol, which only exacerbates their struggles.
The lines “I try to take the pain away, nothing seems to change” and “When I go through hell, it’s when I know myself” convey that the singer has experienced a lot of pain and difficulty in life, and as a result, they feel more connected to themselves when they are going through tough times. The lyrics "And all the lies that I believe are digging me a grave, but when I go through hell, that's where I find myself remade in misery" suggest that the singer eventually reaches a turning point where they realize that they need to confront their internal struggles and accept them. They come to the realization that they must face their fears instead of hiding behind their self-destructive tendencies, and this is how they will be reborn. Overall, the song "Misery" serves as a message of hope that no matter how hard life gets, we all have the strength to face our demons and come out on the other side transformed.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel it coming like it's lookin' for some violence
I sense an inner turmoil that wants to manifest in destructive ways.
I try to speak, but it's saying to be silent
Despite my best efforts, the pain is telling me to keep quiet.
I grab the bottle, open up and make it quiet
I numb the pain with alcohol to try and silence it.
But they get louder every time I try to hide it
The pain only grows stronger when I try to push it away.
Nothing left to lose at rock bottom
When at the lowest point, there's no way to fall further.
Wounds turn to scars, yeah, I got 'em
The pain I've endured has left me with permanent emotional scars.
But I've come to learn, you've gotta let it burn
I've learned that sometimes the only way to heal is to let the pain consume you.
If you're gonna be forged in the fire
Pain can be a crucible for making us stronger.
I try to take the pain away, nothing seems to change
Attempts to numb the pain don't bring any real relief.
When I go through hell, it's when I know myself
It's only in enduring hardship that I truly discover who I am.
And all the lies that I believe are digging me a grave
The falsehoods I cling to only bury me deeper into pain.
But when I go through hell, that's where I find myself
Going through pain brings me to a place of self-discovery.
Remade in misery
Enduring pain can transform me into a new person.
I found myself in the dark with blurry vision
The pain consumed me to the point of losing sight of who I was.
The walls turn to bars, it was a prison
The pain became a prison that trapped me within myself.
Could have found my way out if I had listened
If I had faced the pain head-on, I might have found a way out sooner.
I had to die to find what I've been missing
The old version of myself had to 'die' so that a new version could emerge.
It's never gonna leave
The pain will always be a part of me in some way.
It's easier to say I hate it
It's easier to express hatred towards the pain than to confront it.
Then to admit that I created it
Admitting responsibility for my own pain is difficult.
I'm done running, I'm done running
I'm tired of trying to escape the pain.
I can't escape it
The pain is a part of me and can't be separated from who I am.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Cody Quistad, Kellen McGregor, Matthew Mullins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BYRON777
This entire album is peak gym core. Absolutely love it.
Shane Steinmetz
NGL, that’s the reason why I dislike it. But I’m glad they are able to bring in different fans because of that.
Liam Jeff Paraz
Yep. Agreed.
joshkmaillet
@Shane Steinmetz Music is funny like that, eh? I haven't liked their past few albums but these new songs have me listening to them on repeat again. Love it.
Jorge Preciado
Oh dude you’re right! 🤘🏽
BYRON777
@joshkmaillet every song is just so good. Constantly have one of the choruses stuck in my head 😂
Nightwave1000
This entire album is incredible but that chorus makes this song god-tier. Absolutely amazing!
Hamid ND
Totally agree. Very catchy.
Unity Productions
Chorus >
Liam Jeff Paraz
So fucking badass.