Boston Herald-Līve Is Back With New Music, New Punch Options

[Voodoo Lady]

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/...impression=true

Chances are, that band you formed as a junior in high school broke up senior year. No judgment. It’s a rare group of friends who can go from mom and pop’s garage to rock god status. Live is that rare group.

With roots that go back to middle school, the members of Live moved from rural York, Pa., to TV sets around the country. Just into their 20s, the guys crashed MTV in 1991 with their video for “Operation Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition).” By 1994, Live had become one of the world’s biggest bands, with the album “Throwing Copper” going eight-times platinum in this country and topping charts from Canada to Australia.

“We are all 47 now, and, when you look back on it, it’s pretty amazing that four guys who met in junior high school are still together,” singer Ed Kowalczyk said ahead of the band’s show with the Counting Crows on Friday at the Xfinity Center. “Once we got that first record deal, it became, ‘Make an album, tour the world, do it again.’ Before we knew it, the ’90s were over.”

Kowalczyk says the band — guitarist Chad Taylor, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer and drummer Chad Gracey — should have taken a break for a couple of years in the early 2000s to recharge. Instead, they went on hiatus in 2009, which turned into a breakup, and then the band reformed without Kowalczyk. But in 2016, the old friends found themselves wanting to reconnect.

“We missed each other, it was as simple as that,” Kowalczyk said. “When we got into this studio the guys put together at home in Pennsylvania, right away it felt really natural. Just like that, after this unlikely reunion we were all surprised and happy about, we were writing music.”

The first song that came out of these studio sessions was “Love Lounge,” which is available online. Ahead of a new EP, coming this fall, and an LP, likely sometime next year, “Love Lounge” sounds like an old-school ’90s post-grunge track.

After getting back together, we did a bunch of festivals in 2017, and seeing so many great bands out there, well, we wanted to rock,” Kowalczyk said. “The last thing I wanted to do was reunite and put out some midtempo thing. We needed a rock punch.”

With two new members, guitarist Zak Loy and drummer Robin Diaz, the group has leaned into this heavy sound. Loy has already provided important input by co-writing “Love Lounge”; Diaz has added even more boom to the band.

“They gave us some muscle, which fits right in to how we are as a band right now,” Kowalczyk said. “I see a future with more new music, headlining dates next year. It all just feels right.”

[Voodoo Lady]

Note, in this interview Ed says they will headline next year along with an LP.

[Bremang]

An LP of new music next year, despite the throwing copper anniversary?

[Heather]

Headlining dates? Does he mean in the US or just other countries again?

[Merica]

“Love Lounge” sounds like an old-school ’90s post-grunge track.

... does it really?

[SecretInsomnia]

Headlining dates? Does he mean in the US or just other countries again?

A lot of shows in Europe, Ed said before. But maybe US as well.

[SJN1279]

An LP of new music next year, despite the throwing copper anniversary?

Yes, that confuses me too.

I think the 25th Anniversary of Throwing Copper should keep them busy in 2019. Especially if they release a single of Hold Me Up with it. Perfect headlining tour all around the world.

[Bremang]

Yes, that confuses me too.

I think the 25th Anniversary of Throwing Copper should keep them busy in 2019. Especially if they release a single of Hold Me Up with it. Perfect headlining tour all around the world.

Hope you get the scoop

[dangum]

So Live's going to write off a whole year just so they can tour TC?

Can't they release a new album and commemorate Throwing Copper?

[san_sao]

So Live's going to write off a whole year just so they can tour TC?

Can't they release a new album and commemorate Throwing Copper?

I think they should do all of it. EP by the end of 2018, Throwing Copper in late Spring/Early Summer to tour, then new album around Xmas, 2019.

This post has been edited by san_sao: Aug 14 2018, 6:50 am

[SJN1279]

So Live's going to write off a whole year just so they can tour TC?

Can't they release a new album and commemorate Throwing Copper?

Throwing Copper 25 only happens once. And it gives Live a sell out headline tour. To have a new album with it, would confuse things imho. Maybe I’m wrong.

[san_sao]

Throwing Copper 25 only happens once. And it gives Live a sell out headline tour. To have a new album with it, would confuse things imho. Maybe I’m wrong.

Throwing Copper 25 early, then tour, then new album. Bang - up year. I can dream, right?