Flyleaf

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 and first for Loud & Proud Records, Between The Stars.
You could chalk it up to serendipity, but it simply feels meant to be. Seizing that spirit, the band— Kristen May , Sameer Bhattacharya , Jared Hartmann , Pat Seals , and James Culpepper —immediately thrust themselves into the creative process.
"When we started writing this record, we had a common hardship," admits Kristen. "Their singer had quit, and my previous band had broken up. As writers, we weren't really sure how to move forward. At the same time, we all had this shared feeling of hope and a second chance. Music came out of those experiences from coming together and persevering through whatever doubts and trials we faced in our lives. It felt like home once we began making music."
Sameer concurs, "It just worked. We were bringing in different perspectives and ideas from earlier times. It was a new beginning for all of us."
That new beginning also entailed another first for the group. They sought out the production talents of the iconic Don Gilmore , 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.
"Don's always looking for the magic," smiles Sameer. "It wasn't about making things precise or perfect. For the first time, we went into the studio and let things happen. It was about the energy and the spontaneity of a song more than anything. It was a very refreshing approach."
"It's the most emotional album I've ever been a part of," she declares. "There are some really heavy things and lyrics that weren't easy to say. Everybody tried to be as raw as possible when we were writing and recording. That all came out in the songs."
At the same time, 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.