Feature

You wouldn’t think little ol’ Selma, Ala., would be home to one of America’s most promising up-and-comers in rock-and-roll, but Laylines has the chance to make this town famous for something other than the Civil Rights Movement.

Mobile’s underground scene has the tendency to be very fickle. Basically, if they haven’t heard of the act, then people usually won’t show up. When Laylines played their first gig at Cell Block, the staff was very pessimistic as far as turnout was concerned. As show time grew closer, it seemed as if someone had flipped a switch.

Person after person began filing into the venue, and Laylines went on to charm the ecstatic crowd with their energy-filled, alternative sound that instantaneously shifted from clean and heartfelt to angry and distorted. It was this sound that has attracted the attention of major management firms such as Red Hare Entertainment and various radio stations in the United States and Canada.

Laylines began as a hybrid of several other bands that had been jamming around Selma. Vocalist/guitarist Justin Flave had been working on an all-original band with drummer Greg Brown.

“Greg and I started playing together when I was about 17,” Flave explained. “We started playing together in a band with his brother, Lance. Lance was singing, I was playing bass and Greg was playing drums.”

The three recruited a guitarist who simply went by “Zac” to create a band called King’s Fool. The lifespan of King’s Fool was not lengthy and within a year they had parted ways. Zac, Brown and Flave began separately playing with other bands, but the magic just wasn’t there. It was time for fate to step into the picture.

“We got into some other bands, but none of them really felt right,” Flave said. “Greg and I started playing again in 2002.”

With that, King’s Fool was gone and Laylines was born, with Flave on vocals and guitar, Brown on drums, Zac on guitar and newcomer Adam Pope on bass. Together, they played under the name Laylines, a paranormal term referring to the alignment ancient structures create on a landscape.

They had their work cut out for them as a band because, let’s face it, Selma is no Seattle, but this didn’t stop them.

“We were just a couple of friends who liked Metallica, Hum and Sunny Day, who got together and rocked out,” Flave said. “We got inspired by bands from other towns because there’s not really a scene there (Selma). There’s a couple of other bands there, but they’re all just ripping off Godsmack. They’re not really original bands or anything. We really couldn’t look up to the bands around us. The only scene there is, is that, but we’re not really part of it.”

It was in this regurgitated rock environment that Laylines established an anti-mainstream/music industry philosophy that carries into their music.

“We just don’t like radio rock because it sucks,” Flave joked. “We just want to make honest music that someone would say, ‘If I was in a band, then that’s the type of music that I would want to play.’ It doesn’t necessarily have to be overly unique; it just has to be something that you would just feel in seeing or playing. It’s almost more normal than radio music, which is weird to say. I would like to see radio music turn into something like it was in the ‘70s or ‘80s. You had all these creative and innovative bands, and they all had something to say. I turn on the radio today, and I don’t hear anything original or honest. We would like to be a part of what starts that again.”

Don’t think that with this mindset major record labels weren’t knocking at their door. Laylines has had many offers in the past, but the idea of conforming to these labels’ requirements was insulting to them.

“There are a lot of people who have a lot of money,” explains Flave. “It seems like they would put their money into something that is original or something that would gather fans. These labels want you to do whatever is on MTV or hot at the moment. If they were smart, then they would realize in a month that these bands won’t be around in a month. They don’t want a long-term commitment with a band. They want a quick fix and money for the moment. They don’t want to invest in something long-term that is real. That’s why we dumped them and said, ‘No way.’ I rather play in a bar any day than play on MTV for a day.”

This attitude has not ostracized them from the music industry. Thanks to MySpace and other spots on the Web, Laylines has gained a loyal fan base and has attracted the attention of many radio stations in not only the United Stated, but also in Canada, where they are receiving regular radio play. They also caught the attention of Red Hare Entertainment, who has taken them under their wing as their management. Since signing them, Red Hare has made plans to put these guys on the road and finally expose the rest of the world to this band from a small town in Alabama.

So, what’s next for Laylines? There are now working on a three-song demo, which Red Hare will pitch to various radio stations. After that, they plan on getting in the studio and working on their first major release, hopefully on a Laylines-friendly record label. Until then, come out to Cell Block on Jan. 7 along with the legion of Laylines fans that are guaranteed to make an appearance. Joining Laylines will be Atlanta’s own The Love Drunks and Crybaby McArthur.

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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