Francesco DiCosmo

 

A FAREWELL TO KINGS initially came together out of a RUSH celebration event of the same name that drummer Brian Tichy organized at the NAMM show in 2017. This included Francesco DiCosmo on bass and vocals, Walter Ino on guitar and Jonathan Sindelman on keys.

 

Acting as the house band in the event which celebrated four decades of RUSH’s music, it featured many all-star drummers, guitarists, vocalists and bassists proving to be a momentous, inspiring occasion! 

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After this, AFTK would play gigs when their schedules aligned.

 

En route to one gig in 2019, Tichy said to the other guys, “What if we wrote our own song in the spirit of Rush and named it “Huck Finn”! (as a tip of the hat to “Tom Sawyer”, Rush’s most famous song.)

This was half a joke that soon became a concrete idea with the potential to offer something truly unique for Rush fans, by Rush fans, and that would serve to challenge AFTK on an entirely different level!

 

The initial writing session & recording was ambitious, fast-paced, and almost effortless. They also filmed an in-studio video for “Huck Finn”.

 

AFTK agreed to write and record more songs with the idea of completing an EP, but scheduled conflicts got in the way and the project was put on hold.

 

Then, this year, on January 10th, the shocking news spread around the world of the passing of iconic Rush drummer/ lyricist Neil Peart. Deeply affected by this, the guys agreed they should release “Huck Finn” as a tribute to all the decades of influence Neil has on AFTK, not to mention the impact he's had on the world of drumming, countless musicians, lyricists, writers, fans, and rock music in general!  

 

From AFTK: 

“We are all deeply affected by the passing of Neil Peart, in fact so much so that we feel the timing is right to release “Huck Finn”.  Written and recorded over a year ago, it shows how much Neil and the band mean to us!  There has never been and never will be another Rush, and certainly no other artist like Neil Peart!  The world is not the same without “the Professor on the drum kit”!!!   He will be sorely missed and remembered as one of the world’s greatest! 

 

Drummer Brian Tichy says, “It was clear that after the novelty of writing HUCK FINN wore off, we had a song we felt represented how much of an impact Rush had on us. Their influence has been constant in my life since I was 12 years old and Neil instantly became one of my top 3 favorite drummers of all time!

RIP Neil Peart!”

 

Bassist and singer, Francesco DiCosmo commented, “ “The inspiration of celebrating 40 years of RUSH’s amazing music as a tribute was a truly awesome experience, and even more poignant now that Neil has very sadly, passed away. We feel the need to get Huck Finn out to the world as a truly heartfelt tribute to Neil Peart and Geddy & Alex as well, and to show the gratitude of the life changing Music they have given us. The natural progression for AFTK to write an EP of adventurous music I hope will be our direction. Im sure we’ll write music that’s exciting and engaging for us so I'm sure it will be for others as well and to keep this amazing style of music alive. I’m looking forward to writing & recording more music with these great players, as testament and gratitude to Neil Peart and Rush.”

 

Guitarist Walter Ino stated, “I remember hearing ‘Exit Stage Left’ for the first time when I was 14 years old, right when I started playing guitar. I was an immediate fan! I memorized that whole record from beginning to end, including every single hit of Neil’s drum solo on YYZ! Playing with AFTK brings me back to why I started playing music to begin with. Our first attempt at writing as a group all started from an old guitar riff that I had sitting around for years, which turned into our song “Huck Finn”.  I’m so proud of what we came up with collectively! We really wanted to honor Rush and show how much they influenced us as artists and players. And now, with the passing of Neil, the heartbeat of Rush, we felt it was important for our fans to see how much they meant to us.”

 

Keyboardist Jonathan Sindelman says, "The personal, artistic, and cultural impact RUSH has made is well beyond quantifiable.  Apart from the artistic merit and accomplishments of each individual, the bonds these guys forged through music and friendship left a lasting impression on me from the time I was 12 years old.  In light of Neil's passing, I would say that to me he's always been the voice of reason in rock music, and for songwriting in general.  The legacy Neil led and now leaves behind, through his musicianship, lyrics and novels, will continue to be regarded and revered as something inherently good in the world.  And a huge thanks to the guys in AFTK for the honorable work and standard of excellence that is the band, and for our collaboration on HUCK FINN -- Simply the good stuff, and a wonderful gift back to Rush fans!" 

 

Lookout for A FAREWELL TO KINGS! They're on an adventure and have a sound that firmly roots them as a force to be reckoned with in the world of progressive rock and beyond!

 

A FAREWELL TO KINGS is a Los Angeles based, world class progressive rock band comprised of Grammy winning, touring and recording musicians from some of the most well known names in rock music!