FLYLEAF
Best Hard Music Band
Best Hard Music Band Runners-up:
2. Disciple3. Red
Profile By Matt Conner
The diminutive Lacey Mosley doesn't look the part, but one listen to Flyleaf’s fantastic self-titled debut reveals a powerful signature hard rock vocal to front the searing riffs and killer melodies of the rest of the Texas foursome. It’s a sound that led to (count ’em) two re-releases at home and in the U.K. and six singles released. So it’s no surprise CCM readers named Flyleaf as “Best Hard Rock Band” in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
Currently the quartet is in the studio, finishing the details on a rumored August release with a tentative title of Momento Mori, a latin phrase meaning “be mindful of death.” Guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya gives us a few details on what to expect from the band’s new album and also laughs about the craziness of the band’s fan base.
THE “ME TOO” FACTOR
We really do have an amazing fan base and really amazing fans individually. I think the way that happened was just the message that our music is sending. It’s a very universal message, and our fans really get that. They understand us because they know they’re just like us and we’re just like them. It’s the message in the music more than anything else. When we play shows in front of different audiences, we don’t change anything about the show or the way we present the music or ourselves. We only go out there the one way we know how, and that’s being totally honest.
MEANINGFUL INTERACTION
There’s a thing we’ve been doing the last couple years through saynow.com where fans can call in and ask us questions and make comments. Then we can reply to their phone messages with our own voices. That’s really intimate and special and something we didn’t have a chance to do when we were young.
UNFORGETTABLE FAN MOMENT
One of the best moments I’ve ever had was being able to stand on the side of the stage while Jimmy Eat World was performing. That was one of the coolest things. One of the heaviest things for me was growing up listening to them and understanding what their music has done for me and my own life. Standing up there and experiencing that was really special to me.
FAN-FUELED ENERGY
I’d have to say when we played St. Petersburg in Russia, it was one of the most powerful shows I’ve felt. We were opening up for Korn, and the whole time we were in Russia, we didn’t get a very warm welcome just walking around the streets and being Americans. But when the show came around and we were playing, I had never seen a more grateful group of people ever. They’re so accepting and so willing to listen and interact with the music. I remember Pat [Seals, bass], running down off the stage and into the crowd hugging people. It was so intense.
