From the commotion of the ever changing indie rock scene, tranquil and refreshing ambient sextet Lydia arrive poised and prepared to take the music community by storm. Boasting passionate male and female vocals over a moody, introspective wall of sound led by melodic guitar and keyboards, this group of high school friends have garnered some serious buzz in the underground with their compelling songs and tender approach to songwriting.
Formed in 2003 outside of Phoenix, AZ the band went through a few line-up changes before settling on its current roster comprised of lead vocalist / guitarist Leighton Antelman, keyboardist / backup vocalist Mindy White, guitarists Steve McGraw and Ethan Koozer, bassist Jed Dunning and drummer Craig Taylor. In 2004, Lydia won a contest with Blink – 182 owned Atticus Clothing which resulted in their track ‘Your Taste is My Attention’ being included on the Atticus compilation ‘Drag the Lake, Volume 3’. The band went on to release their debut album ‘This December: It’s One More and I’m Free’ and hit the road in support of the release, performing as part of the Zumiez Couch Tour, Vans Warped Tour and Bamboozle Festival. The reaction from the fans was immediate - kids recognized Lydia as a group of incredibly talented musicians worthy of their loyalty and have remained true to the band since its inception, many of them getting Lydia lyrics tattooed on themselves as proof of their commitment to the bands music and message. The fans interaction with the band is immediate and intense; to date, the band has over 54,000 friends on their Myspace page and over 3.9 MILLION total plays to date – a strong indicator of the power of the band and their music as well as the connection with their fans.
With the impending release of the bands sophomore album ‘Illuminate’ via Low Altitude / Universal Motown records, the band is positioned to once again to redefine the current musical climate. Tracks such as ‘This is Twice Now’, ‘I Woke Up Near the Sea’ and ‘Stay Awake’ show Lydia at their finest hour – articulate, passionate and definitely ready to bring their brand of musical intelligence to the forefront of todays music scene.
