Half Alive (stylized as half•alive or h•a) is an American band from
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
. The band was formed in 2016 and consists of
lead singer
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
Josh Taylor,
drummer Brett Kramer and
bassist J. Tyler Johnson. The trio are best known for their single "
Still Feel" and its choreographed music video. Their first
EP, ''3'', was released in 2017, while their debut studio album, ''
Now, Not Yet'', was released on August 9, 2019.
History
2016–2017: Formation and debut EP
Josh Taylor had previously been lead singer for "The Moderates", a band from
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
. The band released their debut EP ''Colour'' in 2013. In November 2015, Taylor announced that he had embarked on a seven-month songwriting program several months prior during which he hoped to write 50 songs, a project that would eventually end on December 30. Brett Kramer, who Taylor knew as they attended the same
non-denominational church, joined him on the project. The duo decided to form a band in 2016
while "watching the songs evolve as
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
were working together."
It was announced that The Moderates had disbanded on April 10, 2017, due to other commitments, but an EP as well as a new
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
would be released by Taylor's new band, "Half Alive". The band's first single, "The Fall", was released on April 24 of that year alongside its music video. Their debut EP, ''3'', was released on the same day.
It was recorded with the help of James Krausse inside a helicopter hangar in the
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...
which had been converted to a recording studio.
A behind the scenes video for "The Fall" was uploaded onto the band's YouTube channel in July. "Aawake at Night", the second single from the EP, was released on November 6. The three songs from the EP collectively amassed 4 million streams on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
in July 2018 and currently have over 95 million as of November 2021.
Soon after the EP's release, the duo added a new member to their band, bassist J. Tyler Johnson, who Kramer met while performing at various music festivals at university, and together entered and won a jazz competition with during this time, while Johnson had been introduced to Taylor through the former's brother. This was done to avoid using computer-generated sounds in their songs and live performances in favor of live instruments.
2018–2020: Success with "Still Feel", major label signing and ''Now, Not Yet''
On August 3, 2018, the band released the single "
Still Feel", accompanied by a music video filmed at Popsicle LA. The video attracted attention for its
choreography and
cinematography
Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography.
Cinematographers use a lens to foc ...
, done by lead singer Josh Taylor and JA Collective,
and received positive reviews from publications including
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
and
Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
, the former calling the cinematography "first-class" and the latter calling the band "so multi-talented".
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
also featured the track on the "All Songs Considered" playlist and directed praise at its music video,
while
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...
placed it on their "Best New Music" list, expressing similar sentiments. Thanks to the attention received by the track, the band signed a record deal with
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
soon after.
The band subsequently performed their first live show in October 2018 at the Moroccan Lounge in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. They embarked on their first tour from January to February 2019, taking place in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Soon after the release of "Still Feel", the band disclosed that they were recording two new songs that they had previously performed live, but declined to reveal when they would be released.
On January 18, 2019, the band released the single "Arrow" and a music video premiered later that day. ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' named it one of the best songs of the week, writing that "the song is filled with small surprises, like mini drum breaks and a groovy synth sequence that break it up into an unexpected composition that pulses with fresh energy." After the release of the single, the band disclosed to Rock Sound that they were working "on a larger body of work but keeping it discreet and mysterious." The following month, the band's track "Still Feel" entered the
Hot Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alterna ...
and
Alternative Songs chart in the United States and eventually peaked at number 26 on the former
and number 21 on the latter.
On March 14, the band made their
late-night television
Late night television is one of the dayparts in television broadcast programming. It follows prime time and precedes the overnight television show graveyard slot. The slot generally runs from about 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. ET, with variation ...
debut as they played the track on
Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The performance was well received by ''
Billboard'', calling it "spectacularly orchestrated," and ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', who deemed it "cleverly choreographed."
The band then announced a world tour taking place from June to November in Australia, North America and Europe.
On April 25, the trio announced on social media that they would be releasing all of their released material on a
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
record named ''*7'', which also includes an intro track and an unreleased song named "Runaway". On June 13, the band released the track "Runaway" as a single alongside a heavily choreographed music video, simultaneously announcing that their debut studio album, ''
Now, Not Yet'', would be released on August 9. They performed the track live for
Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
's DSCVR series alongside "Arrow" and incorporated various dance interludes from their music videos in the renditions. The album's fourth single, "Pure Gold", which was produced by
Ariel Rechtshaid
Ariel Rechtshaid ( ;) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. His accolades include three Grammy Awards for music production.
Rechtshaid was the lead singer and guitarist of the sk ...
, was released on July 19 alongside a "colorful and jubilant" visual. A fifth single titled "OK OK?" was premiered on July 31 at 10 AM
PST on
Zane Lowe
Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter.
After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...
's
Beats 1 show as that day's "World Record". A music video for the song also shared that day.
The band released an EP titled "In Florescence" on May 1, 2020, which features orchestral reimaginings of four songs off ''Now, Not Yet''. The EP was accompanied by a documentary titled "Now, Not Yet: in Florescence" that was released on Youtube on May 4.
2021–present: ''Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 1'' & ''Conditions of a Punk''
On March 10, 2021, the band announced that they will be performing at the 2021
Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival
Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival is an annual music, culinary, art, and learning festival held in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It debuted in 2013 as a three-day event. In 2019, it was one of the world's highest grossing festi ...
in September of that year. On March 24, they announced the release of a new single titled "What's Wrong", which was released the following week on March 31 alongside a music video. They further confirmed that it would serve as the first single from their upcoming second album. "What's Wrong" was a collaboration with production duo
Ojivolta
Ojivolta are an American record production and songwriting duo, composed of Mark Williams and Raul Cubina. Their credits include production and co-writing for Kanye West, Playboi Carti, XXXTentacion, Lil Nas X, Justin Bieber
Justin Drew ...
. A second single, "Time 2", was released on May 26.
On June 26, it was announced that the band would accompany
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots (stylized in all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who ...
during the
Takeover Tour as an opening act. This marked the band's first time playing a live show since the conclusion of the ''Now, Not Yet Tour'' in November 2019. The band released a third single, titled "Summerland", on July 23. The music video for "Summerland" stars actress
Fivel Stewart
Trente Heavyn "Fivel" Stewart (born November 4, 1996) is an American actress and singer who first came to attention in her main cast role as Izzie in three seasons of the Netflix series ''Atypical'' (2018–2021). , she is in the main cast of th ...
. The fourth single, "Make of It", was released on September 16.
On November 17, the band announced a North American "Give Me Your Shoulders Tour", set to begin in February 2022. The announcement promised more throughout the week. This promise was kept true with the release of "Hot Tea" on November 18, along with an accompanying music video the next day. Unlike their past songs, "Hot Tea" features distorted vocals and
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
inspired
hi-hats.
"Hot Tea" was accompanied by the formal announcement of what was originally planned to be the band's sophomore album, ''Give Me Your Shoulders''. The album was revealed as a two part record, the first of which—''Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 1''—was released on February 11, 2022, preceding the tour across North America, the United Kingdom and Europe.
On September 12, 2022, the band announced the cancellation of ''Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 2'' in favor of "something beyond it".
The band began what they described as a "new era"
with the release of a spoken word track, "Night Swims (poem)" the same day. On September 14, the band began teasing the release of a new single titled "Did I Make You Up?". It was released on October 13, 2022, with its music video ending with the announcement of the release of their second album, ''
Conditions of a Punk'', on December 2, 2022. The track list for ''Conditions of a Punk'' features every track from ''Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 1''. "Time 2" and "Night Swims (poem)" do not appear on either album. The day before the album release, the band also announced its accompanying tour, set to take place across North America, the UK, and Europe in early 2023; a second leg was announced in June with more dates in North America, plus shows in Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.
On August 11, 2023, the band released an EP titled ''Live in Chicago'', featuring four tracks
recorded live from the ''Conditions of a Punk'' show held at the House of Blues in Chicago. Accompanying footage was released on their Youtube channel.
Musical style and influences
The band's musical style has been described as
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
,
pop,
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
,
dance-pop,
electronic rock
Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrum ...
and
electropop,
and further incorporates elements of
R&B,
funk and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
.
The band have explained that they enjoy experimenting with numerous genres as well as sounds from 1960's, 70's and contemporary music.
They have cited
film and
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
, specifically
Jungian
Analytical psychology ( de , Analytische Psychologie, sometimes translated as analytic psychology and referred to as Jungian analysis) is a term coined by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, to describe research into his new "empirical science" ...
and
Freudian
Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...
concepts from which the band's name derives, as some of their influences, in addition to the work of
Sufjan Stevens,
Vulfpeck,
Christine and the Queens
Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier (; born 1 June 1988), known professionally as Christine and the Queens and Redcar, or occasionally simply Chris, is a French singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Nantes, he started learning piano at the age o ...
,
Kimbra
Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and s ...
,
Emily King,
Chance the Rapper,
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future.
Okonma self-released his debut mixtape ' ...
and
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots (stylized in all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who ...
,
and incorporate themes of anxiety and religion in their songs. Taylor, in an interview with ''NBHAP'', illustrated that while songwriting he aims to hit the "sweet spot" between "abstract" and "relatable" lyrics in order to allow listeners to interpret them in their own way.
Band members
* Joshua William "Josh" Taylor – lead vocals, guitar (2016–present)
* Brett Kramer – drums (2016–present)
* J. Tyler Johnson – bass guitar (2017–present)
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Extended plays
Singles
Notes
References
{{Authority control
2016 establishments in California
Musical groups established in 2016
Musical trios
RCA Records artists
Indie pop groups from California
Alternative rock groups from California
Electropop groups
American electronic rock musical groups
Dance-pop groups