Lights Resolve are a fantastic new and young band who are slowly making a name for themselves in the Northeast. The band is releasing a brand new record called Feel You’re Different that was produced by Mike Sapone (Brand New, Straylight Run) and mastered by Emily Lazar/Joe LaPorta (Foo Fighters, Vampire Weekend).

*Responses from Matthew Reich

How did the band come together? How have you grown since you guys started?
Neal and I have been playing music since we were in high school together. This band started out of necessity to play music when an old singer quit our last band. I started singing and we decided on a dirty three-piece alternative style. At the outset we were primarily concerned about experimenting with the frequency range of sound in order to create something big with only three people on stage. As the band developed, we each became more confident, competent, and willing to step outside of any pre-existing boundaries on our own instruments; we’re now ready to let it all hang out.
 
What do you have to offer that other bands don’t? What sets you apart from a lot of the other newer bands out there today?
We have always strived to have our own sound that is unique to us; it’s hard to label our band, which is a blessing and a curse. Something has been created that we can call all our own but we cannot jump off of an existing scene, which could mean that no one will even get to hear about our band. I think we offer something real and raw in a world of fake and processed. We just recorded our debut full length that we worked on with producer Mike Sapone (Brand New, Taking Back Sunday). Our goal for the recording process was to work from strength and limitation. In an industry of artists using endless amounts of tracks and instrumentation with limitless technology, we decided we wanted to go back to basics; we only wanted guitar, bass and drums on the whole record. If there was a part I wrote on the piano, I transferred it over to guitar or sang the part to make this happen. I’m sure Morello had a little influence on this decision.
 
How is the live show compared to the general sound of material that’s been released?
Up until now our live show has always been way more aggressive than our recordings have been. It’s all blood, sweat, spit and an air of unpredictability at the live show. For our new record, Feel You’re Different (to be released this Spring), we captured the aggression, the power and the dangerous quality of our live shows on tape. It will change the temperature of your room just like our live show.
 
More times than not, influences tend to bleed through. What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Throughout the process of recording this record we were all primarily listening to a lot of 90’s music that fed our teenage souls. After the glitz and glam of the decadent 80’s people were longing for something more real, raw and weighty…I believe we’re in that exact kind of era right now. We said screw the drum machines, samples, neon, legions of people on stage, big hair…let’s crawl through the mud with a strong few and see what’s on the other side. Inspiration came from bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, Barkmarket and Queens of the Stone Age.
 
What would you say the band has already accomplished and what do you have your eyes set on next?
As a fully independent band we have managed to continuously tour the country opening for platinum selling acts, placed a song on the game Rock Band, sold out headlining shows at some of our favorite hometown venues and created a debut record that we are very excited about. Our next goal is to finish the artwork/packaging for the album, release it in the Spring and tour till we can’t afford to anymore. We live for what we do…live, eat, sleep and breathe just in order to make this band possible. We hope this record connects with people…if not, I can always say we created something beautiful of our own without anybody else telling us what to do. If all fails, I will probably end up starting an Ace of Base tribute band…I think it may the first.
 
Thus far, what’s a favorite memory or something quirky that’s taken place with the band (in-studio, onstage, or elsewhere)?
I have fond memories of our producer Mike Sapone firing up the grill at the studio and cooking us meals daily during the recording process. Something quirky? …Just about every fan interaction.
 
Is there anything in particular that you’d like people to take away from listening to your music?
I really hope that people give the music on this new record a chance to settle in…it may not be a first listen record…I’m guessing it will grow on you like a fungus (but a fungus that’s fun to play with). Knowing what kind of band we are and what kind of band we strive to be, I’m okay with that. All I know is that the work that went into writing, recording and planning this record was relentless and tremendous. We really took the time to do everything the way we intended it to be done, without compromise, and I hope that people connect with the message of the band - not only the music, and/or the lyrics, but the idea of what our band is about right now - a return to basics…no bullshit.

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