LoveLikeFire

A bout with indecision, a carefully placed Craigslist classified ad and the dissolution of a hardcore band brought the members of LoveLikeFire together in early 2006. Founding members Ann Yu (vocals, guitar) and David Farrell (drums, bass, keys) were planning a move South, from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Both had quit their respective jobs, put notice in on their apartments and were ready to skip town, when the duo found an appealing Craigslist ad placed by Ted Parker (guitar, piano). After the three met, the move to L.A. was immediately canceled and the decision was made to stay put and pursue the band. The final piece of the LoveLikeFire puzzle came together when bass player Jesse Hayes' former band Time In Malta broke up. Seeking a more melodic outlet, he was put in contact with Yu by mutual friends. The timing was perfect; the four collective members were all seeking similar goals in a diverse musical outlet, at the same time and in the same city. LoveLikeFire was born.

After a ghetto practice space was secured ("We practice in the ghetto, where we walk over homeless people passed out on crack, and we see lots of homeless sex... But the rent is cheap and we have our own space we don’t share," says Yu.), the band began writing material. The song writing process, according to the band, originates from a collective grasp with deep-seated emotional honesty. In the simplest terms, LoveLikeFire writes songs about how they feel. Matched with a penchant for strong hooks and an impassioned sense of melody, LoveLikeFire's unique approach to song writing allows the band space to understand and engage the varying elements of emotional being.

Within a very short time, LoveLikeFire had amassed the six songs which would eventually comprise their first EP. And without a backing label, the band decided to self-finance recording, conducting pre-production steps in the practice space to cut down on the costs of studio time. In two weeks time, the band was out of money but with a completed EP.

Recorded at Nu Tone Studios by band friend Willie Samuels, the 'Bed Of Gold' EP is an expansive and vibrant take on dark, rhythmic pop music, laced with shades of the atmospheric squall made famous by bands like Lush and Curve. Vocally, Yu's almost sugary delivery is juxtaposed against a variety of brooding themes, demonstrating an ease and understanding with the many human forms surrounding her. At times, steadfast, and at times, arcane, it's the sound of a young band reaching for huge ideals.

But recording the EP was just the beginning. Without a label, the band decided to self-release the EP, handling everything that encapsulates production and promotion. In the words of Yu, "When you’re totally independent like we are, you really have to split your time between being a band and being a hustler of sorts." Promotional copies were mailed all over the world, licensing was handled by the band, and online marketing took the form of downloadable tracks on everything across the Web from iTunes to MySpace.

LoveLikeFire's independent approach to the band didn't stop there. The band does it's own booking and lighting, and has shared the stage with the likes of Brian Jonestown Massacre, Monsters Are Waiting, The Lashes, Morningwood, Dead Meadow, Starlite Desperation, Eskimohunter, Citizens Here and Abroad, Sky Parade, Favourite Sons, From Monument to Masses and Innaway among others.

Currently, the band is taking unique steps to record it's first full-length album. Rather than return to the studio to record an album's worth of material, the band is recording three songs at a time, naming the approach "a milemarker for where your headspace is at any given time." The newer material, currently available on LoveLikeFire's MySpace page, is more urgent, layered with depth and an emotional vulnerability that intimately reaches for the listener. As the band grows, they're using their song writing and recording process as a musical and emotional gauge.

The band is also embarking on a West Coast tour in the Spring, and is in the process of booking an East Coast tour for the Summer, taking time in between touring to film their first video. All on their own, or with the help of friends. "We try to be about as independent as we can, we don’t want to have to rely on anyone until we absolutely have to," says the band.

If LoveLikeFire can achieve this much progress on their own, in just one year's time, there's nothing the band can't do. Here's to DIY... and Craigslist... and staying put in San Francisco...