WAVORLY

Wavorly drew its first creative breath as a pop punk assemblage of college students from Tupelo, Mississippi called Freshmen 15. It wasnt long, though, before vocalist Dave Stovall and bassist Matt Lott caught a grander vision for what their music and purpose could be. A few years of growth and evolution, some line-up changes and a couple hundred shows later, Wavorly bursts onto the national scene with their Flicker Records debut, Conquering The Fear of Flight, a sprawling modern rock masterpiece that blends elements of alternative, classic progressive rock, indie-rock and hard rock with highly literate lyrics, a boldly imaginative use of strings and a sublime sense of melody. In the league of other genre-stretching acts like Muse, My Chemical Romance, Mae and Switchfoot, Wavorly rocks with heart and mind intact.

Though the friends all entered school as fans of pop punk bands like Blink 182 and Relient K, their musical influences diversified significantly by the time they came out the other side. I went in more of a rock/hardcore direction at one point, Lott explains. Then Dave was getting more into atmospheric pop artists like Coldplay. The guys connected with guitarist Seth Farmer who was a long-time metalhead and drummer Jaime Hayes, a devotee of crazy progressive music like Dream Theatre, according to Lott. When they realized their road manager Ryan Coon, a big fan of Muse, could play keyboards he was drafted as well.

Stovall, the product of a heavily music-oriented family, started as an avid drummer at the age of five, before adding guitar skills in high school and chorus and piano in college. He majored in Music Education with an emphasis in percussion before embracing piano as his main instrument. Because of majoring in music education, Stovall says, I took a lot of Music Theory and listened to a lot of classical music, and it definitely influenced my writing.

Lott, who was literally taught bass by Stovall, serves as the primary lyricist for the band and as a multi-subject substitute teacher when he is home. I like to make the lyrics easy to understand at first glance, he admits. But then if you read through them and listen to the whole song, I like the listener to figure out; Wait, I think hes saying something deeper here.

Wavorlys uniqueness settles across the listener with the first strains of their Rob Graves (RED) produced debut. Intricately arranged and immediately accessible strings and classical piano establish a darkly elegant waltz as the introduction to the album, before devolving into a pounding wall of guitars and drums. Stovalls powerful vocals ride across the top of the churning, but consistently tuneful brew as he delivers lyrical images heavily colored by author and teacher C.S. Lewis. In fact, Lewis classic novel The Great Divorce, served as an influence on several of the discs songs, while his sense of imagination and heart deeply shaped the melodic and stylistic inspiration behind the band in general.

Lott enthusiastically admits to the overarching influence the Cambridge Master had on the band and on this album. Two of the songs are specifically based on The Great Divorce, he explains. They describe the main character in this classic and the choice he is faced with to stay in hell or go to heaven. The driving rocker Endless Day directly quotes the book with the line a thin line of emerald green stretched tight as a fiddle-string. Lott continues, Its about heaven being this amazing wide open place, Lott shares. But the song Part One puts off a dismal, confused feeling representing his option to stay in hell.

Lewis words were also specifically influential on the discs opening cut Madmen, but his sense of imagination and scope even influenced the arrangements, melodies and overall style of the disc. Stovall is also their resident Lewis aficionado. I drew a lot of inspiration from my emotional response to his books, he explains. As a result, we found this rock / alternative sound with a sense of mystery and deep meaning.

Praise and Adore, the soaring and instantly memorable lead single is not a worship song in the classic understanding of the term. When I sat down to write it, Stovall recalls, I had no agenda. I wasnt trying to write a song with the meaning it has. I was really just trying to write a song from my heart to God. From the title Praise and Adore and the way its structured, it sounds like a praise song; however, the main point is not about praising God. Its about how people can go their whole lives without ever knowing true life and having an abundance of it. Lott continues, "It was originally titled 'Some Live Without it,'" he adds. Sometimes we don't realize that a lot of people exist outside of that bubble in a real world of hurt and despair. We should be thankful and praise God that we have the opportunity to live our lives with the hope that He has given us and strive to help others see that hope."

Whether referring to the cascading melodies, the complex musicality, the artfully beautiful lyrics or the thematic orchestration, Wavorly is a richly layered musical experience that has both immediate Wow factor and long-term staying power. But as rich as the bands creative vision is, their heart is buried deep into the belief that music can have a positive and life-changing effect on peoples lives in ways that really matter.

WEBSITE: http://www.wavorly.com
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/wavorly

 

THE MYRIAD

The Myriad released their new album "With Arrows, With Poise" (Koch Records) on May 13, 2008. The week of release, MTV featured The Myriad as their "Artist of the Week." Their video for "A Clean Shot" was the most played video on MTV the week before the album released. "With Arrows, With Poise" had a 13 debut on the Billboard Heatseekers chart as well as being a top 40 album on iTunes. The Myriad just wrapped a 45 city tour with Eisley that was preceded but a run of shows with Switchfoot and Athlete.

"With Arrows, With Poise" was mixed at Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany by Michael Ilbert (The Cardigans, Kent, The Hives) and mastered at historic Abbey Road Studios in London, England by Adam Nunn (Air, Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, George Martin, Mogwai) as well as acclaimed Sterling Sound in New York City by Greg Calbi (Beastie boys, John Mayer, Interpol, Norah Jones).

The Myriad strive to be as much a musical vision as they are a band. Developed from the midnight University musings of front man Jeremy Edwardson and bassist John Roger Schofield, the concept was simple and immediate: a living, breathing artistic unit that draws equally on the creative energy of all members. The two invited Randy Miller and Jonathan Young to come into their ranks. Finally, Steven Tracy, already working with Edwardson as a Seattle-based engineering duo of growing renown, completed the lineup.

Drawing rave reviews from fans and critics worldwide, The Myriad's music covers a diversely artistic panorama. Atmospheric, melodic strains fill lyrics of hope, doubt, heartache, and love, while epic soundtracks span thundering anthems and sincere confessions with a mighty thump! The band has toured extensively, touring with bands such as Eisley, Switchfoot, Athelete, Lovedrug, mewithoutYou, Mutemath, As Tall As Lions, etc, and has quickly earned a sing-along relationship with fans everywhere... a connection founded more on captivating performances than on-stage antics. Creative melodies evocative of at times kent, at others bjork, are delivered with the grand musical scope of the verve, radiohead and mew.

The Myriad was hand picked by the music critics at MTV to be top finalists in a national search for the 'next big thing' called the "Dew Circuit Breakout". Only 12 out of over 4000 bands were selected at which time MTV turned the competition over to fan voting to ultimately determine the winner. The finale aired live on MTV2 December 15th, 2007 and featured performances by the top 3 finalists and ended, after several millions votes came in, with The Myriad crowned 2007's MTV2 Breakout champions. The bands live video "A Clean Shot" was produced by MTV at the NYC Times Square TRL studios and began regular rotation on MTV Networks January 14th, 2008. The band will have a downloadable song on the new video game ROCKBAND for xbox and Playstation.

WEBSITE: http://www.themyriad.net
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/themyriad

 

LEVI LUSKO

Levi Lusko was born in Colorado, moving to Albuquerque in 1993. He grew up in a Christian family, and never knew life outside of church. As he grew older religion, church, and God became a motion for him that lacked meaning. He knew all the Bible stories, went to many church activities but didn't take his walk with God seriously.

The summer before his freshmen year in high school, Levi went on a lake trip with a youth group and God broke through. He got his first taste of being used by God on a mission trip to Romania. Overseas missions became a major part of his life and provided opportunities to preach the gospel. He attended Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta CA, and spent a semester studying in York, England.

Levi served as youth pastor at Calvary of Albuquerque, one of the largest churches in the state of New Mexico, where he was mentored by Skip Heitzig. He also has served the Lord in Orange County, CA where he was the director of student ministries and was a teaching pastor at Ocean Hills Church in San Juan Capistrano, California.

In 2004 he began the O2 Experience, a high energy event geared at reaching teenagers with the message of sexual purity that has impacted thousands of students. He has spoken at churches, concerts, school assemblies, and evangelistic outreaches all over the country. Levi is passionate about preaching the gospel and teaching the Word of God.

In the summer of 2006 Levi preached at a crusade in Montana. Since then the Lord lead him to begin a work there. Currently he pastors Fresh Life Church in Kalispell. He lives with his wife Jennie and their daughters, Alivia and Lenya in Northwest Montana.

WEBSITE: http://www.levilusko.com