The FADER’s transgender charity covers compilation FADER & Friends Volume 1 is out now, available exclusively on Bandcamp until December 1, 2023. 100% of the proceeds go towards the Transgender Law Center, Mermaids, and Rainbow Railroad. Throughout the month of November, we’re speaking to the artists who contributed to the 44-song collection about the songs they covered.
Fire-Toolz was one of the first artists who agreed months ago to take part in a collection. She chose “Tai Shan” by Rush, and her sweeping rendition put a whole battery in our back, motivating us to do the best job we could. In her solo work, the Chicago-based artist fuses black metal with new age, noise, and experimental production with penetrating sincerity — that quality is on full display in her faithful rendition of the prog-rock song, featuring vocals from Sling Beam.
Listen to the song below and buy the full album on Bandcamp. Scroll down to read Fire-Toolz’s thoughts on the original song and her cover.
What's your first memory of this song?
My first memory of this song was when my parents finally bought me the album it's on, Hold Your Fire.
I had many Rush albums in my family my entire childhood, but I wasn't familiar with Hold Your Fire outside of the live versions of the 2 songs that were on A Show Of Hands, and this book called Rush Visions: The Official Biography by Bill Banasiewicz. The members of Rush talked a lot about HYF in that book, including Geddy Lee's interest in synths in that particular era of the band. The sound of keyboards, especially digital synths, was something I was really attracted to as a kid. I didn't have any ongoing access to synthesizers besides a brief stint with a Juno-106. The keys were a huge part of how much I loved Rush and other prog bands, despite being a drummer who idolized Neil Peart.
But it wasn't until I saw the music video for "Lock And Key" on TV that a huge fire was lit under my ass. I became REALLY interested in getting a hold of that album so I could hear the rest of the songs. I either pressured my parents to get me the CD, or they got it on their own
I remember sitting in my bedroom listening through the album and reading the lyrics and finally understanding what was written in that book about the experience Neil had in China that he was writing about. The flute sound was so nostalgic for me despite being 6 or 7. I don't really know what I was nostalgic for. It was so uplifting to me. A new side of Rush I didn't really know existed until then. The clean chorus-y reverb-y arpeggiated guitars really took me away. Since then it has been my favorite album by them.
Why did you decide to record it as your cover?
I've been talking about covering this song for years. I've had it in my list of covers to do.
At first, the idea of starting another cover was daunting to me because it's more fun to write music as I produce it. But then I thought this compilation would be a great excuse to sink time into it. I'm glad I did. I'm glad it exists. I'm so glad I'll be able to look back at it for the rest of my life.
I also realized after about 3 minutes of working on it that it had to sound VERY MUCH like the original. I did the dumb metal thing at the end, which I have mixed feelings about because it takes the cheesiness of the song into a new, different cheesy territory. But it's whatever.
I'm glad I focused on emulating a lot of the original sounds. It was almost like therapy, or doing drugs working on that song. The more time I spent in the DAW project the more excited I got. I actually just put it on to listen to again as I began typing these responses.
What does this song/band mean to you personally?
This song means so much to me, as does the album! It's so beautiful and emotional. The messages in the lyrics hit home. And it's pretty much the only song of Rush's that admits a truly spiritual experience. Neil and the band have always been somewhat agnostic, despite Neil sensing that there is something bigger out there. I felt it was bold and brave of him to write these lyrics, and so matter-of-factly. He can be really poetic, but I wouldn't say this song is poetic. If it is poetic, it's poetic in sort of a child-like way. The lyrics are not creative, and I am glad they aren't, because they illustrate the exact experience Neil was writing about in a way I could easily understand.
The band actually hates the song... it's their least favorite of theirs. They feel it was too corny, and frankly too personal to Neil for Geddy to be singing it. So I gotta admit part of the reason I covered this was to stick it to 'em, LOL. In fact, I really hope Geddy and Alex hear it somehow. Maybe they'll appreciate it, or maybe they will scoff in disgust and wonder why anyone would spend time putting it together.
Plus, it honors Neil, who sadly passed away years ago. I can see him standing on that mountain and looking out over the wilderness when I listen. It makes me kind of emotional, LOL.
What's another song you'd love to cover and why?
I have a list of cover songs I've been wanting to do. On it is Fear Factory's "Zero Signal" (which I actually started in 2018 and never finished), Laura Veirs' "Pink Light", Maxxess' "Castle On The Mountain", Portraits Of Past's "Something Less Than Intended", Christopher Franke's "Black Garden View", Dream Theater's "Another Day" (which I already covered a long time ago under a different moniker but I have to do it again), and maybe The Cure's "Mint Car". I think I could turn "Mint Car" into something completely different from the original, something very classic Fire-Toolz style combining new age music with metal and noise.
I really wanted to cover Kings Of Leon's "Sex On Fire" because for some reason unknown to me, I love that song. But the lyrics make me feel really uncomfortable LOL so I'm either going to change them all or not do it.
