Remember that song “Hanging by a Moment,” by Lifehouse, the band everyone forgot about after their debut CD in 2001? After a five year hiatus from the mainstream scene, including a second album that flopped, the band consisting of Jason Wade, Bryce Soderberg and Rick Woolstenhulme, is back in the game with a self-titled album that hit number 10 on the Billboard charts the first week it came out.
The band spent time with John Alagia, who produced albums for both Dave Matthews and John Mayer. As a band, Lifehouse stayed at Alagia’s house in eastern Maryland, relaxing and writing over 50 new songs with no pressure and no time constraints. They had no specific style of music they wanted to put on the album, just songs they felt showed their true feelings the most, including “You and Me,” a love ballad, which is atypical for this band.
In an interview with MTV.com, Wade discussed the new style the band developed over the years, especially in light of feeling less pressure having already produced a follow-up CD, regardless of it being a flop.
“I think we might have shied away from releasing a ballad a few years ago, but part of this whole rebirth for us has been trying not to over think anything,” Wade said. “To write love songs that people connect to is not a bad thing. Nothing bothers me anymore, as long as people listen to us. I really feel like there are certain things that are beyond your control, like who’s going to listen to your music. We don’t care about who comes to our shows, we’re just going to give it 100 percent.”
Lifehouse’s tour to promote their new album kicked off on April 15. They will appear on tonight’s episode of the WB’s “Smallville” for the show’s prom episode. Connecticut fans will get a taste of their new music when the band performs a gig at Toad’s Place next Tuesday.
The new CD is relaxed, with songs that Wade said he felt comfortable with because the band is finally “comfortable in their skin.” They are not writing to please everyone, they are writing what they want and what they think sounds good.
Although Lifehouse is not known for sad, depressing love songs, many think Wade expresses some of his private emotions through moody songs. He said he had a “falling out” with someone he was close to and had a hard time picking himself back up. Writing is his way of working out his feelings.
“You and Me” is romantic, but also stormy. Wade described it as a hurricane, when you like someone and all you think about is them, but you do not know how they feel about you. “All of the things that I want to say just aren’t coming out right. I’m tripping on words. You’ve got my head spinning. I don’t know where to go from here,” Wade said. The song is powerful and not as fluffy as other romantic ballads listeners expect.
Wade thinks that the new songs “Blind” and “Better Luck Next Time” are more confrontational. He confided about his youth when his parents split-up and the difficulties he still has with it. His songs show his feelings and some give personal stories from his past. Wade is happy with the band’s third CD and thinks part of the success is because of the casual atmosphere recording it at Alagia’s house. “It feels like I’m 15 again,” he said. “The three of us [the band members] hang out all the time, play basketball, go out to eat. It feels right.”
