Over the past decade Flyleaf has been one of the most successful Hard Rock bands with three constructive chart topping albums and building a reputation for a must see live act. Coming to the surprise of many fans, original vocalist Lacey Sturm departed from the band following the release of New Horizons in 2012, which raised the question where does Flyleaf go from here? Fortunately, the band approached the winds of change with their eyes wide open and brought in the talented vocalist Kristen May to take over singing duties. After finding comfort with one another through touring and the release of their 2013 EP Who We Are, Flyleaf return in 2014 with their fourth overall studio album titled Between The Stars. Released on Tuesday September 16th, May, Sameer Bhattacharya, Jared Hartmann, Pat Seals, and James Culpepper made a trip to West Babylon, NY on the south shore of Long Island to conduct a meet and greet and in-store performance at highly respected independent record store Looney Tunes. Lining up outside the store early for a chance to be up front for this personal experience, this was building up to be an exciting release day for Flyleaf and their fans.
As fans piled in and found their place, Between The Stars played over the air, giving everyone a first listen to the new material. Hearing the tracks pass, a common consensus among the audience was the record is a tremendous new sound combining heavy guitars, thoughtful lyrics, and well-crafted song compositions. As the wait for Flyleaf mounted excitement, marking their return to Looney Tunes for the first time in four years, store owner Karl Groeger Jr introduced the band briefly on stage. He conveyed a personal story of recounting his introduction to Flyleaf, prior to being signed, and following the band as they have blossomed and grown through the years. Groeger went on to express his gratitude for fans supporting independent record stores and welcomed Flyleaf to the stage as the audience applauded. Left open in this intimate environment, each member appeared in high spirits and proceeded to perform four songs including new tracks “Set Me On Fire” and “Platonic” as well as old favorite “All Around Me”. May’s voice shined bright in the stripped down environment and the shimmery emotion in her inflections really showed her tremendous vocal range. Complemented by the delicate acoustic instrumentation of each member’s performance, this was a brief but exceptional set that fans will never forget.
After completing their performance, the band sat down, greeting each and every single fan; signing posters, copies of their new album, as well as other personal items. Making sure to not slight any of their followers and show how grateful they are for the support, each member took the time to take photos with the fans and personally thank them as they approached the signing table. As the event came to a close and adoring fans left Looney Tunes, it was easy to see that Flyleaf’s growth has been welcomed with open arms. Between The Stars is definitely a record that will catch many by surprise by challenging their idea of what they think they know about Flyleaf, and in the end, leaving them highly impressed. Now the band get set to kick off their fall headlining tour October 2nd in Waco, Texas with support from Ryan White and Lullwater, so do not miss out.
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