Following the release of the much-acclaimed EP Who We Are in 2013, alternative rock group Flyleaf announced its intention to return with a full-length album in 2014. The sheer energy and haunting lyricism of the album echoed qualities of past Flyleaf tours, in which the band fused a unique melodic element with a hard rock feel. Flyleaf’s energetic presence on stage is contagious with guitarists Jared Hartmann and Sameer Bhattacharya dancing as they strum. The release of Who We Are marked the first major achievements since the step-down of original lead vocalist Lacey Sturm. Immediately following Sturm’s departure, new female vocalist Kristen May impressed with her stunning voice and obvious passion, qualities essential in assisting the entire band in the lead-up to its first Kristen May-focused album and associated tour.
Flyleaf began as Passerby, a collaboration between Lacey Sturm and James Culpepper. After joining forces with Sameer Bhattacharya and Jared Hartmann, the group performed in concerts throughout Texas, eliciting the majority of their ticket purchases from Christian fans bored with the traditional religious music scene. Even with clear demographic trends and frequent allusions to faith in their lyrics, members of Flyleaf refer to themselves not as a Christian rock band, but as members of a rock band who happen to be Christians. Since christening itself Flyleaf in 2004, the band has experienced success in the mainstream music industry, most notably landing on Top 40 radio stations with the single “All Around Me.” Subsequent successes have included the release of a second full-length album, Memento Mori, as well as headlining the 2010 Unite & Fight Tour. The band may see a future transition into a less faith-based approach, as Kristen May expressed a desire to take a different route in the 2014 tour.