Music comes to life when it must. It lies dormant and then blossoms in its creator at just the right moment. For Flyleaf, that was definitely the case when they began making their fourth full-length album. “Between The Stars” will be released on October 31st, 2014 on earMUSIC under exclusive license to Loud & Proud Records.
You could chalk it up to serendipity, but it simply feels meant to be. Seizing that spirit, the band — Kristen May [vocals], Sameer Bhattacharya [guitar], Jared Hartmann [guitar], Pat Seals [bass], and James Culpepper [drums] — immediately thrust themselves into the creative process. The lyrics and Kristen's delivery matched the heavy, hypnotic soundscapes that the band conjured up in the studio. Everything solidified into a clear and cohesive vision.
Flyleaf sought out the production talents of the iconic Don Gilmore [Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, Bullet For My Valentine, Three Days Grace, Avril Lavigne], holing up in a Los Angeles studio with him for a month during the spring of 2014. With Gilmore behind the board, they captured a certain "magic" that proved both passionate and palpable.
For proof, look no further than the first single "Set Me On Fire" - a brooding bass line builds along with an entrancing verse before igniting an undeniably incendiary chorus.
Shot with director Noel Maitland (Speechless, Kings of Summer) in an abandoned warehouse in downtown Los Angeles.
Kristen explains, “It’s about the passion we feel when we first fall in love and our emotions are running high, along with our thirst for this great life and all it has to offer. There is so much beauty, excitement and hope in this world and when we collide with one another and fall in love, magic happens. I hope everyone turns this song up to eleven, and sings at the top of their lungs.”
The fans have been with Flyleaf for the entire ride, beginning over a decade ago. Along the way, their self-titled debut went platinum and yielded the hit "All Around Me," which also moved over one million digital downloads. The record spent 133 weeks in the Billboard Top 200, climbing to the Top 15 of the Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts as well. Its follow-up, “Memento Mori”, saw the group crack the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200. They've touched down for shows everywhere from Afghanistan, where they played for the troops, to sold out gigs around the U.S. alongside everybody from Rage Against The Machine to Deftones to Cage The Elephant.
Ultimately, that audience remains closer to the musicians' hearts than ever before.
“This album is a reminder that we're alive,” Sameer declares. “Embrace life now. That's a recurring theme since our inception. We want people to know they're alive, they're loved, and there's hope. That's what we want to share."
Kristen concludes, "I hope it's an album people can listen to for years to come. We put our hearts and souls into it, and I want them to hear that."
Track list
01. Set Me On Fire
02. Magnetic
03. Traitor
04. Platonic
05. Head Underwater
06. Sober Serenade
07. Thread
08. Marionette
09. Well of Lies
10. City Kids
11. Blue Roses
12. Home
13. Avalanche
14. Ship of Fools
15. Tied To The Broken (Demo)
16. City Kids (Live)
17. The Hunted (Bonus)
18. The Wedding (Bonus)