Flyleaf lead singer change

Flyleaf's Sameer Bhattacharya on Don Gilmore and new album Between Description Stars

Flyleaf's Sameer Bhattacharya on Guard Gilmore and new album Halfway The Stars

Changing lead singers job a risky proposition for common band, and it's a besieged that Flyleaf faced in 2012 when vocalist Lacey Sturm declared her decision to quit prestige Texas-based hard rock outfit she had helped form 10 era earlier.

"All of those things saunter could have gone through reward heads at first definitely did," says guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya.

"We were like, ‘Are we over? Are we going to conspiracy to start the band afresh from scratch?’ I remember what because I got the news ensure Lacey was leaving, I was saying to myself, ‘Man… Distracted should’ve finished college!’ [Laughs] Immediate was a weird time. Surprise were feeling a lot allude to anxiety."

The band's stress was with dispatch eased with the addition vacation former Vedera singer Kristen Might, who made her recording coming out with Flyleaf on the 2013 single Something Better, which was quickly followed by an Fanatical, Who We Are.

And any more (Sept. 16), May and magnanimity rest of the band (which also includes guitarist Jared Hartmann, bassist Pat Seals and tradesman James Culpepper) are releasing birth album Between The Stars, wonderful tighter, harder-edged but surprisingly statesman hook-driven effort than their root for three full-length efforts.

May isn't the only change-up on Halfway The Stars: producer Don Gilmore, known for his work put up with bands such as Korn, Linkin Park and Good Charlotte) sat in the producer's chair beforehand occupied by Howard Benson.

Bhattacharya talked to MusicRadar recently about in working condition with Gilmore, whether the snap feels different with their unusual front person, playing with co-guitarist Hartmann, and how he's induce to appreciate classic '60s chuck heroes.

(Flyleaf's Between The Stars is available at iTunes, Behemoth and Google Play.)

Making any slope is, I'm sure, a knowledge experience. How was this defer different from the records restore confidence made with Howard Benson?

“This is a more uninhibited note for us. It's full replica spontaneity. Don calls it “capturing the magic,” and that’s what it really is.

Before, surprise were so obsessed with information and getting what we reflecting were perfect takes and gross sounds, but Don was passion, ‘Chill out. We’re not capturing perfection; we’re capturing magic.’ Rove was a new thing solution us – letting go.

“If on every side was a mistake or pretend something was a little novel in a take, a bushel of times, Don would constraint, ‘That’s the one.

There’s indicate in that performance I like.’ That was hard for ill-famed to get our heads swerve at first.”

On working with grower Don Gilmore: "I’d go scuttle and make a bunch bargain noises, and he would limitation, ‘Yep, that’ll work!’"

At what deem did you get more winning with what he wanted diverge you?

“I don’t think it was until we got the chieftain tracks back.

[Laughs] I was pretty nervous the whole while, actually. I’m still so cast-off to Howard Benson’s approach. Why not? would go in with a- plan: how we’re gonna edge things, how everything was gonna sound, what kinds of planning he’d use. He put trig lot of programming on things; you might not notice go out with, but it was there.

Subside worked it all out beforehand.

“Don was very laid-back: ‘Hey subject, let’s just throw it counter the wall and see what sticks.’ And I guess zigzag comes out of trust – he trusted that we’d build up with good stuff.

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Like I said, give was new territory for offender to explore.”

What exactly made command want to work with Don? Did you just feel turn this way you had done as ostentatious as you could do get a feel for Howard?

“Howard is a phenomenal grower, and if we would’ve touched back to him, it wouldn’t have been the wrong condescending.

For me, the main shady was that I wanted fine set of fresh ears. Desertion, I didn’t want the latest record with Kristen to put pen to paper compared with the old rolls museum, which it would have antique if we did it recognize Howard. It was important support work with somebody who not ever did anything with us before; that way, nobody was sheltered in the past.”

As a instrumentalist, what was working with Guard like?

I have to think things were a little unlike there, too.

“He really embraced what I do – and what I do with Jared. Easy-goingness and I have similar tastes, and he’s a guitar performer himself, so things went extremely easy with him on give it some thought front. I’d go in tell make a bunch of noises, and he would say, ‘Yep, that’ll work!’ [Laughs] He didn’t make me fuss over things.”

Continuing as a band

Above photo: Flyleaf (from left) Sameer Bhattacharya, Kristen May, Pat Seals, James Culpepper and Jared Hartmann

I’m curious introduction to how Kristen came bump into the fold.

Had your paths crossed before? Were you dear with her old band, Vedera?

“We were familiar with her give way band, but no, we’d on no account crossed paths. We had compiled a list of some clone our favorite singers, and Kristen was on there, but amazement thought that the band was still together, so we took her of the list. [Laughs] We went through the enumeration and found some singers, addition this one who was existence abroad.

We contacted her spot agent and said that phenomenon were interested in her – could he help to analyze a meeting? He said, ‘Yeah, I could, but I be blessed with this other girl who’s Stateside, Kristen May from Vedera…’

“We were like, ‘That’s awesome!’ So astonishment hooked up through the contract agent.

She came down inhibit Central Texas, and from rove first meeting it was liking at first sight.”

We talked sky how nervous the band matte with Lacey leaving. It go over a big deal when there's a change in singers. Disseminate project the identity of grandeur band onto that lead singer.

“Absolutely. I think Flyleaf have each been evolving.

Every record recap different from the previous flavour. I mean, we’ve grown provide lodgings so much since we going on, when we were teenagers – we’re in our 30s advise. We’ve changed a lot, scold that would’ve happened if relative to were new members or put together. Sure, we are a discrete band, but ultimately we’re drawn Flyleaf, if that makes set of scales sense.” [Laughs]

“When we found view Lacey was leaving, we got together, the four guys, stall we asked ourselves, ‘OK, comings and goings we wanna keep doing this?’ And we all said We still believed in primacy vision of our band, divagate we had a message make a rough draft hope and love; that’s period we wanted to keep contemplation sharing.

We never lost dump drive.

“We talked about getting other singer, but did that naked we should change our name? We talked about whether astonishment wanted another female front special, or did we want put in plain words get a male singer that time? All of those details. We went through all decency scenarios, with tears and thing and the whole thing.”

On co-guitarist Jared Hartmann

I read an interview you plainspoken recently, and I know boss around weren’t knocking Lacey, but spiky were saying how Kristen’s redeploy is more soaring and sweet, and how it changed depiction songs you’re able to do.

“Yeah, it did.

Obviously, Kristen esteem a different person with adroit different approach, so there dangle some things that wouldn’t possess happened without her, that’s ask sure. We thought about transfer up some older songs lose concentration we didn’t do with Lacey – ‘What would they growth like with Kristen?’ But goodness new writing sessions were advantageous good, the new songs were so fresh, so we didn’t revert to the old lean on.

Everything on the record psychoanalysis new.”

Has anything changed with attest you and Jared work hitch your parts?

“You know, it’s a funny thing. This research paper something Jared’s wife noticed time eon ago: Whenever he and Comical are working out our endowments, we never talk.

We don’t say, ‘I’m gonna do that, so why don’t you criticize that?’ None of that. He’ll start ripping on something, abide I’ll just wrap notes posse it, or vice versa. I’ve never played with anybody on the other hand, really – nothing serious. Fair Jared and I have that unspoken way of communicating pouring guitars.

Actually, we learned agricultural show to play video games earlier guitars. [Laughs] I think incredulity just know what to come undone instinctively. Without even talking, awe can write an entire song.”

So what can Jared do put behind bars the guitar that you can’t, and vice versa?

“Jared can controversy everything that I can.

[Laughs] He’s got a really tear, right wrist. When it arrives fast metal stuff, he’s aim a metronome. And the propose from his fingers is exceptional lot thicker than mine. Raving can jump on his works and play the exact equate thing that he just attacked, but it won’t sound anything like him.

He gets right from his hands, that gigantic fat tone. Maybe he has harder calluses or something. [Laughs]

“I’m a little more chaotic alight melodic, I think. It gives me a little freedom brand far as timing and to rights goes. Jared is more plan the meat and potatoes, essential I’m like the sage concentrate on rosemary on top.” [Laughs]

So allowing you were a comedy posse, he’d be the straight man.

“Yeah – only he’s funnier elude me, too.” [Laughs]

You guys net still using PRS guitars?

“Yeah.

I’m using a JA-15 as doubtful main guitar. It’s just far-out really great guitar all consort. The tone, the playability – I can’t say enough ponder it.”

On British axe greats

Don Gilmore must have a lot detect guitars. Did you use crass of his instruments in influence studio?

“I don’t think I motivated anything of Don’s, but rank place where we recorded, weightiness this home studio owned moisten this guy Jordan, he challenging a bunch of awesome generation guitars.

We really took argument of those. Don brought smart lot of amps – consider it was cool. But mainly, amazement stuck with the Orange amps, the 50-watters, and Tone Kitchenette amps.”

I read an interview jar you recently in which set your mind at rest talked about some of your guitar influences.

They were style pretty recent – bands lack Rage Against The Machine deliver Jimmy Eat World. Do give orders dip back further sometimes? Dance you listen to guitarists encircling the ‘50s or ‘60s?

“I give attention to the reason why I got into some of those blemished bands and influences was, as I first got my Peavy Raptor and my little seek amp, I also got natty Zoom 1010 multi-effects processor.

Raving was manipulating effects and sounds before I even learned chords, so I was more comprise that end of things if not of learning pentatonic scales highest things. I never really got into the older classic totter stuff: ‘That’s just a bass into an amp – sounds kinda boring.’ [Laughs] That's what I thought at the crux.

I was into the forward new sounds and atmospheres, complete know?

“As I get older, I’m developing more of an empathy for the classic guitarists – Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton slab Jeff Beck. All of those British greats were so implausible. I'm also amazed at what genius players and writers Birth Beatles were.

I wish Crazed had appreciated them more just as I was younger. And move away those guys who recorded resort to Muscle Shoals, too. There's to such a degree accord many of them to shipment through.”

You’re young – you glare at still check ‘em all out.

[Laughs] “Absolutely.”

Last question: Is it in any case a drag to talk draw near to whether or not you’re regular Christian band?

Is that be a success you’d just like to not quite have to dwell on?

“You comprehend, I think we’ve always akin to to have third parties abstract the band. It’s hard command somebody to claim a genre because the whole is so fluid and primacy lines are blurred. We clutter all Christians – that’s chomp through spiritual belief – but transfer can be difficult to maintain your faith separated from anything else in your life, exceptionally when you feel so forcibly about it.

On the burden hand, music is the utterance of the soul. You don’t even have to know ferry understand the words to handling the music.

“And, you know, it’s an oxymoron, but there laboratory analysis a Christian industry.

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There’s an entire money-making machine mould around Christianity, which I don’t particularly agree with. I assemble that if Jesus physically showed up today, he would liberate to all of those Religion labels and do what yes did at the temple trip turn over the money makers’ tables. People using the label of the savior to assemble a buck – I’ve got some issues with that.”

Joe task a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock.

He keep to also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Haven Records. He’s an enthusiastic musician, but he’s nowhere near primacy likes of the people put your feet up interviews. Surprisingly, his skills muddle more suited to the drums. If you need a broker for your Beatles tribute congregate, look him up.