Soaring Again: FLY Channels Classic Rock, Hope, and ‘80s Nostalgia

Some songs take months to make — Phil Marinucci’s FLY took more than three decades, a pandemic, and nearly a hundred stacked tracks in Logic Pro to finally roar to life. First sketched in the late ’80s by a teenager hooked on Journey, Yes, and Boston, it sat dormant for years, just riffs and fragments on a tape recorder, until lockdown gave Marinucci the time to crack it open. What emerged wasn’t just a relic dusted off, but a resurrection: a soaring, cinematic anthem that channels the golden age of AOR and prog while speaking directly to now — the kind of track you could hear blasting out of a Camaro stereo in 1986, or over the end credits of Stranger Things today. Big, bold, and defiant, FLY is more than nostalgia — it’s an unfinished dream reborn, reminding us all how to lift off when the world feels stuck on the ground.

You mentioned that “FLY” was originally written in the late ’80s. What specific memories or experiences from that era influenced the song’s themes and musical direction?

At that time, I was probably around 17 or 18. I was really into the AOR, Prog Rock and Classic Rock… so AOR bands like Journey, Foreigner, ASIA, Styx… progressive rock bands like Rush, Yes, ELP, UK, Alan Parsons… and classic rock like Boston, Supertramp, Kansas. Back then it really was about the band experience and more complex compositions. Even the album artwork tended to be more creative, showcasing artists like Roger Dean on the Yes and ASIA albums (among others). I remember back then wanting to compose music like these bands. I didn’t have access to equipment and computing power we have today, so I would write the material, lyrics and record the overall melody using a tape recorder. The plan was to get these ideas recorded in some way, in hopes that someday I would be able to record them. Didn’t think it would be 30-40 years later.

How did the pandemic influence both the creation and final sound of “FLY”? Were there any particular challenges or creative breakthroughs because of it?

If anything, the pandemic provided a window of opportunity to finally record the track. Like everyone else, I was stuck at home, I was working, but because we weren’t going out and doing other things, that gave me a lot more time to dedicate to creative projects. In order to create the sound I wanted, it took nearly 2 years to put it all together. Nearly 100 track layers in Logic Pro, a lot of mixing and small details to create the big production sound. With the lyrics, I did re-write them a bit to make them more uplifting, more inspiring as a lot of people were struggling during this period. Give them the hope they needed… we can get through all of this… we can fly.

“FLY” is heavily inspired by ’80s AOR and Prog rock. How did you manage to capture that era’s essence in your production, and what specific sounds were you most intentional about recreating?

I really wanted the track to sound like it came from that era. In a sense it did, because that is when it was written. There were a number of tracks and bands that really influenced me back then. There was a resurgence of progressive rock bands (Yes, ELP, King Crimson) who made a comeback in AOR/Prog rock form. Same prog rock influences and styles, but in shorter 5 minute pieces with AOR infusion. Probably the most popular band that kick-started that was ASIA and their debut album in 82. That was a massive hit and triggered these other 70’s bands to come back and thrive in the 80’s. Rush has switched to more a synth style, Boston came back with 3rd Stage, AOR/Prog spin off bands were created like GTR and ABWH. For me, that was an amazing time in music, and that is what I wanted FLY to represent.

You rewrote the lyrics during the pandemic to make them more uplifting. How did the emotional climate of the time impact the song’s lyrical direction, and how do you feel the revised message resonates with listeners today?

As I mentioned earlier, the lyrics were rewritten to provide a more uplifting message when I think people needed it. I also want wanted to revisit the lyrics as my mindset had changed from when I originally wrote them as a teenager. Wanted to provide more meaning in the lyrics, more momentum for what was going to be a high-powered, fast moving rock track. In the end I think that worked well for people who listen to the track today. Both the lyrics and the musical style seem to fit well together, both bringing back memories and emotions for those who look back at that era with fondness.

With your background in film and multimedia, how do you think your film work has influenced your approach to creating music videos or visual concepts for your music?

I never did create a music video for FLY, or the intro track PreFLYght. I had a number of ideas for sure, but by the time the tracks were released, the pandemic was ending and I was kind for pushed back into my busy life, so I never had time to work on music videos. If I were to create one, it would definitely point back to that era. I would use footage from old TV shows or movies. One thing I really thought about doing using footage from the ’Stranger Things’ TV series. That would have been perfect… a modern show set in the 80’s full of nostalgia and fun action scenes. There’s a line in the show where Papa says to Eleven… ‘you can fly’. That’s how I would have started the video, and use a lot of the guitar playing footage in season 4.

You dabbled in short films 20 years ago, and now you’re back with a music release. Do you see yourself combining both art forms again in the future? Maybe a short film to accompany your music?

I’m not involved in on site film production anymore, but I still work in film editing and 3D animation. Anything is possible… if the right project comes along.

You’ve described “FLY” as a track that could fit in an ’80s action movie soundtrack. If you could place it in any movie or TV show from that era, what would it be and why?

I would love it if it was featured in ’Stranger Things’ today. A lot of people have said that FLY sounds like something from a movie soundtrack from the 80’s… people have mentioned Rocky and Top Gun. Others have said it’s one of those tracks you hear during the end credits.

You mentioned “PreFLYght” as a companion piece to “FLY.” How does it complement the main track, and do you envision releasing more mini-tracks like this in the future as part of a larger project?

I loved working on ‘PreFLYght’! I had this idea to kind of extend the 80’s theme a bit more. Back then, band like Van Halen and Queen came out with ‘companion’ tracks to their popular singles. With Van Halen, ‘Eruption’ was always played before ‘You Really Got Me’. With Queen, it was always ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are The Champions’. So I wanted to do something similar, again bringing the whole project together as one cohesive musical experience.

You’re also active in 3D modeling and animation. How do these skills influence your music projects, and do you have plans to integrate animation into any future music videos or live performances?

These days I am heavily involved in 3D modeling, animation and printing. I do integrate them as much as I can in other client projects where possible. I will definitely consider using 3D material in any future music releases.

You’ve been getting great feedback for “FLY.” How do you see your sound evolving from here? What new styles or genres would you like to explore in upcoming releases?

I am extremely pleased with the positive feedback and success of FLY, that was not something I was expecting. A number of radio stations and DJs have asked if I plan a follow up to FLY, or inquired about the future direction of my music. I like a lot of different music styles. Rock and Progressive Rock are my favorite, but I also really like melodic/symphonic metal, dance, trance, pop and more. I have written new songs, haven’t worked on them yet. One thing I am thinking of doing is creating a trance version of FLY. Again this goes back to concept of taking old tracks and turning them into new mixed trance tracks. Since FLY is basically an 80’s era sounding track, I think it makes sense to treat it as such and give it new life in a trance track. If I do this, the new track will be called ‘FLYR’.

After spending years refining “FLY,” what advice would you give to artists who are just starting out and may be facing obstacles in pursuing their creative goals?

I would tell artists to take their time and enjoy the process. Don’t rush it, don’t depend on it as your sole source of income, treat it as a creative outlet and make it yours. Today anyone can have a day job and still fulfill their creative dreams of releasing music, write books, make movies, run a podcast… technology is readily available and affordable. Do whatever you do for yourself, and then share it with the world. If you become famous, well that’s just a bonus!

Given your experience in both music and multimedia, how do you balance creative freedom with the constraints of production, whether in music or film?

The only constraints I experience is that I have to make a living. So many of the projects I want to work on, like making new music, tends to be put on the back burner. But as time goes on, I’ll get to a point where I can work a lot less, and dedicate more time to creative projects.

You’ve been around the block, with a background in both multimedia and the music world. What do you think about how the music industry has changed since the ‘80s?

I’ll be honest, I’m not impressed with today’s mainstream music industry. For sure, there’s still great material being released, but most of it will never get on Top 40 radio. During the 80’s and 90’s, I found that there was a wide variety of music in the Top 40. You would hearing everything from rock to country, rap to pop, heavy metal, R&B, contemporary and more. It was all over the radio waves back then, anything goes. Today, forget it. Unless it is a station dedicated to classics or specific eras, it’s all pop, country or R&B, and rarely in a band format. Again, there’s some good material today, don’t get me wrong. But I miss the variety of musical styles on the air waves. So instead, I look elsewhere to find great music that is still being made in rock, progressive/melodic/symphonic rock, modern alternative/dark, etc. There are some great bands out there like CNVX, Within Temptation, Delain, HUIS, Mystery… older bands like Def Leppard, Styx, Journey still releasing new material. But you’ll never hear it on Top 40 radio.

Revisiting and reworking a song you wrote as a teenager must have been an interesting experience. What was it like to step into the shoes of your 17-year-old self and give “FLY” a second chance? Did you uncover anything about your younger self in the process?

I’ll never forget the first time I heard the opening guitar riff for FLY. I had that song in my head for so long, I couldn’t believe I was finally hearing it! It was an amazing experience and it drove me to continue working on it more and more. I think about my younger self a lot. He would be shocked and excited at the computer technology we have today that everyone can afford. He had a lot of dreams that never came to fruition, so whenever I work on these kinds of projects… in many ways, I’m doing them for him.

The ’80s have experienced a huge resurgence in pop culture, especially with the rise of synthwave, retro films, and music. How do you feel about the current nostalgia for that era?

For the most part I love it! I am really enjoying the ’Stranger Things’ series, it is done so well… the film style, the music, the sets, wardrobe and scripts. Just an amazing production that really brings you back in time. Some things like classic hits being used in TV commercials, that I don’t like so much. It devalues how great those tracks were, and to me they become trivialized when being used for a commercial for laundry detergent or cold beer. It’s shows a lack of respect for the artists and the music they worked so hard on back then. But overall, it is nice to see that era celebrated and remembered.

What’s next for you after the success of this release? Are you already working on new material, or are you allowing yourself some time to explore other creative ventures before diving back into music?

I am working on other material, and I’m hoping to start work on the trance mix for ‘FLYR’. I am also working on another 80’s related project. Aside from music, I was very much involved in writing (still am today). I wrote all kinds of short stories and movie script treatments (and one completed, but unpublished novel). So I am involved in rewriting three short stories for my first book publication. The stories are anthology based (like The Twilight Zone). The anthology title will be called ’The Doorway’ and will be comprised of these three stories I wrote back then. If successful, I’ll work on additional 3 story anthology books as a series. I am also in the middle of rebuilding the completed novel. That will be a lot more work. Right now, believe it or not, I’m extracting all the pages from Commodore 64 floppy discs to my Mac. Once I have everything moved over, I can then begin work on rewriting that book. So there’s a lot going on, really looking forward to working on all of this… But for now, back to work to pay the bills!

Listen to Preflyght / Fly here.

Official website of Phil Marinucci.