Lifehouse | "Smoke and Mirrors" Era | 03.02.10

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www.lifehousemusic.com

With Smoke & Mirrors, Lifehouse’s fifth studio album, lead singer/guitarist Jason Wade, drummer Rick Woolstenhulme, bassist Bryce Soderberg and newly added guitarist Ben Carey, along with long time producer Jude Cole, have created a set that combines their live sound with great record making.

Smoke & Mirrors started out with a mission to capture the live, rock side of the band; a sound they had perfected after three years of solid touring. Songs like “Smoke & Mirrors," “Wrecking Ball" and “Had Enough” (with guest vocals by Chris Daughtry) have a very raw and stage driven feel to them. However, after living with the early tracks and experimenting with others, a piece of the puzzle seemed to be missing.

Equal to their enthusiasm for the live sound, they also love to make studio records. After all, one of Lifehouse’s greatest achievements is the tens of millions of radio spins garnered over the span of 4 albums, so to create a record solely focusing on the sound from their show felt off balance.

A trip back into the studio to experiment in more of a ‘record making’ effort produced tracks like “All In,” “Here Tomorrow Gone Today" and the first single “Halfway Gone” co written by Kevin Rudolf (Let it Rock). Songs sure to be heard on radio for years to come.

With this light hearted concept and fitting title, Smoke & Mirrors properly defines the best that Lifehouse has to offer, showcasing a band that not only makes hit records but can rock a stage!

[Modern Myth]

Cannot wait! PUMPED!

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Moved to Dec 15

[SHOOTER]

Total Album Sales via Billboard:

No Name Face - 2.67m

Lifehouse - 960k

Who We Are - 614k

Stanley Climbfall - 411k

[matelot]

How is "Halfway Gone" doing so far ?

[SHOOTER]

Halfway Gone has peaked at #18 on Adult Top 40. The album has been pushed back to February 2nd.

[Deleted]

February 2nd? Isn't that a little too late...?

[bigbluenote]

That is a REALLY cool cover!

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TRACK LIST:

1. “All In”
2. “Nerve Damage”
3. “Had Enough” (feat. Chris Daughtry)
4. “Halfway Gone”
5. “It Is What It Is”
6. “From Where You Are”
7. “Smoke & Mirrors”
8. “Falling In”
9. “Wrecking Ball”
10. “Here Tomorrow Gone Today”
11. “By Your Side”
12. “In Your Skin”

[Deleted]

If "Had Enough" is just as good as the featured artist, we can definitively expect it to be a big (Hot AC-) hit....

[Deleted]

Nov 20, 2009 5:31:42 GMT -5 @reidlos20 said:

February 2nd? Isn't that a little too late...?

is this push back confirm??oh no,so late.

[Deleted]

wait lifehouse and chris daughtry,awesome...cant wait for that song.

[blurple]

^^ Yeah, they confirmed on their Twitter that it has been pushed back. :(

[blurple]

New bio on their Myspace page:

For the duration of Los Angeles-based Lifehouse's ten-year career they've been delicately balancing two identities: radio-ready song craftsmen and raucous live rock and roll band. On their forthcoming fifth studio album, Smoke & Mirrors, the band finally unites these two personalities. "We toured for over a year before we started making this record," says singer and guitarist Jason Wade. "With the new album we really wanted to capture what we were doing on the road but halfway through recording, it was apparent we hadn’t focused enough on the equally important radio side. It finally dawned on us to just do both."

Still in their twenties, the guys in Lifehouse have an impressive resume. Founding members Jason Wade and drummer Ricky Woolstenhulme Jr. met in Los Angeles and formed the band in the late 90s. Lifehouse released its smash debut No Name Face in 2000, which launched them to global stardom. Their breakout single "Hanging by a Moment" was the single most played radio track of 2001. Over the next few years – joined first by a replacement, bassist Bryce Soderberg and more recently by new member, guitarist Ben Carey - Lifehouse built upon that initial success. Combined album sales are over 5 million and Lifehouse singles have sold over 3 million copies online including number one hits "Hanging By a Moment" and "You and Me." Later Lifehouse singles "First Time," "Whatever It Takes," and "Broken" have also achieved major chart and sales success. From very early on, Lifehouse fans demonstrated a resilient loyalty to the band, so much so that several of the band's hits still maintain chart positions on iTunes, years after their initial release. The band also has a formidable online presence – their video streams are at 70 million and counting.

Lifehouse has always done well on radio, TV, and online, but just as impressive is their take-no-prisoners approach to touring. "We stayed out on the road for the last ten years," Jason says. "Even through the hard times we played four to six shows a week. We refused to disappear (laughs)!” When Lifehouse's fourth album Who We Are came out in the spring of 2007 it set the band on a near-relentless tour that should have pushed them to the brink of insanity. Instead, they hung out on days off and made the road a way of life. "We really love being on the road," Ricky says. "We enjoy playing live, feeling that energy. And when we have time off we have a good time doing whatever. We go to basketball and love to eat! I'm like the camp counselor – I track everything down and make all the plans. Even if they don’t want to go, they have to. I'm that guy."

In the fall of 2008, when the band finally came off the road from supporting Who We Are, they were on a post-tour high and urgently wanted to bring that visceral live energy to the next album. So they got together with Jude Cole, the producer of Who We Are, and began working on new material both at Cole's Ironworks Studio and at Jason's recently built home studio, Castle View. But instead of putting themselves on their usual strict schedule, the band decided to take their time with this record. As a result, it was a real creative journey. "We knew we were in a good place where we could afford to stay off the road and keep the crew employed and happy, and basically just develop the band a little bit - go in a few different directions," Bryce explains. "We experimented with Americana, classic rock, pop - we tried a bunch of different styles, really growing even further as a band.”

Lifehouse ended up spending a year recording upwards of thirty-five tracks before settling on the twelve songs that make up Smoke & Mirrors (many of the rest will be included on a deluxe edition). The record is loosely split between rock tracks meant to capture the feel of seeing Lifehouse live, and extremely catchy, sing-along pop songs. "That's where the title of the album comes in," Jason explains. "It's about the record being half live and half studio." The first single, "Halfway Gone," a collaboration with acclaimed rapper/songwriter Kevin Rudolf is most definitely in the latter camp. It's an irresistible pop rock song featuring explosive, driving guitars and a chorus that feels instantly familiar. "Kevin brings another side – a hint of the hip hop world but in context with what we’re doing," Jason says. "We were fans of his and he was a fan of ours and it just clicked. What resulted was a nice blend of older Lifehouse with a new fresh sound -– we can't make the same record over and over." Lifehouse fans approve of the evolution; "Halfway Gone" is already the fastest growing single in the band's history, reaching the top twenty within three weeks of its release. Rudolf also worked on "Falling In," another potential pop hit.

Rudolf was not the only high profile collaboration on Smoke & Mirrors. The band also worked with American Idol alum Chris Daughtry, whom Jason met and became friends with on the road. "I haven't done much co-writing in the past and I'm a bit leery of it," the singer admits. "You can end up with a song that is not good and just wish you had that day of your life back (laughs) however, I went over to Chris's place in LA and within an hour we had 'Had Enough.'" The song, to which Daughtry contributes vocals and Richard Marx also co-wrote, is a blistering, anthemic example of the kind of music that made Lifehouse fans fall in love with the band in the first place.

The band will deliver an actual, real live take on these songs very soon – they hit the road in support of Smoke & Mirrors early next year. According to Lifehouse, it feels like they're doing this all again for the first time – they are inspired and excited about getting out there and playing these songs live. "It's our fifth album but I feel like we're just starting as a band," explains Bryce. "As far as our chemistry goes, we just really know each other now. We know what pisses each other off and how to avoid it. We keep each other level headed, we vent to each other. We leave our egos at the bus door. We're good to go."

[matelot]

Here is the video for Halfway gone

[Deleted]

lol

What an awkward, funny and awesome video.

[biltong]

Haven't heard much from this band in a long, long time. Where have they been??

[matelot]

Nov 30, 2009 21:10:11 GMT -5 @biltong said:

Haven't heard much from this band in a long, long time. Where have they been??

touring everywhere in the US

Halfway gone up to 91 on the BB Hot 100

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Album was pushed again to March 2nd and... they're touring with Daughtry and Cavo! Tour starts on March 18...

[₫anny Jerz ♔]

I am loving "Halfway Gone". Such a feel good song in spite of the lyrics and message. LOL

[cdlifer]

Jan 15, 2010 13:06:25 GMT -5 blurple said:

Album was pushed again to March 2nd and... they're touring with Daughtry and Cavo! Tour starts on March 18...

YAY!!!!! Love em both!!

[Deleted]

delay again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Deleted]

I know, how many delays is that now? I think it's at least 3 (albeit small delays).

I love thee title track and look forward to hearing the rest.

[blurple]

I think this is like the 4th delay LOL. It was suppose to be December, then early Feb, then late Feb and now March. :(

[areyoureadytojump]

Out today!

Target $9.98
Best Buy $9.99 (DE $11.99)

[bigbluenote]

That deluxe edition is so much cheaper at Best Buy than at Target, by 4 or 5 dollars.

[Deleted]

i love the album.....it is what it is is a great song.what a shame nobody listen this album yet.

[B****BetterGetNOSL333P]

is this getting a great debut?! I hope it does. I own mostly all of their albums, except the 2nd album.

[singingsparrow]

Just listened to the record.

A song title appropriately summarizes the overall sound of the album..........."It Is What It Is".

Regardless, it's not necessarily a bad thing, as I surely have not "Had Enough" up to this point in that I've enjoyed all of Lifehouse's singles to some degree and most of their catalog, and they do have a few unique flavors thrown in at parts of certain songs on "Smoke & Mirrors".

Sincerely,
Lisping Hibiscus

[matelot]

#6 54,203 copies sold