How Radio Rockers Flyleaf Soared from the Racks to the Charts

When Flyleaf, a quintet of Temple, TX-based Christian post-grungies, appeared on mainstream radio charts in 2004 with their catchy rock anthem “Breathe Today,” some of the credit should have gone to the independent music retailers that supported the group by selling their self-titled EP. That release, which contained their breakthrough single, notable for lithe frontwoman Lacey Mosley’s deft flexibility between gentle and harsh vocals, was originally only available at non-corporate record stores (like the one where you picked up this magazine). Since then, the band’s self-titled full-length, which contains all of the songs on the EP and was released in late 2005 on Octone, has gone gold. Two years later, the group still feels gratitude for their original springboard.

“I think if it weren’t for all those indie stores, a lot of bands wouldn’t get out there, just because indie stores are just so cool,” says Flyleaf guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya via phone at a stop between gigs. “They have a great feeling about them. They’re inviting. [Bigger stores] have a variety of stuff, but sometimes they get a little sterile. Indie record stores have a lot of soul.”

Bhattacharya’s favorite shop is the Maine-based Bull Moose Music, which, incidentally, was one of the stores to first help break the Flyleaf EP. What he likes most about the store is how friendly and knowledgeable the staff is. It doesn’t hurt anything that they also helped turn him onto underground groups such as emo-rockers Minus the Bear, neo-shoegazers Pedro the Lion and instrumental post-rockers/fellow Texans, Explosions in the Sky. The fact that Flyleaf sit on the same racks as these bands means a lot to Bhattacharya, since it’s all a part of the indie ethos his band supports. “We have an important message of hope that we’re hoping that people are getting from us,” he says. “If we can put things into indie stores, that’s just awesome. We all grew up getting our records from indie record stores.”

Each of Flyleaf’s members have their own unique influences that they bring to the band, and Bhattacharya says some of the bands he discovered at Bull Moose have been in his mind while writing songs for their follow-up, which they hope to start recording in early 2008. It’s all just another important part of the path on which the band has been traveling. “Everyone says you have your whole life to write your first record, and you only have so long, like two years, to make another record, and that’s kind of true,” says Bhattacharya. “I think we learned a lot about ourselves, about our bliss for each other and the world around us. And I think a lot of that is gonna come out with this [new material].” Luckily they have the support system intact to help them deliver their message.

This entry was posted by RNYK on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 10:41 am