Recently, we had the opportunity to talk with up-and-coming Jersey based pop/rock band A Lifelike Story. We talked about their recent signing to JMD Records, their debut EP Never Have I Ever, and their future plans.
LitS: First off, for the people who haven’t heard of your band before, tell us a brief history of A Lifelike Story.
A Lifelike Story: We are a three piece pop/rock band from central New Jersey consisting of Bryan Welsh (Vocals/Guitar), Garrett Hoffman (Bass/Vocals) and Chris Mueller (Drums). After going to the same high school and being in other projects, we got together and started writing and performing in the fall of 2009.
LitS: This past November you released your debut EP titled Never Have I Ever. So far, how has this EP been received by the public?
ALLS: The EP has already received a lot of positive attention from the public as well as representatives within the industry. We’ve been overwhelmed with the feedback that has been associated with the release.
LitS: Explain to us what A Lifelike Story’s writing process is like.
ALLS: Usually one of us will bring a basic idea to the group and then we will expand on it together. As far as the music goes, the process is a collective effort; the three of us bring our own different elements to the songs. Bryan writes a lot of the lyrics and melodies, while Chris and Garrett help to bring a lot of musical aspects to the music.
LitS: What bands do you feel influenced you the most when writing this record?
ALLS: We all listen to many different styles of music so not one band influenced us more than another. We were more heavily influenced by life experience and what surrounds us. We use many different styles and techniques to get our sound.
LitS: Are these influences clearly evident in your music?
ALLS: Yes.
LitS: Recently you have signed a global distrubution deal with JMD Records to support Never Have I Ever. What was it about JMD that lead you to make this deal?
ALLS: After talks with JMD we knew they were a company we wanted to work with. They have a business model that is very similar to our thoughts on the industry. We feel it’s important to be on similar wave lengths especially in an industry that is constantly changing. We look forward to continue working with them as we progress.
LitS: You define yourselves to be in the Pop/Rock genre; a genre that is evidently incredibly hard to stand out in. What do you feel your band brings to the table that sets you apart from the All Time Low’s and We The Kings’ of the scene?
ALLS: Even though we’ve been categorized as a “pop/rock” band we don’t like to put a genre on ourselves. We write music that we have fun with and music that we would listen to. We are constantly growing as musicians and broadening our musical horizons and we feel that will help us stand out in a genre that has turned almost “manufactured”. Without limitations we can really go in any direction and write what we want and what we feel.
LitS: Are there any plans for a full-length in the future?
ALLS: Currently we are focusing on promoting Never Have I Ever. We are constantly writing, demoing, and coming up with new ideas so there is the possibility of a full length or another EP. We’re playing around with a bunch of ideas at the moment.
LitS: Any upcoming tours or specific shows you would like the world to know about?
ALLS: We don’t have any tours at the moment although we have a few shows coming up. We will be playing a free show at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY on April 23.
LitS: Thank you greatly for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add before we end here?
ALLS: Thank you! We would like to thank all of our fans for their support and continued support as we move forward into the future. You guys are the best!
Check out their music here and their new music video here.
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