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Lacey - vocals
Sameer Bhattacharya - guitar
Jared Hartmann - guitar
Pat Seals - bass
James Culpepper - drums
"Memento Mori"
Flyleaf bleed, grow, love and live on MEMENTO MORI.
A focused fire burns bright at the heart of Flyleaf's second
full-length album. The platinum-selling Texas quintet's latest
offering is a collection of poignant, passionate and pensive hard
rock songs. From the kinetic first single, "Again," to the touching
album closer, "Arise," guitarists Sameer Bhattacharya and Jared
Hartman trade orchestral riffs that seesaw from soaring to searing.
Drummer James Culpepper smoothly propels every groove forward,
while Pat Seals' bass anchors unforgettable hooks. Gliding across
this majestic melodic backdrop, Lacey’s vocals build into beauty
from pain. Her voice reaches transcendent heights on songs like
"Set Apart This Dream" and "Missing.” Flyleaf's flame keeps
rising…
Lacey describes MEMENTO MORI best. "This album feels like an
emotional rollercoaster. While listening to it, I was holding my
breath at points. The issues definitely got heavier and a little
more intense."
For Flyleaf, it's all part of growing up. In October 2008, the band
entered a Los Angeles studio with producer Howard Benson (My
Chemical Romance, Papa Roach, All-American Rejects) to record the
follow-up to their self-titled debut. Immediately, these five
individuals tapped into the same chemistry that made FLYLEAF a
massive worldwide hit and yielded songs like the breakout single
"I'm So Sick" in 2005.
"As songwriters, we all have such a great rapport. None of us are
really possessive or territorial about what we write," explains
Pat. "There are a lot of different flavors that work perfectly
together. We grew up a lot since the first record, and I think that
particularly shows in the selflessness that each of us now brings
to Flyleaf. We're vastly different people, but we’re united in what
we want to say and how we want to say it."
That unity shines on songs like "Beautiful Bride," which just
poured out of the band one day in rehearsal. The track came
together instantly, and Lacey was able to write lyrics on the spot.
She says, "Pat started playing this new song, and the words came
out all at once. I'd been dealing with a conflict in my family and
this song was born out of that moment. I got a phone call the next
day that an amazing reconciliation had come within my family. Both
the song and the situation started out painful and ended up
glorious. This just proves to me how everything can work together
for a greater good. Like a family fight turning into 'Beautiful
Bride', a song about unity."
The record is made of messages like that. Flyleaf titled the album
MEMENTO MORI—a Latin phrase meaning "Be mindful of death"—in order
to remind the world how precious life is. The band tries to take
advantage of each and every opportunity presented to them, and
they're an example of dreams coming to fruition through never
giving up. For Sameer, that sentiment of living every day to its
fullest is essential for creating music. "Each day is a new
beginning. It's never too late to become the kind of superhero you
imagined you'd be when you were a kid."
These sonic superheroes have created an experience for listeners,
stretching far beyond the recorded sounds. Flyleaf looked over the
13 songs that would become MEMENTO MORI, and saw how they all come
together to form a sort of parable if you listen from start to
finish. Lacey evinces, "Every track is like another chapter of the
story. In my head it feels like a movie. The story becomes a
parable for important life lessons we’ve learned over the years.
After coming through these life and death experiences, we have
learned to be more grateful and purposeful with the time we are
given. We want to pass the torch at the end during ‘Arise.’ Perhaps
someone will come away from the story and be more grateful and
purposeful with their own life and the world will change for the
better."
Flyleaf began composing these stories as they toured the world on
the 2006 and 2007 installments of the Family Values Tour and on a
European trek with Korn. Sharing the stage with the likes of Stone
Sour, Deftones and Evanescence, Flyleaf captivated fans everywhere
as their self-titled debut continued to ascend the charts. Singles
such as "I'm So Sick," "Fully Alive," and the RIAA gold smash "All
Around Me" pulled audiences in, and FLYLEAF reached RIAA platinum
heights while the band toured endlessly. The album spent 133 weeks
on the Billboard 200 while staking claims in the top 5 of the
Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart and the top 15 of the Billboard
Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts.
In 2006, Flyleaf released MUSIC AS A WEAPON, a four-track EP; its
sale supported the work of World Vision. Last year, the band
contributed their rendition of "What's This?" to the star-filled
compilation NIGHTMARE REVISITED, a rock homage to the music of
director Tim Burton's now classic 1993 film, The Nightmare Before
Christmas. The following year the band treated fans to a special,
limited edition, two-disc version of FLYLEAF.
Now the world will receive MEMENTO MORI, and it's Flyleaf's
greatest gift. Right before they put the finishing touches on the
album, they embarked on an acoustic tour for U.S. troops overseas
in Afghanistan, debuting two songs, "Circle" and "Chasm." The
band's itinerary took them from Bagram Air Field in
Afghanistan—where they performed before nearly 1,000 soldiers—to
the distant Forward Operating Base Baylough in southern
Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border.
Lacey explains. "It was the last thing we did before we finished
this record. It was really life changing for us. Everywhere you
turn in Afghanistan, you're reminded of your mortality—in a good
way. These troops were so thankful that we were there and that they
could just enjoy life for a minute. That's exactly what MEMENTO
MORI means. Life's important, and it's brief. You never know when
it's going to be over for you or the people around you. You have to
make the most of every opportunity you're given. We got to talk to
the soldiers about so many things, but there was a bomb the next
day and many of them were killed. We came to know these men
personally in a short time though. That was MEMENTO MORI at its
highest."
"Missing" is another song that shows how important love and life
are. The hook is massive, but there's more to it. Lacey continues,
"The bridge says "Down here love wasn't meant to be for me, all is
vanity underneath the sun." The phrase makes you ask 'What would
the world be like if we took love out of it?' Love is painful. It
requires work. It's selfless. Even though it's difficult, if you
take that out of the earth you're going to end up with nothing.
C.S. Lewis said, 'The only place in all of the world where you can
escape the dangers of love is hell.'" Nothing could be truer.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum, Lacey drew inspiration
for her vocal performance for "Set Apart this Dream" and "Tiny
Heart" from her relationship with her younger sister. She says, "My
sister is 17, and she's about to become a woman. She's always
looked up to me. As much as I can, I want to make sure she doesn't
make the same mistakes I have. She listens to me. This record has
stories about failing and consequences of wrong decisions. My songs
are usually hopeful in a really dark way. Many times artists can
communicate deep feelings for other people and it heals them.
That's what art does."
That's also what Flyleaf does. In the end, this band is about
giving. "This band's formation was one of the most natural things
I’d ever experienced and I knew it would change our lives” says
Sameer.
However, it's evolved into something even larger. Lacey concludes,
"I want to let kids know that they have a purpose and can do
something great. I believe that one hundred percent. Growing up, my
mom was a single mom with six kids. We struggled for absolutely
everything. Here we are now with so many blessings. It doesn't even
feel real sometimes. I just feel so thankful."
That's why MEMENTO MORI is going to last in the hearts and minds
for listeners for a long time.
