A new era of FREE FALL: When chemistry works at exactly the right moment

The Czech formation Free Fall is entering a brand-new chapter. The role of frontman has now been taken over by George Emmans, who returns to his roots after years spent on the American music scene. For both the band and the singer himself, this is a strategic connection that arrived at exactly the right moment — both musical and personal chemistry worked instantly. What stood behind this major step, how was the band's new concept born, and what will this line-up transformation bring to fans? We bring you an open interview about artistic rebirth, creative synergy and a return home carrying deep personal meaning for Emmans.

The arrival of George and Lena has significantly transformed the face of the band — do you see it as a natural evolution or a complete restart of Free Fall's vocal identity?

The best thing for any band is when it stays together for many years without line-up changes. That's doubly true for the frontman position. A female vocalist always belonged to Free Fall, so returning to that model felt completely natural. Lena adapted perfectly and became a full-fledged member, and with George joining, the circle finally closed. Now we're complete! The band now truly feels like one united whole, and I'm grateful for that. Evolution is definitely the right word for it.

When exactly did you realise: "Yeah, these two really work together"? Was it during a specific song, rehearsal or only after the first concert?

I think it happened during a full rehearsal in a rented club. We were playing to an empty venue, but Lena and George were moving on stage like they'd been performing together for years. Later, when we watched the camera recordings, it almost looked like they had rehearsed choreography together. It simply clicked immediately.

What is the hardest part about writing music for two such different vocal personalities, and when does that contrast become your greatest weapon?

The hardest thing is the lack of one essential commodity — time. Time for collective songwriting, time for jamming the way we used to do it in the old days. But with George joining the band, a new songwriting force arrived as well. When George brings in a new song or basic structure, he also comes with the main vocal lines that Lena can build upon, or they create her parts together. I think the studio will reveal the real chemistry, because even now it already has serious power.

How do their contrasting voices influence the new songs – does it push you more toward aggression or deeper melancholy?

When you combine George's vocal range, which returns to the roots of Free Fall, with Lena's range, you suddenly get a huge vocal spectrum. Lena has a delicate voice, but she can also growl and scream like Max Cavalera, so you can probably imagine the massive potential this gives Free Fall. It's going to be deeply melancholic, tender aggression.

How specifically has George's American experience influenced your current approach to songwriting and modern production?

I don't know why, but when you listen to American productions, they simply sound different and I say that with full respect to Czech production. We absolutely want to make full use of George's experience, and you can already hear it in the first demo recordings. The new material will actually be created "intercontinentally". Part of the production will happen with American producer Andy Reilly in Atlanta (he's worked with Bowie, Moonspell and Iron Maiden) while another part will be handled by our longtime master Stan Valášek at Studio ŠOPA. We enter the studio at the beginning of June.

Your sound oscillates between industrial rawness and melodic atmospheres. Where is the boundary beyond which Free Fall would stop being Free Fall?

The boundary? Probably tuning everything into classical concert A and writing sweet love songs.

When does electronics help metal energy, and when does it destroy it? Do you have any internal "rules" regarding the balance between synthesizers and guitars?

No rules at all. The strongest songs with the perfect balance between electronics and guitars came from our former drummer Dan Prajz during a period when he was influenced by… other factors as well. He set a standard inside Free Fall, and now we can't imagine creating songs without at least some kind of synthetic ticking somewhere inside them.

If you had to define the current sound of the band with one single riff, which would it be and why?

That's difficult because the band went through many personnel changes. But we agreed it would probably be the riff from Poutníkův příběh. Why? Because the song was ahead of its time — direct, heavy riffs interwoven with samples and the new material is getting very close to that exact feeling.

Looking back, what was the biggest "fuck-up" in Free Fall's history that paradoxically pushed you forward the most?

The departure of our former guitarist and vocalist. We suddenly found ourselves in a dead-end situation because both the songwriter and lyricist were gone. We had to work extremely hard to keep the band alive. Thankfully we succeeded, and now the band probably has its strongest line-up in years. Everyone became fully proactive and realised we couldn't remain dependent on one person forever.

Was there ever a moment when you seriously wanted to quit completely? And who refused to let that happen?

Yes, there was. Because of the tense atmosphere inside the band, our drummer Pepa Mareček decided to leave. But after weighing all the pros and cons, we reached one clear conclusion: if the band was supposed to survive, Pepa had to stay.

When was the last time you deleted an almost finished song in the studio simply because "it just wasn't right"?

Never. We were only dissatisfied with the final sound, so we decided to re-record certain parts.

What is the biggest drug on stage for you, and what is the biggest disaster that can happen to a musician during a set?

The adrenaline flooding your bloodstream. The disaster comes when something breaks down and you can't find the glitch in the "Matrix".

Which non-metal artist or genre influenced you the most, even though fans probably wouldn't expect it?

There are six of us in the band, so naturally everyone has different influences. But I guess it all somehow started with The Beatles.

Who would you most like to collaborate with, even if completely outside your genre?

If I could choose anyone in the world, it would probably be Dave Matthews or Steven Wilson.

What frustrates you the most about the current Czech metal scene, and what motivates you to keep going?

The overwhelming number of big beat and tribute bands playing covers and getting tons of paid gigs, while many excellent bands with original material have nowhere to play or perform for beer and a sausage. What motivates us is the desire to write a great song, make a better album and play for the people.

What is the craziest or most emotional fan moment you've experienced during the band's existence?

When you play in three different cities over three consecutive days and the exact same fan appears under the stage every single night.

If you had to describe the next album with one single word, what would it be and why?

Expectation! Because the new material already sounds fantastic and the songs have unbelievable momentum even now.

Your name symbolises falling into your own consciousness and searching for yourself within chaos. What would you like to say to those who share this "free fall" with you beneath the stage or through their speakers? What message do you want the new era of Free Fall to carry?

We appreciate every fan, and if our music brings someone joy, then we are happy too. Get ready, the new album will be different, wickedly intense, and we truly have something exciting ahead of us.