Sameer Bhattacharya

Flyleaf is currently on tour in support of their sophomore album “Memento Mori”. The video for first single, Again, is currently being played on MTV, MTVU, MTV2, Music Choice, Fuse, etc. And the single is already Top 20 on the rock and alternative charts.

Recently The Silver Tongue caught up with Guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya and asked him a few questions about the new album and their current tour.

TST: You just released a new album, “Memento Mori” November 10th. How exactly did you decide upon that name?

Sameer: Memento Mori means “remember you will die” and it just seems appropriate with the songs on the album. The songs talk about time being short, faith, hope and love and exercising those things now.

TST: How is the new album different from your self-entitled debut album?

Sameer: There’s a lot more maturity in the songwriting. For me it’s darker and more helpful at the same time. I think it’s going to reach a wider demographic.

TST: What’s your favorite song on the album?

Sameer: The “Ride” because it’s so hopeful. We all want to hear that we can fall into the place that we were meant to be. We want to know that we were made with a purpose and that we’re needed and wanted.

TST: There has been speculation over the years that Flyleaf is a Christian band. Would you say that Flyleaf is a Christian band?

Sameer: We don’t like the label, but we are all Christians and hold very strongly to our faith and every song is written with that perspective. I don’t believe in the Christian industry. It’s a subculture that’s separating itself from the rest of the world.

TST: Do you feel that bands do better or worse by being characterized as a “Christian” band?

Sameer: I don’t feel it’s hurt the band. I grew up in a Christian home and I know of others that grew up in Christian homes that were not allowed to live on the outside world. It seems very shallow. I feel that it’s wrong that there’s this entire industry because of the name Jesus. Jesus’ name is sacred and shouldn’t be used as a marketing tool.

TST: You just started touring in support of the new album, how’s that going?

Sameer: It’s great so far. I’ve been kind of lazy but definitely excited about being on tour.

TST: You’ve toured with a lot of big acts such as Three Days Grace and Stone Sour, how was it opening for such large established acts? Do you feel you learned anything from the more seasoned bands?

Sameer: When you tour with acts that are well established and have it together you pick up a lot. Touring with Korn, Deftones and Stone sour and talking to them and getting their perspective on life, you do learn a whole lot.

TST: What would you say has been your most memorable moment while touring?

Sameer: We were on our way to Russia and we were on a ferry boat.  I was talking to my wife on Skype and this guy comes up and grabs my shirt and starts talking to me and I told him that I didn’t understand him and he looks me in the eye and says he’s going to kill me.

I’m not a very big guy and I wasn’t going to fight back but I’m secure in myself so I stayed calm. He goes on to say that he hates me and I respond by saying that I loved him and he starts crying. He then starts telling me that he has to leave his country and his family because he did something really bad. So I started talking to him.

While talking to him I started to think, we’ve all done really bad things and have felt that all hope is lost. And it broke my heart and made me realize that no matter where we are in the world that we all want just want to feel loved.

TST: Everyone defines success differently. How do you define success and do you feel as if Flyleaf has been successful?

Sameer: You’re the first to ever say there are different definitions of success and that’s true and success for Flyleaf is when we hear back from the fans in letters and emails, hearing that our music brought hope to someone and they were in a bad place but they’re still alive and doing better because of the message in one of our songs.

Memento Mori is currently available on iTunes. For more information on Flyleaf including upcoming tour dates go to www.flyleafmusic.com

SiN, Editor

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