The Fire Beneath the Sea

The Fire Beneath the Sea

The Fire Beneath the Sea is a group from Montréal, Canada, active since 2001 and associated with alternative dance, alternative rock, art rock, baroque pop, chamber pop and indie pop. It is linked to Sonovox Records. The act’s membership includes Myles Broscoe, Josh Deu, Dane Mills, Brendan Reed, Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, Will Butler, Timothy Kingsbury, Howard Bilerman, Sarah Neufeld, Owen Pallett, Marika Anthony-Shaw, Jeremy Gara, Tim Kyle, Pietro Amato, Mike Olsen, Kelly Pratt and Colin Stetson.

The project’s origin story places its formation around a group of friends on top of a hill, after a visit to Hoofer Doofer music festival in Bangor in 2011. According to that account, the first four members decide to leave the festival, explore the local area, and later return to the same hillside, where they create the idea that becomes The Fire Beneath the Sea. The group’s early imagery includes a ram skull on a bamboo pole painted yellow with a red stencil, referred to as Terra Byte, along with a set of character-like figures that become part of the band’s mythology.

Development and live activity

In its early form, the group writes and records songs based on shared experiences and develops a style described as positive and accessible within hip hop and beyond. It spreads its music through Liverpool’s streets and clubs before expanding into a larger live band. Additional musicians join later, including saxophonists, a flautist, a guitarist, a drummer, a trumpeter, an iPad synth player and a vocalist, giving the group a broader ensemble sound. The first live performance in this full-band form takes place in October 2012 at The Attic in Liverpool.

The Fire Beneath the Sea goes on to play at venues including The Kazimier, O2 Academy Liverpool, Camp and Furnace, Zanzibar, Mello Mello, Bumper and The Magnet. It also supports Ugly Duckling, Dr Syntax and DJ Woody. The group’s lyrics are rooted in positivity and a rejection of corporate and formulaic music, and its output is presented as music meant to surprise, excite and encourage dancing.