Today we’d like to introduce you to FINAL IMAGES.
Hi FINAL , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
FINAL IMAGES are the pioneers of a originally crafted “Halo Noir” genre. The duo is based in Washington, D.C., and consists of composer, guitarist, and producer Brandon Hanzlick, and singer, songwriter, and bassist Miina Garon.
Hanzlick, a classically trained musician born and raised in Santa Clarita/Valencia, LA, has been in several musical groups on the West Coast. Having created and played music across a number of genres, from everything from modern pop to death metal, he has a love for the piano, drums, guitar, and synthesizers. In 2021, Hanzlick followed an intuitive call, which sent shockwaves through his spirit. Believing in himself, and believing in what lay ahead of him, he took action and took a leap of faith. Hanzlick decided to pack up everything he owned, and moved to the East Coast to expand his artistic palette, life experience, and understanding of the world around him, propelled by an indescribable sense of knowing where he needed to be. Hanzlick, in his search to find what he was looking for, locked eyes with singer, Miina Garon, for the first time at George Mason University, VA in 2022 on a bench by the pond on an unusually warm day in October. A passionate, romantic, and physical relationship soon followed, and they bonded together over long nights, where they discussed music, philosophy, and spiritualism. Their relationship deepened when they both learned that their energetic chemistry was not the only electricity they shared. While they had analyzed, spoken about, and listened to new music with each other over several months, they were both hesitant about starting a creative project together. Everything changed when Hanzlick heard Garon’s vocals for the first time by accident, but when he did, he knew the two were destined to create together. “I always knew there was something special about Miina’s voice, so I said, ‘You know what? Let’s do this’,” Hanzlick remarks.
Garon was born and raised in rural Virginia, and growing up amongst the Southern farmland and churches, she never stopped singing once she began. Even as a child, she always knew that the sound of her voice, and the power and energy it carried, echoed and reverberated through the bones of those fortunate enough to have earned her trust and love. Garon, with her inherent gift, hails from a long family history of performers, singers, and artists. Although she sang in private for most of her life, and reserved her voice only for those who she believed understood her, she discovered her confidence in her voice through the inspiration she found with Hanzlick. It was at this point in her life that Garon had a life-changing epiphany, and she realized that she was given this gift for a reason, and that was to share her voice and gift with the world. “I’ve never met another person who feels music the way I do.We are mirrors that reflect each other’s image.” With a renewed sense of confidence and of purpose, Garon became inspired to create in a way that both challenged and fulfilled her, utilizing her voice in a way that she had not done before. As a successfully published poet, a revitalized Garon dove headfirst into lyricism, themes, and wordplay, developing her own craft in a way which communicated her own life experiences, and released all of the emotion she had locked behind her heart, freeing her from the constraints which hindered the talent within her for decades. Garon hopes to fulfill her dreams of music for her great-grandmother, June.
Following these major events, the duo quickly started writing and recording songs, which they often refer to as their daughters, together in Garon’s small apartment bedroom, with no recording equipment, one laptop, and one guitar. Even though their resources were limited at the time, their art poured out in abundance like a waterfall. After writing, organizing, and rehearsing privately, they made their debut performance on the waterfront in Washington, D.C. It was Garon’s first live performance ever. Now, two years later, they have listeners in over 80 countries all over the world, and thousands of streams and a diverse audience.While the story of FINAL IMAGES has only begun, the premise of FINAL IMAGES exists in the in-between, in the moment in time when life is in the process of transitioning to the next stage of what comes after. It is a total recall of clarity in our individual and collective impact in this life, and a determination of what we will be leaving behind, and what we will always take with us, regardless of what happens with our physical being. FINAL IMAGES conceptualizes the stories, memories, experiences, and emotions that we all experience in the past, present, future; and is the complete summary of all of the events and feelings through the experience of living a lifetime.
A visualization of this concept is as follows: Imagine you are sitting on a bench in front of a pond, with heavy rainfall. Each unique droplet of rain hits the water, and creates a ripple on the surface. Each drop that falls creates a ripple, then another, then another. Some of the ripples will inevitably intertwine with one another, creating an intersection of endless ripples which weave in and out of each other. Some ripples never make contact with another, but still exist within their own space and time. The pond, the body of water, represents the collective – the whole, and each raindrop and each ripple represents those individual moments and experiences which touch the lives of others, creating a new pattern on the water when the two collide. FINAL IMAGES explores this concept, acting as the voice which narrates the colors, patterns, and emotions behind this experience, of collective, individual, and the influence of setting in its entirety.
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Since the duo has begun, FINAL IMAGES have released four official singles, “Patience (I Wish),” “The Way She Moves,” “Imperfect,” and “Mesmerized” on all streaming platforms. The FINAL IMAGES sound blends genres of dream pop, alternative soft rock, 80s synth-pop, introspective lyrics, and West Coast sounds. Hanzlick’s layered rhythmic guitars, Garon’s powerful, operatic vocal performance, combined with the signature bass riff of the track, make for an iconic sound the duo call “Halo Noir.”
FINAL IMAGES perform and play live shows at events and venues throughout the DMV. Their most recent performance was The Pocket. D.C. as headliners with a sold out show. Other notable performances include for Union Stage at Jammin Java, in Vienna, VA, a live music venue played by one of their influencing artists, Paramore, in 2006. The West coast meets East coast duo are currently working on releasing their first album.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road, and if you have taken on the oath to live and die by your artistic endeavors, then you must sacrifice and prioritize. If you are actively and consistently working on communicating your message, talent alone will not be enough. Blood will be spilt, the tears never stop, and the sweat on your forehead reminds you of all of the endless nights honing your craft. It is a sequential climb up an endless ladder – and sometimes you do not have the willpower or stamina to continue climbing, and other times you fall off the ladder completely. It’s in these moments where you have to find the strength within yourself to pick yourself back up, remind yourself that you are still capable, and continue pushing through, starting the climb all over again from the beginning.
“Our first challenge was to get Miina to sing in front of me!” Hanzlick laughs. Garon, born into a military family that included entertainment industry professionals, achievers, and high performers, was rarely and authentically encouraged to share her voice, whether it was to use her voice to sing or to speak. There was a certain standard, a very high standard, that was set when it came to the perceived quality of her words and sound. She was expected to behave a certain way, speak a certain way, sing a certain way, and, if these criteria were not met, the power of her voice was quickly taken away from her. This caused her a lifetime of doubt, fear, insecurity, and pain, and made her reserved, speaking only when spoken to and addressing others with respect and compliance, even when those others did not deserve it.
The struggle of being seen and heard was, and still is, very real for both Garon and Hanzlick, and although they have come a long way together in their healing process, breaking down those walls with each other has been an ongoing project in its own right. Before they started creating art together, Garon did not intend for Hanzlick to hear her sing, and Hanzlick did not bring his guitar with him during the first few months of their time together. Originally, they practiced their art silently within a safe distance from one another, with both of them feeling unable to fully open up to each other. However, as the walls came down from within, so did they, and they both met each other on the same platform, and the same goals. Through trust and expression, they finally both broke through their own barriers together and were finally in a place where they could create together.
Think of the struggle of a day where nothing goes right. You wake up, feeling like you’ve gotten no sleep. You go to work, and are overwhelmed by all of the tasks at hand. Your clients are demanding and difficult, as is your boss. You go home, and there is no food in the fridge. You are upset with your partner, and your partner is upset with you. Sparks fly, the water boils, and all of the feelings and words you’ve been holding onto over the past few months start to spew out, like gasoline on a fire that has been perpetually burning. It’s not received well by your partner, you go to sleep upset, and so does your partner. You wake up the next morning, and you see your coworker as you enter the building, and that coworker asks you “Good morning, how are you?” In this setting, you have the option to say “I’m good, how are you?” and protect yourself and hide the truth of what you have been going through. When you are an artist, you do not have the option to protect yourself, or to hide your truth. It is your duty, and obligation, to be honest and expressive with all of the things you’d want to hide from the world. This is a magnitude of challenge and proportion that many are not equipped for, and neither were we. Singing and performing in front of each other for the first time was one thing, but pouring your heart out and putting yourself on the line singing and performing in front of others, is a completely different playing field. Both Garon and Hanzlick felt that pressure. Imagine breaking down in front of someone you don’t know, and finally letting go of all of the things you’ve been holding onto, then imagine doing that in front of 50 people that you don’t know, haven’t met, and potentially will never meet, and these people know all of your darkest insecurities, desires, and truths. Feeling comfortable in these situations performing in front of others was a massive breakthrough moment for both Garon and Hanzlick.
In terms of the performances themselves, as a duo, we have to cover a lot of ground. This means that we must both be multi-instrumentalists in order to fill our sound and space. Learning to play an instrument and singing at the same time, keeping up the rhythm, and coordinating all of the small details and the right touches to complete the sound requires methodology and practice consistently, over a long period of time. This is something that we both still struggle with, and practice everyday in order to get it right. The same idea applies for finding the right fit for a recording studio. Finding the right studio is like finding a match in heaven, or finding a dark green needle in a stack full of dark needles in an assortment of colors. While any needle will work in order to get the message across, only the dark green needle will complete the puzzle you need to stitch together. The process of finding the right studio was a struggle, but when you find what is meant for you, you will know, and we found that together. Both of our singles have been recorded by recording engineer and producer, Cameron Brown from GDA Productions in Millersville, Maryland, and the drums were written and played by Rick Conlee, who works on his own solo work within the same studio.
The process of creating art does not stop at the studio. The studio process is relatively easy, compared to the heavy lifting that comes during and after the production stage. The production stage is a massive undertaking, and there are several large projects within each piece of each song. At times it can be a very arduous, grueling, and time-consuming process, leading to frustration, burnout, and lack of motivation. When you think of your favorite artist performing, you see the accumulation, or the final product of everything that artist has accomplished to get on that stage. That being said, a lot of the magic happens behind the scenes, and most of your audience does not see what it takes to get there. A lot of logistics, preparation, and testing, mostly through trial by fire, happens many times over by the point that a song is released or the artist takes the stage. With an inefficient, unorganized, or frozen production stage, the force of block within each factor is strong enough to stop a moving train on its tracks, and in this case, an unstoppable force can be stopped by an immovable object.
Lastly, musicians specifically are affected greatly by space and distance. When your favorite artists are in town, it’s because the artist comes to you, and specifically plans to arrive in your area, coming from wherever they have come from, to see you in the audience. It is the musicians responsibility to come and be as close as they can be to their audience. This requires travel and logistics. As a musician, many hours are spent traveling and driving on the road, but the journey doesn’t begin on a late-night drive on the highway in the car. It begins when you first wake up in your bed in the morning, even before you’ve had your caffeine. You have to go to work, balance your energy, do the work, come back home, change, get dressed, get hyped, pack things, lift them to the car, put on the right music, then you can start driving. Logistics and travel take a lot of energy and effort, most of it going unnoticed, unless you are late or not fully prepared for your show.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Miina Garon is a lead singer, vocalist, backup vocalist, lyricist, keyboardist, and bassist, and specializes in composing vocal and bass melodies, harmonies, storytelling, narrative building, premise, and setting. Brandon Hanzlick is a lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, instrumental composer, sound engineer, and producer, and he specializes in musical theory, rhythm, foundation, instrumental messaging, and focuses on playing a supportive role to Garon’s vocals in order to uplift her contributions to the work. Their approach is one that puts Garon’s voice at the center of the stage, where the vocals take the primary lead in terms of space. Collectively, they are the yin and yang, with Garon creating the leads through her powerful and warm feminine energy, with Hanzlick complimenting and supporting her through his calm, steady, and consistent masculine energy. Together, they create a perfect blend of both masculine, feminine, neither, and both, and they play on their individual strengths in order to paint a complete picture for their audience which has all of the necessary colors and details to catch the eye and hold the gaze. While we both collectively write lyrics and instrumentalization, we both have our specific niche and our own specific strengths within the project, and through collaboration, we both are able to equally and equitably create artwork which reflects both of us.
One aspect of our art that separates FINAL IMAGES from other artists is being known for our unique take on a wide range of rock and pop music from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s, with strong influence from artists such as David Bowie, Prince, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Paramore, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, and more. We are known to be somewhat undefined in terms of genre. After our performances, and taking feedback into consideration, our listeners tend to say “Your music sounds like of a mix of Siouxsie And The Banshees, with touches of Cocteau Twins, and I kind of hear Alanis Morissette as well”; the quotes being uniquely filled in by our listeners’ interpretation of us. We’ve heard everything from country and gospel, to punk rock, to opera, to mainstream and classic pop, electronic, and everything in between. Thus, we created our own new genre of music called halo noir, with a darker undertone, appearance, and energy. The FINAL IMAGES vibe is moody, melancholic, evocative, with haunting vocals, fueled by a deep longing, and singing that comes from the soul. We have been told by many that the energy and weather changes, and shifts to us when we take the stage. There have been several instances where we have shared the stage with other artists during a beautiful sunset, and by the time FINAL IMAGES enters the stage, the first note is played, a raging thunderstorm accompanies us in the background.
Our stage presence itself sets us apart, and is another aspect of our art that we are well known for. The combination of all factors, such as outfit coordination, choreography that tells a story, energetic interplay and chemistry between each other and the audience, true love, and true despair, providing the keys to the unanswered or unspoken questions, the physical dynamics of motion, combined with gothic romance, heartbreak, tragedy, and conflict, ultimately grips our audience and holds them tight from the beginning to the end of our set. Each of our pieces reveals to our audience a forgotten memory, now remembered, a lost love, now missed again, a polaroid photo of a best friend, who you don’t speak with anymore, or a favorite place, that no longer exists. In telling these stories, Garon and Hanzlick both authentically share their stories, and remind their audience of their own. This style of performance builds a powerful spiritual and emotional connection between FINAL IMAGES and their audience, and asks them to challenge and to confront themselves to imagine how they will be remembered in a way that will give them peace in their final moments.
We are the most proud of the difference our art has made for ourselves and for others. Our music has shown us that we are all strong enough to keep moving forward together, no matter the many obstacles that may lie ahead. In that same sense, we’re also the most proud of the influence that our art has in order to carry such a message. We have many unreleased songs that we’re still currently working on, and a three album plan on the horizon, and we can’t wait to share them with the world. We competed recently in a battle of the bands competition at venue Jammin Java (Union Stage) and the judges acknowledged our “spectacular and emotionally evocative” performance that had a lasting impact with the audience. It is unbelievable to us that we are now playing on the same stages that some of our greatest inspirations, such as Paramore, have played on.
We have come a long way since we started this project together. Looking back, it’s crazy to imagine all of the progress that we have made. From singing in the shower, to sold out shows. It almost sounds like a fever dream, something you might imagine or think of when you were asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, only to grow up and actually be that someone you dreamed of, in opposition to what everybody else wanted to believe about you. We’re proud to be in this together, to get better everyday together, and to share our art with our audience together. We’d be honored if one day, our art would find a place in one of your final images.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
For the duo FINAL IMAGES, music has always been a part of their stories, including in childhood. For Garon, a favorite childhood memory would be singing and performing the entirety of Madonna’s album, “The Immaculate Collection” from start to finish in the mirror. She knew every word and created her own choreography. Garon also spent hours watching recorded performances of Prince and David Bowie after elementary school everyday, mesmerized and inspired by the talent and genius of these artists, hoping to become embody art in equal measure. Lastly, another standout would be listening to Sade’s “Love Deluxe” album on CD in the car with her mother.
For Hanzlick, one of his favorite childhood memories would be his family receiving a guitar for himself and his siblings on Christmas. He quickly took a love to it and never stopped since. Other memorable experiences from childhood include playing in metal bands with his friends in school and going to garage band shows in the neighborhood. Hanzlick has always loved creating and being surrounded by music and is as much of a devoted consumer of art as he is a creator and it reflects in his work and musicianship.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/final_imagesmusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/final_imagesmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJP5Q01kNL9V4R_JJChfYmA/about
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=channel_description&redir_token=QUlxb01IWm5kTFdqaUxYa2p5TG1NRG8wQVppUnxBSTVJdTVzbFJMTmczZkVxOHZwQmVNYzZfd25CS2Nqd1htU01JRjhvV1FNZEpsTnZZZlVRb3g4STk2dVQ3eGVfYUZfR3pMMWRnVTc1OV8wUGlhblY1Tk5BbzZfSmFYb1JUUmkz&q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fartist%2F17Kx2li4BGza2eNcIMCBiO
