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| Source: One Life To Lead Facebook Page / © Brandon Smith |
Generic pop-punk has become somewhat of a trope within the alternative scene in recent years. Even moguls like Neck Deep use the idea in their brand to give a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of the external perception of the genre, while still producing music that does pop-punk nothing but justice. Now picture Neck Deep, for example, as your traditional pop-punk pizza base - then proceed to sprinkle some grit onto it, douse it in caffeine and kick the hell out of it. Congratulations, you have mutated traditional pop-punk into a concoction of nu-punk, rock and rap - also known as One Life To Lead.
The stylistically diverse quintet from Maryland are a prime example of the fearlessness and unapologetic ambition of upcoming bands - 'We offer a little bit for everyone; we all listen to different types of music and we're very diverse in our tastes. In the end, it makes us more unique in terms of sound. (...) There are just a bunch of different vibes on this record that blend really well.' While allowing their roots to remain embedded in the pop-punk culture, One Life To Lead refuse to become snagged in the outdated expectations when it comes to conforming to a genre. Their upcoming album, 'Visions of Grandeur' (available for pre-order here) succumbs to the bones of a traditional pop-punk record but weighs itself out perfectly with a politically potent and heartwarmingly hopeful flesh.
Singles 'Losing You' and 'Just Like You', precede the album's release, paving the gravelled path for One Life To Lead's imminent ventures. In the meantime they are securing spots on the Spotify playlists, 'Pop Punk's Not Dead' and 'New Punk Tracks'. The duo of pop-punk anthems blend the direct nature of typical alternative lyrics with thriving guitars and melodics that are nothing short of undeniably catchy ear-worms. This selection of singles, however, does little justice to the album when you listen from front to back. The songs that do not hold the status of a single such as 'Open Letter', bear much more weight and expose the true mind-opening motives in releasing 'Visions of Grandeur'. 'Open Letter' tears the scope of subject choice open, demolishing arguably overdone songs about artificial relationships and instead focuses on issues that span across a vaster scale.
In conversation with Matt (Demorest, bassist and co-vocalist), the true nature of One Life To Lead's intentions crawled from the depths of heel-to-the-ground, sweat-ridden, angsty pop-punk bands and punched me square in the face. The development from the introductory 'typical pop-punk summer jams' to the more intricate latter half of the album gives trailblazing credits to the band. Matt states, 'Our intention with this record is to convey to people that they aren't the only ones going through things in life. In other words, that they aren't alone. We tackle some smaller points like relationships and whatnot, but also bigger topics that we felt needed to be heard. At the end of the day, not enough people talk about what's going on in the world and we wanted to bring light to some of that.'
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| Source: 'Losing You' Official Music Video by One Life To Lead |
Despite the endearing simplicity at parts, embellished unexpected twists among songs allow the listener to remain entirely focused on the zeal of this severely under-appreciated band, and I am truly on board to witness their approaching growth as a result of this. One Life To Lead have relentless plans of 'touring. Lots and lots of touring. We plan on hitting multiple different cities across the East Coast and more over the next year. We want as many people to hear this record as possible.' and the implication is that the guys from Maryland have eventual plans of global success. For now, however, you can catch them at the 'Visions of Grandeur' release party:
With their animated fervour, gleaming aesthetic and genuine approachability, One Life To Lead are stepping their muddy Converse in the right direction. The already-released singles are illustrative of the band's power as an alternative band, but 'Visions of Grandeur' in its entirety is evolutionary and flourishing.
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| Source: @oltlband on Twitter |
'Visions of Grandeur' by One Life To Lead will be available to stream everywhere on the 26th July, and you can keep updated on their activity on Twitter, Facebook and Spotify. They may be weighted in the charming contentment of pop-punk music, but these guys are flickering towards something much deeper.
