Flyleaf (band)
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Flyleaf is an American Alternative metal band, formed in the Belton[1] and Temple, Texas[2] regions in 2000. They performed around the United States in 2003 until releasing their eponymous debut album, Flyleaf, in 2005. The album went platinum after selling more than one million copies.[4] The band won an online poll on yahoo.com and was named Yahoo!'s Who's Next band of the month in March 2006 and they were named MTV's artist of the week on December 24, 2007.[5][6]
Band history
Early on Lacey Mosley started playing with James Culpepper. Guitarists Jared Hartmann and Sameer Bhattacharya were later recruited. "Sameer and Jared are really experimental with melodies and pedals, and we all had different influences that were all blending together with the same passionate and hopeful heart, and that brought out this beautiful feeling. It was magical," said Mosley.[7] Bassist Pat Seals joined in 2002 after leaving his previous band The Grove.
As Passerby, the band released three EPs and played over 100 shows in Texas alone over the span of two years under the booking and promotion company Runt Entertainment.[citation needed] In 2004, Passerby played a showcase for RCA Records in New York City in hopes of getting signed. RCA passed on the band, but the president of Octone Records was very interested in the band. They waited for two days in their van at a truck stop for a phone call about an Octone showcase. They were signed after the showcase, and on January 7, 2004, Octone Record's website announced their arrival to the label.
In March 2004, Flyleaf traveled to Seattle, Washington to record an EP with Rick Parashar. Afterwards, they toured with Breaking Benjamin, Staind and 3 Doors Down to promote their self-titled EP. In October, the EP was released to stores, spawning their first official single and video for the EP version of "Breathe Today".
Debut Album (2005-2007)
In 2005, the band recorded their first full-length album with Howard Benson. On October 4, 2005, the record was released under the title Flyleaf. Appearances on the album include Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction and Ryan White of Resident Hero. The first mainstream single from their debut album was "I'm So Sick", "Fully Alive" was the second, "All Around Me" was the third, and "There For You" was the fourth.
In the summer of 2006, the band played on the mainstage of the Family Values Tour 2006 and in late 2006, Flyleaf toured with Disturbed, Stone Sour and Nonpoint on the Music As A Weapon III Tour. The band issued an exclusive EP, which was sold at the tour called Music As A Weapon EP which features an acoustic version of "Fully Alive", and three previously unreleased tracks: "Much Like Falling", "Justice And Mercy", and "Christmas Song" (Much Like Falling and Justice and Mercy later appeared on Much Like Falling EP). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the EP went to World Vision.[8]
In 2007 Flyleaf toured with Three Days Grace and throughout Australia with the Soundwave festival, and also toured Europe with Stone Sour and Forever Never. In the spring of 2007, Flyleaf headlined their Justice & Mercy Tour which first featured Skillet and Dropping Daylight. Later on they did a second leg of the tour which featured Sick Puppies, Kill Hannah and Resident Hero. Flyleaf again joined the Family Values Tour in 2007.[9] The music video for "I'm So Sick" appeared briefly in the 2007 film Live Free or Die Hard. Also a remix of the song "I'm So Sick" is on the Soundtrack to the movie Resident Evil: Extinction. "Perfect" was also released as a single in late 2007 to Christian radio stations.
Flyleaf also released a song entitled "Tina" which first debuted in the release of Guitar Hero 3 which appears on the Companion Disk Set. Also, the song "I'm So Sick" appears in Rock Band. On October 30, Flyleaf also released a digital EP titled Much Like Falling EP. The songs included on this EP were "Much Like Falling", an acoustic version of "Supernatural", the limited release song "Tina", and "Justice and Mercy." The EP is available on iTunes along with the expanded edition of their debut album.
On April 26, 2008, the band released their fourth video "Sorrow" from their debut album on MTV2.[10] The band toured with Seether in late spring, but had to cancel five shows due to a problem with Lacey Mosley's voice. The members of Flyleaf took the fall off to write new music, hoping to begin recording by January.
Flyleaf also contributed a cover of the song, "What's This?" from The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack for its cover album, Nightmare Revisited.
Memento Mori (2008- )
Flyleaf is currently taking a break from touring and are working on their upcoming sophomore album. The new album is expected to have 12 songs, which will be selected out of the 30 already written. Some of these songs, such as "Again", "Have We Lost", and "Beautiful Bride" have been performed live but have never been recorded in a studio.[11] The band reunited with producer Howard Benson to make the album, and it will be released in late October 2009 or early January 2010, the album has been entitled Memento Mori. It will feature songs like "Beautiful Bride", "Bittersweet", "Arise and Be", "Missing", "Break Your Knees", "Have We Lost", "Again" and "Set Apart This Dream" which was inspired by self-help book Wild at Heart.[12] Flyleaf has debuted an additional two songs live during a small acoustic tour the band did in Afghanistan for United States Troops called "Chasm" and "Circle"[13].
Christian faith
All five members of the band are of the Christian faith.[14] This faith influences their music, but lead singer Lacey Mosley doesn't necessarily believe that makes Flyleaf strictly a Christian band. "We all share the same faith. And so when we deal with the whole 'Christian band thing,' we kind of think about something P.O.D. says, like, 'If you're a Christian, it affects everything in your life. So if you're a plumber, does that make you a Christian plumber?'"
Mosley said. "I don't know the answer. We're a band, it's part of who we are, so it comes out in our music, and it's the fuel for what we do. And finding faith saved my life. So I'm not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that."[15]
The band's music has received mainstream and Christian success. "Perfect" appears on Guitar Praise, a Christian video game using a guitar controller as seen in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games.
Band members
- Lacey Mosley – Vocals
- Sameer Bhattacharya – Guitar
- Jared Hartmann – Guitar
- Pat Seals – Bass
- James Culpepper – Drums
Discography
- Flyleaf (2005)
- Memento Mori (2009)
References
- ^ a b c "Flyleaf - allmusicguide.com".
- ^ a b Flyleaf's MySpace at myspace.com
- ^ Flyleaf at Musicmight
- ^ Blabbermouth.net Flyleaf singer says voice is great after long rest November 13, 2008.
- ^ Who's Next exclusive interview; Yahoo!; Retrieved February 29, 2008
- ^ MTV Artist of the Week; December 24, 2007; MTV.com; Retrieved February 29, 2008
- ^ MTVU Backstage Pass Interview from the interviews section on Flyleafonline.com, accessed March 7, 2007
- ^ Revenantmedia.com article on the Music As A Weapon EP, accessed 21 October, 2007
- ^ Family Values Tour 2007 official website, accessed 21 October, 2007
- ^ Flyleaf Online, accessed 26 April, 2008.
- ^ http://thegauntlet.com/interviews/1257/Flyleaf.html
- ^ Spring Music Preview: July/August, Rolling Stone. Published March 20, 2009. Accessed March 24, 2009.
- ^ Texas Band Flyleaf Delivers High Spirits to Troops Overseas
- ^ Christian Band Tours with Korn, news article on CBN's website with direct quotes, accessed October 19, 2007
- ^ Flyleaf Embrace Family Values, P.O.D.'s Christian Mantra, news article on MTV's website with direct quotes, accessed October 21, 2007
External links
