Flyleaf History of The Band
Thursday, 24 June 2010 11:39 | 
Written by thezone | 
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The concert in Anchorage, Alaska this past June 19th was awesome.. even though it rained...
I thought I might offer up a little history on Flyleaf for those who may wonder just who Flyleaf is.
Flyleaf is an American rock band, formed in Belton, Texas, United States in 2000. They originated as a band called Listen, and then changed name to Passerby, but due to an existing band owning the rights to that name, their name was changed to Flyleaf after they were signed to their record label. “A flyleaf is the blank page at the front of a book,” explains Lacey Mosley, Flyleaf’s vocalist. “It’s the dedication page, the place you write a message to someone you’re giving a book to. And, that’s kind of what our songs are — personal messages that provide a few moments of clarity before the story begins”.
Their music is a mix of hard rock styles. The band cites influences such as Rage Against the Machine, Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana.
Early on, vocalist Lacey Mosley began playing music with drummer James Culpepper. Later on guitarists Jared Hartmann and Sameer Bhattacharya were 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. When they were still playing as Listen, they played with bassists Josh C. and Jonathan B.. The bassist was replaced by Kirkpatrick Seals in 2002 after he left his previous band The Grove. Somewhere around there they changed the band name to Passerby, before changing the name again to the current Flyleaf in 2004.
All five members of the band are of the Christian faith. This faith in Jesus influences their music, but lead singer Lacey Mosley doesn’t necessarily believe that makes Flyleaf a strictly 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 Christ saved my life. So I’m not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that”.
- Lacey Mosley – lead vocals (2000–present)
- Sameer Bhattacharya – lead guitar, backing vocals (2000–present)
- Jared Hartmann – rhythm guitar (2000–present)
- Pat Seals – bass, backing vocals (2002–present)
- James Culpepper – drums, percussion (2000–present)
Flyleaf has finished recording their second album. The new album has 14 songs, which were selected out of the 30 already written. Some of these songs, such as "Again", "Have We Lost", and "Beautiful Bride" have been performed live. The band reunited with producer Howard Benson to make the album, and it was released on November 10, 2009.[15] The album has been titled Memento Mori. It features songs such as "Beautiful Bride", "Arise", "Missing", "Again" and "Set Apart This Dream" which was inspired by a self-help book called Wild at Heart.[16] 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"[17]. According to their Myspace page, Flyleaf's first single "Again" from the album is currently released on iTunes and is also played on the radio. Meiert Avis directed Flyleaf's music video titled "Again".
The group, starting in Seattle, Washington on September 28, 2009, held VIP listening parties throughout the country inviting fans to be the first to hear a selection of songs from the new record and view brand new music videos before they aired nationwide. By partnering with Eventful, fans were given the opportunity to demand that their city get routed into the "Road To Memento Mori" using Eventful's "Demand It!" service.
Based on overwhelming demand there were over 10 events. Fans saw Lacey Mosley, Sameer Bhattacharya, and Jared Hartmann, who made special appearances at these intimate gatherings across the country.[18]
On November 2, 2009, the band released a short Webisode for their new album.[19]
Flyleaf's other video, "Beautiful Bride," was shot in early August 2009 by director Don Tyler. The video was originally released at the Memento Mori listening events, but was later featured on Yahoo! the dayMemento Mori came out. The video features James' sister/Sameer's wife, April, as the bride and Joshua Sturm, Lacey's husband, as the groom. Like "Again," this video features Pat's artwork throughout the video. Future singles are set to include "Chasm" for rock stations and "Missing" for pop/alternative.
Flyleaf toured throughout the United States with Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace that lasted from January to March 2010. They embarked on a headlining tour called the "Unite & Fight Tour" with 10 Years and Fair to Midland. The tour began on April 28, 2010 and ended on June 6, 2010. They are one of many bands that will be performing at Download Festival on June 12, 2010.
Last Updated (Thursday, 24 June 2010 12:20)
