In their formative years, Ryan “Ry Fly” Hughes and Davis Stone were always interested in the big beats and fluid lyricism of hip-hop. So, after some time and experimentation, they decided they would start their own hip-hop group, appropriately dubbed Fly and the Family Stone. All throughout high school, Hughes dropped beats and Davis spit. After the duo relocated to Ft. Collins, they solidified their lineup and started playing as many shows as possible. Now, Hughes and Davis are completely reinventing the band in light of its first major release and potential record contract.
Stone spoke to The Metropolitan about the bands’ future endeavors, its new name and why their sound will never get stagnant.
NW: When and how was Fly and the Family Stone formed?
DS: Ryan and I have been friends since sixth grade. We grew up in a slow mountain town without a plethora of things to keep us occupied. Probably the strongest bond that we had was our taste in music and [our] passion for it. Ryan has been musically inclined from an early age so, once we got started, things progressed quickly as far as creating music was concerned. Ryan began making beats with basic computer programs and, soon after, we both began composing lyrics to them. Last year, I met Jordan [Reynolds] up at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. I met him at a party and found out he played drums, so I asked him to play with us at our next show. He did, and we’ve played with him at every show since.
NW: What’s the story behind your name and why are you changing it?
DS: We created the name Fly and Family Stone when we were pretty young. We have always had a strong connection to classic music and we are fans of the funk group Sly and the Family Stone. It was sort of just word association with Ryan [being called “Ry Fly” Hughes] and Stone being my last name. But as the band grew both in members, as well as in goals and visions, we felt that now was the time to change the name. We’re changing our name to “HR People.” We’ve been talking about a new name for a while; one that we feel is fresh and representative while being easy to remember.
NW: You just played at the recently opened venue, City Hall. How was that?
DS: City Hall was amazing. We would call it the coolest venue in Denver. Our DJ, Vinnie Maniscalco, put on the show through “Got Bass,” his promotional company and brought in some great local acts.
NW: Is there a possible record deal on the horizon?
DS: We recently met with [local photographer and artist] Todd “Razor”Arroyo. He’s starting a record label as we speak. It’s called Razor Records and we’ll be the first artist he signs. It’s unbelievable to think that we have the chance to make what we love [and] to do what we do.
NW: What else does Fly and the Family Stone have going on in the near future?
DS: We have an EP set to drop Nov. 1, which will be promoting the release of our first full-length album in December. We’re very happy with the way that the album has turned out content-wise and we hope that fans in Denver and the rest of Colorado will get a chance to hear it. We are preparing for our first tour next summer, thanks to Todd Arroyo and Razor Records. These are exciting times for us as a band. So many of our goals are going to be achieved in the next couple of months.
NW: Out of all the hip-hop in Colorado, what do you guys offer to listeners that sets you apart?
DS: If we had to classify our music in simplistic terms it would be hip-hop. We choose not to classify it though and in turn open the doors to any type of inspiration and direction that comes along. It allows us to have an ever-changing product that evolves as we do.
People: Davis Stone, Fly and the Family Stone, HR People, Jordan Reynoilds, Ryan Hughes, Todd "Razor" Arroyo, Vinnie Maniscalco
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