From the City of Angels comes California’s own Letlive, a band that made its breakthrough with 2010’s raw and hard-hittingFake History.
Reinvigorating the metal genre with their melodic, infectious soul tones mashed with an onslaught of frenetic punk and post-hardcore melodies, Letlive are back with another demon. They’re set to explode once again with their latest release If I’m The Devil…, a record that guitarist Jeff Sahyoun admits isn’t your typical Letlive album.
“It’s kind of a new colour that has been added to the Letlive catalogue,” explains Sahyoun. “It’s definitely exciting. We have had the opportunity to experiment immensely with different sounds, different arrangements and a different feel as a whole. We have kind of stepped outside of the box a little bit to see what kind of journey we could take our listeners on.
“I think we have been through a lot as a band and this record definitely represents the evolution of the band as a whole, and where we have been on a personal level as artists. I think we have ended up with something pretty beautiful, and we are pretty excited to show everybody.”
If I’m The Devil… strikes the perfect balance between Letlive’s erratic rock influences and the smooth soul that has always been an underlying style within their sound. If anything, the record demonstrates the band’s unconcern with the stereotypes of the punk scene, producing new material that is sonically brighter than previous releases.
“I think there is always going to be that punk rock aesthetic to Letlive and to everything we are,” says Sahyoun. “We didn’t go into this record thinking that we should steer away from the foundation of this band. As one would say, ‘Never forget where you came from.’ I don’t think that will ever happen with us. I think punk rock is all about being you and not really giving a fuck what anyone else thinks. You know, like being in tune with your emotions and being let loose in a way that makes you feel human or alive. I think we got the opportunity to do that with this album. We are very much still a punk band.”
Most bands will reminisce about their favourite childhood artists when it comes to naming influences, but for Letlive, this isn’t the case. Although each member comes from a different musical background, it is the collective effort when writing each song that shapes their sound.
“We really draw off each other,” Sahyoun says. “Trying to write and compose this album, it was pretty challenging. We all come from different musical backgrounds and everybody in the band had different visions as to where they wanted the end product to end up. This ended up causing a lot of disagreements and tension amongst the group. It was definitely challenging. I’m not going to lie, it was definitely hell on Earth at times, but I think it gave us a chance to reinvent the band, and bring us to something that we never thought it would be.
“Everyone had their own opinions, and I think towards the middle of the writing process we put our egos aside, sat back and realised we all had our best interest for each other in mind. There was this level of trust that was thrown into the equation, and it was only then that we started to agree on stuff, and started to get excited. It was here that we started to build the strong foundations of the musical aspect of the record.”
[Letlive photo by Jonathan Weiner]
Letlive’sIf I’m The Devil… isout Friday June 10 through Epitaph.
