Flyleaf returns with their fourth full length release Between the Stars on September 16, 2014 via Loud and Proud. Produced by Don Gilmore (Korn, Lacuna Coil) Between The Stars is the first album featuring former Vedera vocalist Kristen May, who joined the band shortly after the release of their prior release, 2012’s New Horizons and the departure of original vocalist Lacey Sturm (formerly Moseby).
“She’s an incredible singer and she clicked very well. Her personality was very important to us because we’re a touring band, made a record and put a song on the radio,” said guitarist Jared Hartmann.
“I think one think that’s always a reoccurring theme in Flyleaf is the freedom in the music, the freedom of expressing yourself, exploring certain feelings of certain parts of your life that would otherwise hold inside and not letting go,” added guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya. “Kristen is such a free spirit. She doesn’t hold back. She is who she is. That’s really important to who Flyleaf is. Before we were Flyleaf, we were called Passerby, because no matter what platform we were given, no matter how tall our soapbox might be that’s given to us – our story’s just as important as anyone else’s. Your story’s just as important as ours. We all have a story to tell. I think Kristen brings that spirit to Flyleaf.”
May came into the band through an extensive search and audition process. “We compiled a list of singers. We had people who were on The Voice. We were reaching out to a lot of different people. She came up and auditioned and clicked very well,” said Hartmann.
“As we went through the list of singers, we were also inquiring about certain singers. The singer had the same booking agent as Kristen, and that’s who we contacted to contact to audition.”
“They said ‘Kristen May was available. Her band Vedera just broke up and I highly recommend her.’ I think she was on the list real early. I think we crossed her off because we thought her band was still together. We contacted each other and she came down to Texas and had a sushi dinner. And from that meeting, it was like ‘wow! What a cool person.’ The next afternoon, we went into the rehearsal space and hit that first note, and what comes out was incredible. Her abilities are unmatched,” added Bhattacharya.
Once they began writing for Between the Stars, they discovered the true magic behind their new vocalist and a new era of the band officially began.
“I felt the writing came very easily,” said Bhattacharya. “There’s this fresh feeling writing this record with Kristen. We need it. You get stuck in a rut doing the same thing over and over again. So it’s time for a new perspective in the writing process.”
Once the writing began, Flyleaf found new creative energy working with May. Their first single ‘Set Me On Fire’ gave the public a taste of what is to come.
“I think it’s really doing something new. It’s the first record with Kristen so everything’s real new. It’s becoming a band again,” said Hartmann.
“I’m really getting excited about the songs on this record. There’s this growth in the music. This record transcends so many genres. Every song stands on its own. They’re all really great songs.”
“Every record we’ve done has stood on its own,” said Bhattacharya. “We’ve never gone into a writing process with an agenda or a certain goal in mind other than writing good songs. We approached this record the same way as before.”
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REI NISHIMOTO
