Banding together at the start of the millennium in the southwestern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung, Fire Extinguisher (or Fire EX. for short) earned their stripes as live performers long before releasing their first studio material. Co-founded in 2000 by school friends Sam (lead singer) and JC (bass guitar) alongside other since-departed members, the group eventually debuted in 2004 with âéè½æâ â a collaboration between Sam and the frontman of heavy metal band ChthoniC â before going on to secure a strong foothold in both the punk and indie rock scenes. Their debut album, 2007âs Letâs Go!, led them to steadily amass a loyal following, while its follow-up, 2009âs Standing Here, hinted at a promising future for the group in light of the minor success of âGood Night! Formosa!â and âA Man on the Seaâ. Continuing to make strides with a run of well-received albums, the group made their major breakthrough with 2014âs âIslandâs Sunriseâ, which served as the soundtrack to the influential Sunflower Student Movement protests and was subsequently performed at the 2016 inauguration of President Tsai Ing-wen. Enjoying the effects of this increased exposure, the group released a new LP entitled Begin the Second Half in 2017, which produced a huge hit in the form of the two-time Golden Melody Award-nominated single âSouthbound Night Busâ. In 2020, they returned with Unsung Heroes, which spawned the lead single "City of Sadnessâ and saw Sam flexing his multilingual credentials, singing in Japanese on numerous tracks.
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