The Moth & The Flame
Now that I have established what the Provo music scene is, it's time to look at how one band has operated within that system, and even helped shape it. When I asked Perry Burton (local drummer in the band Eli Whitney) who he thought the next Provo band to "make it" would be, he told me it would be The Moth & The Flame.
The above photo is the cover of their latest E.P. The art is striking, visceral, and listening to the music it matches the photo quite well. The digital age has brought an even greater focus on the visual, and The Moth & The Flame embrace that. But at the same time, this band has been curiously anti-digital, or at least has not approached the digital in the same way as bands like Chvrches or Sleigh Bells, who blew up online even before playing to live human beings.
No, this band from Provo (currently relocated to L.A.) got its start by trying to win over local music goers. And they released their first album in physical format only.
At first glance, this logic seems strange. Why would a band, in the digital age, not release there music online? The explanation the band gave was that the album artwork was too important to be separated from the music and was actually intended as the first track of the album. The band was also passive in the social media realms, not trying to promote there Facebook page during concerts. All things a band that want's to survive in the digital age of music needs to be doing. Instead, The Moth & The Flame would use elaborately constructed art installations to advertise for shows. The giant in the picture below was used at their "Provo Rooftop Concert Series" show.
They sold out there album release show and had to add another. And every show they have played at the Velour in Provo has sold out since, with there most recent E.P. release show selling out a few days in advance. And it would seem they have set a trend in Provo, as other notable bands like Parlor Hawk, Mideau, and Polytype have held off releasing their music online, following The Moth and The Flame's example. Sometimes going against the digital world gets peoples attention.
Indeed, the band has been getting national/international recognition with the release of the follow up E.P. entitled "&" (well, an upside down &). They recently went on a European tour opening for fellow Provo band Imagine Dragons in support of the new E.P. and have started to garner more attention and radio play. Their Facebook page has also jumped into activity, as has their twitter and instagram pages. They also released their first music video.
The band is jumping around the internet as well, being featured in numerous blogs and reviews, the most notable of which have been the feature they got in The Guardian, being played on BBC 1, and making it to #6 on Billboards "Next Big Sound" list.
In an interview they did with Examiner.com, the band talked about how the decision to not release the first album digitally was scary for them, but that things have been paying off precisely because of that decision. The lead singer said that they were able to make a bigger impact that way because "the story of not releasing was more interesting," which allowed them to make a big impact amongst blogs, selling a lot of C.D.'s on their website. This led to them moving to L.A. to work with Producer/drummer Joey Waronker (Atoms for Peace, Beck, R.E.M.), whose work is featured on the E.P.
And even more impressive, they caught the attention of mega producer Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) who worked with them on their next full length album (to come out early next year).
The Moth & The Flame have taken untraditional routes, they seem to be the farthest thing from an internet sensation, yet they are doing serious things in the music world.
I am intrigued as to what route they take from here. And if they are as succesful in gaining internet notoriety as they have been at trend-making in the Provo music scene (just check out this blog post from a fan), these guys should be a safe bet to break out in the next couple years.
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