THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “jaimie branch never had small ideas. She always thought big. The minute you told her she couldn’t do something, or that something would be too difficult, the more determined and focused she became. And this album is big. Far bigger and more demanding than any other Fly or Die record. For this, jaimie wanted to play with longer forms, more modulations, more noise, more singing, and as always, grooves and melodies. She was a dynamic melodicist. jaimie wanted this album to be lush, grand and full of life, just as she was.
The journey into this album began on March 12, 2022. jaimie brought in a whole new book of music, some fully formed ideas and some almost formed ideas that needed some extra sauce to make them really hit. Here’s how it typically went down: jaimie would come up with a baseline and melody, lyrics if needed, and bring it first to Jason. They’d hash some ideas out and bring it to Chad, who would come up with an even better groove. The chords and the in-between were left to Lester, who would more often than not morph them in the moment.
As for the name: One day while rehearsing, jaimie mentioned she was playing around with Fly or Die 3 (world war) and Fly or Die (World War III), which ultimately led to the title of Fly or die, Fly or die, Fly or die ((world war)) — the double emphasis on the parentheses especially made her light up. She’d write it stacked, like the kid in detention who has to write a command over and over again to train their mind to not do the bad thing they keep doing.”
— Chad (Leonardo), Jason (Michelangelo) and Lester (Donatello), Edited by Kate Branch (Little Sis)
