An Interview With The Female-Fronted Alt Rock Band LIVINGMORE All About Their New Album ‘Take Me’ and Lots More!

On May 21st, the rising Los Angeles-based female-fronted alternative rock band Livingmore released their sophomore full-length studio album Take Me via Nomad Eel Records. The 11-track album, the quartet’s most collaborative and personal body of work, arrives with an overall message of following your unique path in life, as evidenced by the previously released singles “Sharp” and “Got Me Feelin’ Like.” Coinciding with the album’s release, Livingmore has released a live, in-studio performance video of the album’s lead single and opening track “Sharp” filmed at the band’s Los Angeles studio and directed and edited by Joseph Cultice. Take Me is also available physically on CD as well as opaque blue vinyl via Nomad Eel Record’s webstore and a band exclusive clear vinyl with glacial blue and red splatter via Livingmore’s official webstore, both shipping later this year.

“We are so excited to release this album,” shares Livingmore. “It is a part of our souls.”

Anchored by glossy guitar and under the glow of neon keys, Livingmore convert kinetic motion into instantly irresistible rock anthems that shimmer, shine, and soar all at once. The four-piece — Alex Moore, Spencer Livingston [guitar/vocals], Mike Schadel [drums/keys], and Rodrigo Moreno are ready to move listeners more than ever with Take Me. Produced by Schadel and mixed and mastered by Josiah Mazzaschi (Built To Spill, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Light FM), the new album, recorded at Livingmore’s own studio, has received early support from PopMatters, American Songwriter, Culture Collide, Atwood Magazine, Glide Magazine, Buzz Bands and more.

The collection, Take Me opens with “Sharp,” a disco-rock celebration of life and self-expression, inspired by the idea of how our different energies mix with the wardrobe we wear allowing us to feel comfortable expressing ourselves. Follow-up single “Got Me Feelin’ Like” tells the story of a larger-than-life “rhinestone cowboy” character envisioned by lead vocalist Alex Moore as showcased in the song’s official music video. Elsewhere on Take Me, “Rays” glistens with a hummable melody while daydreaming of an adventure during a worrisome time and, hinging on an unpredictable rhythm shuffling towards a chantable hook, “Dramatic” is a fun song encouraging its listeners to make themselves feel good amongst the madness going on in the world.

Livingmore first came to life in 2014 when Alex and Spencer began collaborating while bonding over a wide swath of influences, including Garbage, The Hives, Roy Orbison, Modest Mouse, Wilco, Radiohead, The Cure, The Smiths, and more. As the duo continued to write, Mike and Rodrigo eventually joined the fold, and the group’s 2015 self-titled EP, Livingmore, gained traction online. Between countless packed shows and a performance at SXSW, the band dropped their first full-length album, OK To Land, in 2018, igniting a buzz. Since their debut, Livingmore has independently amassed over 2 million total streams along with media support from the likes of Interview Magazine, Nylon, Paste, Music Connection, PopCrush, Clash, Earmilk and more. With Take Me, the members of Livingmore are opening up like never before, inviting all to join on the rollercoaster ride and its non-conformist path.

Connect With Livingmore Online Here: Website

Learn more about Livingmore in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! So first things first, how did you all start this band? What made you all think that you could work together? How difficult was it to come up with a band name that you all agreed on?

Alex: Spencer and I met through mutual friends. We both had previous bands that broke up and were both pursuing solo projects. After running into each other a bunch, he volunteered to play guitar for a show I was having and after that, we just kept writing together, and it soon became a band. We are asked about the band name a lot, and it’s just a spin on our last names combined Livingston and Moore, which also has a cool double meaning when placed together. After playing acoustically together to get our songs out there, we met our drummer Mike and later our bass player Rodrigo. We all come from different musical backgrounds, but collectively it just works effortlessly. Musical chemistry is sometimes unexplainable, but Spencer and I share that plus an obsessive work ethic and our band members have stuck by our side through all the ups and downs which means a lot.

How are you all feeling at this point about the pandemic and the recent openings?

Spencer: We are happy to see a silver lining in all this and just hope it continues. Just because you’re allowed to play doesn’t mean venues are appearing out of thin air nor does it mean everyone’s ready to jump around all close together. A lot was lost, and a lot has to rebuild, but we’re hopeful and believe a renaissance will occur because people, including us, are missing live music terribly, but we all want it to feel like the right timing for it. I will say we are going to have our first European tour summer 2022, so we are so excited about that.

Let’s talk about your new sophomore full-length studio album, “Take Me.” What was it like putting this personal collection together? Did anything surprise you about the overall process? Were there any unexpected challenges?

Alex: Honestly, it was a mental health lifesaver recording this album for all of us. We were a week into recording and then COVID-19 hit but luckily, our decision was to record most of our album at our drummer Mike’s studio, which doubles as our rehearsal space, so instead of being halted we had more time than ever to complete it. We would just get dressed and go straight to the studio every day until it was done. To answer were there any surprises, yes that would be COVID-19, but I feel so lucky that we had our space to finish what we started. Some songs are more serious and others are light spirited, I’m happy they’re not all sad because after a song like “Rays” or “Memory Hill”  I need to laugh a little. 

What was it like making the music video for your single, “Got Me Feeling Like”? How creatively involved with that process were you all?

Alex: We were extremely involved in the story line aspect of it from hiring the performers to bedazzling the costume. I directed it with Eric and Kevin, who were the cinematographers, and Spencer did everything he could to help in all ways. I’ve had the Cowboy dancing in a liquor store idea since writing the lyrics to the song, so it felt very satisfying to see it come to life and all the actors and team we had working with us made it a fun process. 

What do you think makes for an ideal show for this band? What have been some of your favorite shows and venues?

Alex: I think creating a set list that flows and tells a story is important. Even though we’ve had very enjoyable shows, I think our best shows are yet to come, and I can’t wait to experiment with lighting more. Our favorite venues in LA are The Echo, which is still around, and The Satellite, which has closed. Also, we loved The Moroccan Lounge, which I assume still exists. Damn it’s sad even trying to look back on favorite venues. We hope for some new favorites soon!

How do you think your hometown has influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group? If not, why do you think that is?

Spencer: I think there’s a laid back airy vibe to some of our tunes and being from LA you drive everywhere, so I think recording something that would sound good on a road trip or just a drive is something we consider . 

How would you say that this group has grown as musicians over the years? How has your sound matured and developed? What has remained the same?

Spencer: We still mainly have an organic approach to songwriting  but collaborate with our band more since our album “Ok to Land,” which was written in a more acoustic duo type of way and now our sound is bigger, but we never stay completely the same and each album is going to always give you something different. 

Where do you think you are all happiest – in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere? With all the negativity out there today, what else in life truly makes you all happy?

Alex: We are happy doing all the above. I love doing everything when it comes to expressing our art and I think there has to be at least one or two people in a band that likes all of it from the writing, recording, to performing and the visuals or else it won’t go very far.  What else makes me happy? Kindness makes me happy and learning makes me happy as well as laughing about dumb shit. 

Spencer: our families and friends make us content to 🙂

With all the different social media platforms out there, how do you balance it all? How do you think that social media has impacted this band? How often are you all on your different sites interacting with fans? How have you been able to utilize them through the years? Which of you handles them mostly?

Alex: Social media is like air for a band these days, there is no avoiding it. We have used all social media outlets and sharing our videos was how we started gaining momentum. What has been the most valuable is also getting to connect and collaborate with other artists for our project. The first music video we had was for our song “Little Bird” where we perform underwater and the director of that found a live version of that song on our YouTube and contacted us. We’ve also found amazing photographers/graphic designers  through Instagram. Social media is not only great for distributing your work but also connecting and growing your project with others who want to jump on board. Art attracts art and Instagram is perfect for that! 

What musicians have really been inspiring you all since you first started making music? 

Us four have many different influences the list is very long but here are some: Wilco, Garbage, The Hives, Spoon, Beck, Roy Orbison, The Kinks, The Smiths, The Pretenders, Modest Mouse and more…

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

Alex & Spencer: Our message is going to sound cheesy but a lot of it is following your heart. We just hope this music can get people through the day; life’s hard and if your music can heal someone’s bad day, mission accomplished.