By Stephanie Pham
Making their official debut in June, Faded Fortunes performed in the 2023 summer festival held at Mile Square Park. The members of the indie rock band include Max Keegan, Madalyn Pham, Ethan Salazar, Ava Chu and Ben Keegan.
While their first performance was just last year, every member has a background in music. Senior Max Keegan was playing instruments before he could walk. At the age of four, Max Keegan had already been playing the keyboard. Once middle school started, he switched up the classical tune and self-taught himself the guitar; he’s now the lead guitarist in the band.
As for senior Madalyn Pham, her musical prowess started in fifth grade. Pham wrote her first song on the piano and sang it in front of her teacher and classmates. As she grew up, she started participating in more talent shows, branching into the music world on her own. Pham is now currently a part of Fountain Valley High School’s (FVHS) vocal music program in troubadours and the winner of The Voice FVHS 2022.
”High school was when I actually started getting trained in music, like learning music theory and actually how to sing using techniques,” Pham said.
Junior Ethan Salazar, who knew Keegan from the same music program, enjoys living in the moment. He began his musical journey five years ago when he started playing guitar in middle school. Now the lead guitarist for Faded Fortunes Band, Salazar most values the fun experience of concerts and jamming with his friends.
Dating back to 2020, Fountain Valley alumni Ava Chu, who graduated in 2023, picked up the bass for the first time. Chu used the experience in the band as a creative outlet during a difficult time, growing closer to her friends.
“I’ve always been surrounded by creative and artistic individuals, so art has always been a natural passion of mine, and music is just an extension of that,” Chu said.
Last, but not least, the youngest member of the band is a prospective FVHS student. The younger brother of Max Keegan, Ben Keegan currently attends Masuda Middle School and joined the band as a drummer. Inspired by his father, who used to be in a band, Keegan got his first drum kit for Christmas and soon pursued his passion for music. He started playing the drums at the age of eight and continues to mature from the experience five years later.
“Performing is more fun than anything because you feel alive. The crowd makes you feel like a star while you play some of your favorite songs and share your talent with everybody,” Ben Keegan said. “Most of all, I got used to having fun.
The band sparked to life during Max Keegan’s sophomore year when he started to write songs and create his own musical compositions. Joining him was Salazar, where they jammed together as a hobby in their free time. After contacting his old music teacher, they started recruiting the rest of the band members to play in Summerfest where Keegan’s music teacher booked them a spot.
From there, Faded Fortunes continued to play in a range of gigs at local festivals and events. One memorable performance for the band was their show at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Orange County.
“It was memorable for me because it was the second time we had performed together … it was cool because it was a larger crowd than Summerfest with people we didn’t know hearing us for the first time,” Pham said. “I also got to wear an ao dai, a Vietnamese dress … and combine two cultures that I love.”
The most important aspect of performing is the stage presence. As a new band, they’re working on how to showcase their talent as a cohesive group. Each gig played is a step closer to the star-shining stage presence they want to show.
“When we’re performing, I want to put on the best show possible, which means both playing well and having good stage presence,” Keegan said. “When I perform, I try to move around and have more fun because when I’m having fun, the crowd will have more fun. So, I’ve been trying to encourage that.”
Faded Fortunes mostly covers a variety of genres during their performances, but they’re talents extend beyond that of the stage. Starting with the instrumental backing, Keegan composed an unofficial single. With the help of Pham, they wrote “Still Here,” a mellow single about the aftershocks of COVID-19.
“I was inspired to write about, especially after COVID, grief and loss of people and how to come to terms with that. The title, ‘Still Here,’ is about someone who is still here on Earth while their loved ones have passed away. So, throughout the entire song, they have to come to terms with what death really is and how to go through that grieving process,” Pham said.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience, being in a band together has taught the members an abundance of lessons. From head-butting on music choices to conflicting styles of play, there is no lack of struggles in the band. At last, communication is the most important lesson they’ve learned.
“We have our struggles, but we learn to work with each other in order to have the best outcome for everyone’s own creative thought process on what we want to put out there and what music we want to play,” Pham said. “As you bond with each other, you end up finding a good ultimatum and a lot of that comes with communication. You have to communicate no matter what.”
Talented, united, and passionate, Faded Fortunes Band will continue to share their love for music through their amazing stage performances, collective collaboration and sheer determination. Support the band @fadedfortunesband on Instagram.
This article was originally published in the 2024 RED Magazine. Stop by room 306 to pick up a copy.
