Guilty Pleasures: Love & Reverie

Apr 27th, 2009 by Will.

I really should not like Love & Reverie’s The Mapping. But, this album has just kind of hung around through the months managing to escape the clutches of the never-to-be-seen-again bin. Love & Reverie could be shoved into the dreaded pop rock emo type stuff that I wouldn’t mind seeing wiped from the face of the earth. But, a funny thing happens when you have a band doing this style who are A. thoughtful songwriters and B. good musicians. Against your will you tend to find yourself appreciating a band that can still do this oversaturated style justice. Love & Reverie are smarter than their peers. The songs that make up The Mapping are subtle in their hooks and lack the usual sentimental cliches. Granted I won’t listen to this a whole lot but when it’s on I don’t mind it one bit. And that’s more than I can say for the majority of the stuff that rolls into SAL HQ.

To view the original post

as well as to post comments on this article click the banner below

How did the band form?

It formed starting with Josh and myself playing just a two man acoustic band as we were writing more music we needed more band members pretty much and so we just kinda reached out to the people that we either grew up with or knew from other bands and started jamming together and worked out really well, we meshed really well.

What are some of your main musical influences?

Definitely the instrumental music, folk music for myself I like a lot of the lyrical content in folk music, house music, dance music, party music, stuff like that. I don’t know, just trippy shit.

How did you guys find your sound?

Growing up pretty much. Just getting old and letting the road wear into you.

What is your response to people who say they don’t like your recorded albums but love your live performances?

Keep seeing us live and hopefully we’ll get a good recording. It’s pretty hard to capture that for any band or musician or whatever it can be pretty hard to do that unless you have a crazy producer helping you out.

Have you guys gotten any interest from labels?

Yes and no. There’s always those people that say “we’re gonna hook you up” or “we’re interested in you” or this or that but we haven’t really gotten too much, but at the same time we haven’t pursued it a whole lot either. We just kind of stuck to what we know for right now which is just constantly write music and that’s pretty much where we’re at. We’ve had some good leads, and we’re going to keep following them until something comes up.

Would you guys rather put out a lot of unsigned records or just one or two records with a label?

I guess it depends on who we’re signed to. If we were on a bigger label that could push us with publicity and what not then yeah I would love to be on a good label because that could definitely further our careers. At the same time, doing it yourself its hard work but it’s totally worth it. It’s all you; it’s all your profit. It’s all whatever you put in is whatever you get out pretty much. Anything that you receive you love it that much more because you’re like “I worked for that.” I don’t know, I could go either way pretty much.

You guys have been touring forever, so who have you guys enjoyed touring with the most?

We play with The Mile After a good amount, we love those guys. Probably The Scenic, we toured a good amount with them this past summer and they’re awesome, we love the shit out of those guys. The Apathy Eulogy from Maryland, they’re a really good band to check out. We tour a lot by ourselves to, so I’m trying to think of bands we hit a leg of a tour with…Sparks the Rescue are really cool guys. I don’t know dude. There’s so many bands out there, we’ve met so many. I don’t know The Scenic is probably my favorite. We’re probably the closest to those guys.

What is your favorite song to play live?

Probably most any new song because it’s fresh, I guess. Maybe for me, closer to how I’m feeling at the time, lyrically or emotionally or whatever so that might always mean a lot to me. I like playing “Machines,” that’s one of our songs off of our album and that’s always a really good song for us to play live, we always get into it.

What’s one of the best shows that guys have ever put on?

I don’t know man. Each night we try to go out and do our thing whether it’s for 600 people or if it’s for 6 people. I think one of the coolest shows we played recently was with Marcy Playground. That was pretty awesome because they were an old band and they’re still doing it and it was cool to sit down and talk to them and be like “how do you do that? I wanna be where you’re at where you can still be 40 years old and still playing music.” That was awesome.

Along with that, is there any show that sticks out in your mind as one of the worst shows you guys have ever played?

I would say our worst show as a band was shortly after we had formed, we were playing up in New York and probably everything that could go wrong like equipment wise went wrong. Our drummer’s kick drum started sliding out from under him so I was having to hold it together and it wasn’t working out. On top of that, we were playing with a pretty big band; I’m trying to think who it was now…it was a while ago. I remember just being like that was the shittiest show we’ve ever played, as a band we sounded like shit. It was the first time I’ve ever apologized for how we played. That was a long time ago. We haven’t had to apologize since then.

Do you guys have a favorite place to play?

A lot down in North Carolina. Although we’re from Virginia, we kinda don’t really fit in a whole lot. We play up in Northern Virginia a good amount and that’s always fun playing up there. I would say down here I like playing at Jester’s in Fayetteville, that’s a really cool venue. It’s kinda out there, but at the same time they treat us really well. Greene Street’s an awesome venue; we love going there and The Brewery. Just those kind of venues mainly because they treat you not like a piece of shit at a venue they treat you with respect and they take care of you, that’s why we like those places.

Are there any places in particular you don’t like playing?

I’m trying to think of the worst place to play…man honestly I don’t like The Luna Bean but that’s because of the way its run. I think it’s kinda fucked up the way its run and I don’t care if anybody really knows that. It’s kinda shitty how they run it; they just don’t treat their bands like they should. I mean if the band is bringing in people to your place you should at least give them a little bit of respect. I mean, every band is working hard at something, so no matter who it is you should try and give them respect and I don’t see a whole lot of that there anymore.

So, last question: what made you guys decide to put the Lovers are Liars b-sides up for free download versus releasing it as an album?

I think mainly because I respect any band that I’m a fan of that’ll give away free music. It makes me feel like if I’m going to support the music that they’re gonna give away it’s gonna make me want to support any new stuff that they release like if it’s an album or iTunes anywhere, I mean I appreactie that. I think for us we wanted to be able to kinda just give something to our fans.We don’t have a crazy huge following with thousands of people, but I love our fans and all of us love our fans and we wanted to kinda give them a little something back because we always get treated nice wherever we go.

While we were out on tour this April during our
Keepin' It ApRILL Tour
We stopped in at our friend Nathan Elliott's radio show
The Music You Love, and the Stuff You’ve Never Heard
to hang out and premiere our new song

"Think Gravity"

Also to do a quick interview and play a couple songs for the listeners

Get to know a little bit about us and what we are about
and hear us perform two live acoustic songs:
"The Architect"
&
"Fall In Love"

Enjoy!

Love&Reverie - 91.1WHFC The Music You Love, and the Stuff You've Never Heard
(Click to download)

We love you all!
Love&Reverie

1. Birth

i was born again
the symphony resounding in my head
could this be that we were all once dead?
oh foolish heart
to think you were once alive in these silent times
from the start
you had your ways and meager rhymes
could this be that we were all once dead
without the life of each graceful note?
move move move on me
move move move on me
could this be that we were all once dead?

2. Patience

it burns in my heart
and flows through my veins
i try not to feel
but i'm feeling the same
breath in the air
breath it in deep
these lungs feel like fire
i'm starting to sink

oh my god not this time
i swear i swear i'm fine

and honestly i've been waiting for so long
for a love to come and move me on please move me on

they say you need to
grow up soon
and don't you assume everyones staring at you

and honestly i've been waiting for so long
for a love to come and move me on please move me on
and patiently i've been waiting for so long
but love died in me from holding on
still holding on

3. The Mapping

a young man opened his eyes for the first time
and saw that he had lived a lie
against all convictions and parents' decisions
he lived his life for the first time
it couldn't be that we were made for nothing
that life is the hour glass that we just fill our time
could this really be some sort of true life story?
or is this the time we just wait to die?
alone and broken with our bodies open
this is love for the first time
it's not always the "feeling" but the coprehending
that struggle is a part of life
breathe with the confidence of your heart pounding
breathe with the confidence that life's surrounding
and breathe
i promise if i stay so delicate and grey
that i would only see
what's standing here in front of me
but if i truely live i'll have my heart to give
in ways we can't explain
because we're feeling past all the pain
the truth is we're alive
its just we're living deep inside these fragile, little minds
instead of opening our eyes

4. Perfect Picture

my heart broke and made itself aware ?the bitterness between each breath catches up in every step ?put in frames lay silently to rest ?the perfect picture of confidence without the slightest ??and all along i'm wasted at the thought of finding truth beneath intentions ??voice lay down ?give me one more hour ?between your noise and constant sighs i have lost my breath ?slow it down ?let it take forever ?and when it comes you've got nothing left ??boys and girls make yourself aware ?love is not any easy thing when your simple minds dont care ?and blanket over every word you say cuz words are just the alibi for every single choice you make ??and all along i'm wasted at the thought of finding truth beneath intentions ??voice lay down ?give me one more hour ?between your noise and constant sighs i have lost my breath ?slow it down ?let it take forever ?and when it comes you've got nothing left

5. Machines

it fell in your eyes
it fell on your lips
the sweat poured between us
with each irresponsible kiss
but we were so invincible
between our two hearts
like living was easy
and we were the first ones to start

oh young love we're so blinded
with each touch my stomach churns
and my conscience divided
on one hand there's morals to hold
but you'd be a fool not to see
just how far this one could go between the sheets

this feels real between the breathing
and your lips are all i'm needing
desperate kiss meets desperate touch
i'm caught between her heart and my poetic lust
i swear i've never felt this way before
the sunlight starts its creeping in but both of us are wanting more
and we're both lost inside our heads
but tangled limbs will tell the stories of what we did inside this bed

i am just a man
guilty as they come
oh i am just a man
and i'm the guilty one

i've been sleeping too long
in a world where i don't belong
breaking hearts that aren't mine to break
making scars that aren't mine to make

this is a scene
just like the movies
this is a scene
but we're so empty

pity i didn't see from the tears that rolled down your cheek
life's an unfortunate game
you've lost and i'm the only one to blame
i'm the machine that keeps it beating
but love isn't real (no love isn't real) when your hearts not feeling

6. More Than I Am

pretend you're a man
pretend that for once you're made of something.
try as hard as you can
but just like before you've got nothing
and as it begins you're floating through the room so slowly
your breathing is thin
like at a ship at sea that's lost its meaning
as you curse the wind
oh its in vain your still not moving
your heart needs to mend
but you can't see just what you're choosing

without regret we're living free
but we've done things no one else has seen
we're living like we've got everything
but make believe in the finer things

the pen and the paper
the thoughts that have been swirling through my head
the over acheiver
for once i am left with nothing to be said
this all began
with a little mishap trying to pretend
i'm more than i am.
i'm more than i am
i'm more than just a man

i'm sorry for the distance
i've made mistakes before
i'm sorry for the distance
i know you wanted more
between the time that i'm gone
i know i'll change so much
and when i hurry home
i'll make sure you've had enough

7. Between The Tides

i'm the maker of this incident
i'm the only one to blame
what started out so innocent
is now begging for a name
we could've called it what it was
but you were left so torn
so innocent. eyes open wide
i was simply wanting more

between the tides you kept yourself so silent
and you kept yourself so cold
with the sighs that moved on me so heavy
and the words you never ever told
would finally lay me down to sleep

i'm a simple man with much refrain
with simple thoughts inside my head
and i've worked it through a lot of pain
but i am coming to my end
with no way to tell just what you feel
we should go our seperate ways
and when Love decides to come around
it will give me my new name and say,

"between the tides you've kept yourself so silent
and you've kept yourself so cold
but don't lose heart because i am just beginning
with the words you never ever told."
but tonight i'll lay me down to sleep

8. Footsteps

again and again
i am plagued with contridiction
and its always been
the truth is just an option
but over time
i keep flirting with seduction
only to find
i have no reaction
to crossing lines
and i have ultimatly died inside

well wouldn't you say to me, "this is the way its always been.
this is the way it has to be."
i just can't seem to stress too much
that i follow in the trends
and i'm nothing more than half of the real me

blame it on time
blame it on futures
blame it on everything but your past mistakes
as long as it rhymes
as long as it has a center
you really don't need that heart to act so fake

and breathe it out
take a seat and listen
this is judgement day
and your interagation
there's no audience
no one to impress
lets be personal
there's no need to be just like the rest

well wouldn't you say to me, "this is the way its always been.
this is the way it has to be."
i just can't seem to stress too much that i follow in the trends
and i'm nothing more than half of the real me
but take it from the end and see
that i'm following the path
following where i need to be

9. The Architect

the sun it had to rise
the sun it had to bring the dark back from the night
because darkness left us dead
it left us so we couldn't mobilize
but light has brought us vision
made us see just what we've all become
and somewhere hidden
we burn like torches to see everyone
beneath the romance and confidence
we've blended with the architecture and the scene
and we've all lost our purpose for the momentary gleam
we were made to fight
we were made to fight
i've been hiding from the truth
i've been hiding from the chance to prove
that we are more than what we say
we are more than all of our mistakes
but soon it all begins to fade
and we are nothing more than what we've made
miserable. oh miserable soul
with a heart so young
but frame so old
"how do you delight in me?" you say
"with a mind so busy
and a heart thats gone astray."
listen. listen to my voice
i know there's all this movement
but i'm speaking through the noise
you know that there is hope in you somewhere
but countless attempts of fortune have left you unprepared
we are more than our mistakes
we are more than what we've made
you are more than your mistakes
listen. listen young heart
you are more than what you've made

10. Death

could this be that we've all been dead?
between the dreams of disbelief
my daily walk
my rolled up sleeves
i'm whispering those simple things
to help me sleep
and dream and dream
once i burned for more than a love
i burned for life
i burned so tough
i was invincable
but like a mother's touch it came to me
opened my eyes and made me to see
i'm not alive
the music i loved so pasionately has died
could this be that we've all been dead?
just over our heads
over our heads
move. move on me
i'm not gonna lie
i've seen better times
that were harder to find
and fall. fall asleep
but i'm begging for words
and hoping for dreams
with the soundtracks of my symphonies
but silently
i dream of the dark
its really not hard
when sleeping so firmly
heaven make me a place
this is the end
this is the end