Fit for Rivals is an American rock band that originated in Jacksonville, Florida. The bands core members are songwriter/vocalist Renee Phoenix and songwriter/guitarist Thomas Amason. The band released their debut albumSteady Damage on July 9, 2009 and the follow up, Freak Machine was released on September 2, 2016. With 100’s of millions of streams, a top ten radio hit with "Novocain" and worldwide touring, Fit for Rivals has developed a dedicated fan-base through grassroots marketing and viral videos. Renee and Thomas continue to write music together and are planning on releasing new music through Phoenix’s label, Freak Machine Records in 2020.
History
Fit for Rivals formed in 2008 when Renee Phoenix met Thomas Amason while looking for a new guitarist for her band The Explicits. From there, they decided to set up a whole new project.
Steady Damage (2009)
In 2009, Fit for Rivals released their debut EP Was That Our Youth?. Later in the year the band began recording their debut studio album, Steady Damage, which was released on July 18, 2009. It spawned the singles "Crash" and "Damage" and music videos were recorded for both. The track "Crash" has notably been used as a theme song for WWE's Over the Limit pay-per-view and was featured in multiple films and television programs, including Legendary.
Freak Machine (2015-2016)
The band released their second EP Sugar on July 17, 2015 and consists of 4 tracks: "Special Kind of Crazy", "Light that Shines", "Freak Machine" and "Hit Me". A music video for "Hit Me" was released on August 27, 2014. A fan music video for "Freak Machine" was posted on their YouTube channel on November 11, 2014. After the release of Sugar, Fit for Rivals began working on their second studio album entitled Freak Machine. Freak Machine was released on September 2, 2016 and was produced by Thomas Amason.
Hiatus and Solo Work (2018-present)
On March 17, 2018, Phoenix released her debut solo EP Renee Phoenix. In May 2018, Phoenix announced that Fit for Rivals was going on a hiatus through an Instagram post and that she has started a new punk project called Pink Fly. Renee and Thomas continue to write music together and are planning on releasing new music through Phoenix’s label, Freak Machine Records in 2020.
