Winter was approaching and we all felt trapped. For years, we had played in Nashville rock groups, playing successful regional shows, selling thousands of CDs, getting play on popular MTV shows. But we felt a yearning for change, a need to break out of the old mold.
We formed Lovers and Liars with a focus on doing things differently. We broke with modern rock tradition, trading Les Pauls and Marshall stacks for lead piano, drum machines, and synthesized textures. Switched straightforward singing for a diverse Mike Patton-style approach, using a variety of vocal deliveries to convey more complex sonic ideas. At the core, though, we stuck to hooky, personal songwriting.
We found that our outside-the-box approach drew converts instantly. Nashville's rock scene was the first to embrace our new direction, craving a new sound and approach as much as we had. Three months after our packed-house stage debut, we were awarded "Best Alternative Band" and "Song of the Year" (for "Buried Alive") honors at Nashville's Local Buzz Rock Awards. We found ourselves earning both radio play and opening slots for national acts in cities across the southeast. We earned a main stage slot at Nashville's annual Buzzfest.
Our sound and songwriting soon caught the ear of Tom McKay of Universal Republic, who signed us in early 2010. Yet even as we write and record new material for our major-label debut, it still feels like just the beginning...