Emanuel Ayvas (born June 19, 1983) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of symphonic rock band Emanuel and the Fear.Garcia, Alfa. "Wood-Ridge native Emanuel Ayvas goes big with unique sound", The Record (Bergen County), March 6, 2010, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 8, 2010. Accessed November 24, 2017. "It was lucky, then, that frontman Emanuel Ayvas had the foresight to try a different approach; one that borrowed from the classical world.... So the Wood-Ridge native moved back home, wrote songs and diligently scored them for strings, brass, woodwind and percussion, his sound drawing from far-reaching influences like pianists Chopin and Rachmaninoff, guitar-heavy rockers Springsteen and Hendrix, and the more abstract Sufjan Stevens and Tom Waits." Emanuel currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Early life Born in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, Emanuel began playing the piano when he was five-years-old. , August 24, 2010. After graduating high school, he initially attended college at Rutgers University before transferring to the University of North Carolina where he competed as a pole vaulter prior to shifting his focus to music."Artist of the Month" Making it in New York February 2009.
Career
Early work Emanuel graduated from UNC in 2005 and formed his first band, Motion Commotion. After playing for less than a year, the band scored a deal with indie label Piermont Records and released their first self-titled EP in October 2006."Piermont Records" Last.fm The EP included the band's first single ‘BBC Sue.’“Motion Commotion” Pure Volume After a small US tour alongside Farewell Flight, the band parted ways and Emanuel relocated to Los Angeles.
Emanuel and the Fear Emanuel moved back to the East Coast and formed Emanuel and the Fear in Brooklyn, New York in 2008. Formerly an elaborate 11-piece rock outfit, the band currently consists of six members.Quinlan, Adriane. "Think Big. Think Brooklyn" Paper Magazine, July 22, 2010. The band is best known for "intertwining the modern day pop song with extravagant and complex composition.""Emanuel and the Fear – The Rain Becomes the Clouds – Tour Dates" Earmilk, September 17, 2009. They have often been compared to Arcade Fire.Wood, Mikael. "Emanuel and the Fear" Village Voice, September 9, 2009.
Emanuel and the Fear have released two full-length records and two EP's.iTunes Artist Page Their first full-length record, Listen, received immediate acclaim, including favorable write-ups on Flavorpill, NME, Fearless Music, RCRD LBL, and Deli Magazine .
Since forming, the band has toured the world extensively, sharing the stage with notable artists including Joanna Newsom, The War on Drugs, Wilco, Beirut and Here We Go Magic, to name a few."Joanna Newsom, Best Coast, Lykke Li for End Of The Road Festival" NME, March 18, 2011.
They are currently working on their third full-length release, set for release in late 2014."Emanuel and the Fear Return to Mercury; Plans New Release" The Deli Magazine, February 3, 2014.
Solo In December 2013, Ayvas embarked on his first solo tour that took him throughout the UK and Europe, including several stops in Germany."Emanuel and the Fear – Special Solo Performance – Die Bäckerei" ntry.at, December 19, 2013.
Musical influences Emanuel is said to be influenced by the likes of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Philip Glass, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Daft Punk.Lester, Paul. "New Band of the Day" The Guardian, March 19, 2010.
References
External links Emanuel and the Fear Official Website Emanuel and the Fear Official Facebook