Unleashing the Rage: The Rise of Holy Felix
Felix Roberts is no stranger to creating commotion.
Growing up on the Westside, he cut his teeth in the world of music alongside his bandmates in the Flu, creating self-described "angry music" that sought to disrupt the pop-infused airwaves of their youth.
"We took pride in being the loudest, most annoying band in the town. It was a good incubator for me," the frontman of Holy Felix told Kelowna10 about his upbringing in the Okanagan.
Roberts' journey into the world of music wasn't just about making noise. It was about a deep-rooted reaction to the status quo.
"I have nothing but respect for the pop artists, but when we were little, we couldn’t stand it. So we decided to start making angry music, and make people mosh and it was very addicting."
The band's rebellious nature captured the interest of many, leading their manager at the time to secure a booking alongside the Canadian rock royalty, Bif Naked.
At 18, Roberts and his bandmates found themselves on tour in Alberta and legally allowed to drink for the first time - an experience he remembers as a wild ride.
"We were getting designated driven around the city by Bif while we got drunk and went to strip clubs," he reminisced.
Seizing the momentum, the Flu relocated to Vancouver in anticipation of embarking on a recording journey in Chicago alongside the esteemed Steve Albini.
This collaboration presented a remarkable opportunity since Albini had been enlisted by Nirvana in the early 1990s to contribute his expertise to the band's final album, In Utero.
After releasing the album, things didn't go as planned, the band disbanded, and Roberts spent the following decade in Vancouver, searching for and perfecting his unique sound. During this time, he recorded, produced, and released music under various artistic aliases, even delving into the realm of folk music under the moniker Rabbit Hole.
But how did this road lead to the birth of Holy Felix?
For Roberts, it was a return to his roots, a desire to recapture the raw energy of those early mosh pits. One day, channeling that frustration and rage, he recorded a demo that would ultimately become the genesis of Holy Felix.
"I was literally growling into the microphone and playing my guitar so hard like I was almost trying to break the strings," he said.
That demo, despite its roughness, resonated with a friend who sent it to producers that recognized potential in its raw power.
Holy Felix's debut album, "7", drops on May 17 under 604 Records.
The seven-song album is a culmination of Roberts' artistic journey - a blend of the angst and rage of the Flu days with a more evolved outlook.
Roberts hopes to provoke his audience, to push them into uncomfortable territory.
"If people are irritated or bothered or offended, I go in that direction," he says, "The old the Flu listeners, of which there may be 25 ... they will be pleased at the energy of it. And hopefully a little bit annoyed at the evolution of the sound."
Is Holy Felix his calling?
It seems so.
Since its inception a year and a half ago, the band has resonated with audiences.
"Something happened when I started expressing that emotion and just letting that out," he said. "It seems like if you do something that is that real or borderline embarrassing, people latch on to it."
Whether it's a crowd of 20 or 200, Roberts promises a performance that will shake the walls.
"I wanted to come back in a blaze of glory. I didn’t want to show my face there unless I had something to show for myself, and I feel like this is it."
Tickets for the show at Revelry Food + Music Hub on Feb. 9 can be found online. Opening the night is Kelowna outfit Texas Major.
