Band of the Week

LoveLikeFire

The term independent music really doesn't mean what it used to. When someone uses the phrase "indie" to describe a band they typically are describing the sound of the music and not the situation of the band. However, their are an increasing amount of musician out there who are finding success as truly independent artists. I am talking about the handmade, self-released, self-promoted albums that are passed out at shows, and sold through pay pal and i-tunes. I have nothing against records labels, but it just seems like these bands have a little more invested in the product. These are the bands that I love to listen to and talk about.

So when I received an e-mail several months ago from Ann Yu of LoveLikeFire I listened. She and the other members of the band (David Farrell, Ted Parker, and Robert Kissinger) had created something that they wanted to share with me. This being their second self-released ep in as many years, An Ocean in the Air. From the first few second of the the first track, "Unlighted Shadow", I knew I would love their sound. Soaring keyboards, driving guitars, and Ann's powerful vocals come together on seven well produced tracks to make this ep one of the best of the year.

Recently, Ann was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): What is the story behind the name LoveLikeFire?

Ann Yu (AY):We chose LoveLikeFire for a couple of different reasons. We really liked the flow and aesthetics of how these words fit together and how striking the name felt. We thought it would be a good place to start in building our music.

OA: I enjoy the new video for "I Will". What was it like working with Tom and Samara?

AY: Tom and Samara were very inspirational to work with. They worked long, arduous hours on the project and always made sure we were comfortable throughout the entire filming.
sure we were comfortable and knew what was going on.

OA: I love the artwork on the cover of An Ocean in the Air. How created the cover, and how important to you is the appearance of the albums?

AY: The appearance of our album artwork, poster artwork, is very important to us. Art and music are one and one and the same and when you are presenting the world with anything visual, it's a reflection on what's attached to that art as well. We carry that idea in everything about our music and live shows. Our good friend Aidan Dysart created the album art, he spent some time with the music and the lyrics and developed the concept which led to the artwork.

OA: What is the biggest challenge facing you as a musician?

AY: Money and time. :)

OA: LoveLikeFire has put out two wonderful ep's in two years, are there plans for a full length?

AY: Our full length will be coming out in the second half of next year. We're currently locked up in the studio writing it!

OA: What's next for LoveLikeFire?

AY: Hopefully a couple of tours overseas, and continued exposure throughout the world. We want to reach as many people as possible, whatever that takes.

Bonus Questions:
OA: What has been the strangest thing to ever happen to you while playing a show?

AY: Watching people do the skank to our music. That was pretty strange and interesting!

OA: What was the last great book you read?

AY: The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

An Ocean In The Air
Unlighted Shadows (mp3)/From A Tower (mp3)/Broken Shapes/S.O.S./Skin and Bones/Wish You Dead/I Will

For more information on LoveLikeFire please visit their website or check out their myspace.