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Lying somewhere between the complexity of progressive rock and the brawn of metal, San Francisco’s The Living have an emotional pull to their sound that clicks instantly. Made up of Derek Barnes (vocals/ guitar), Julian Balestrieri (guitar), Jeremy Shepherd (bass) and Jason Zaru (drums), The Living formed in 2015, birthed from their longstanding friendships with each other. They pull many sounds into their music including post rock, shoegaze, progressive rock, metal, and pop, bridging the gap between genres and creating an environment in which their audience is greeted with the familiar sounds they know and love while discovering the band’s fresh approach. It’s this unique overlap, coupled with their devotion to an energetic live show and the human experience that goes along with it that has landed them sold out gigs opening for Le Butcherettes, John5, and the legendary Fishbone in addition to tours of the West Coast and Southwest including a showcase during SXSW. The band recorded their debut record with Bay Area recording engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, King Woman, Wolves In The Throne Room) which was independently released to high praise from respected outlets such as Metal Sucks, Decibel, Pop Matters in 2017. In 2018, the band continued to expand their sound and released their second full length album to continued praise. “We want to be remembered for emotional music built on strong song-writing,” the band explains. “We want people to connect with it in a very personal way.”

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Press Quotes

“Most noticeable is the sprawling progressive rock atmosphere and the powerful choruses that wouldn’t be out of place in an arena. New song “Deceiver” encompasses both of those things — after a listen or two, it’s hard to avoid having the melody stuck in your head.”

-DECIBEL MAGAZINE

”A band can be based in rock but still have elements of heaviness and metal, of course, and that’s exactly what The Living are. The San Francisco outfit is getting set to release their debut, but already they’ve received praised from Decibel, Pop Matters and others, no small feat. They caught my ear on first listen, too; their music lives and breathes — no click tracks or endless layers of guitars here — just a real rock band kicking out the jams.”

-METAL SUCKS

”Add The Living to the list of Bay Area bands that defy easy classification but which stimulate the imagination. The Living populates new track “Hot Breath” with melodies and rhythms that bring to mind the British New Romantics without losing a scintilla of power. Derek Barnes’ emotionally charged vocals prove as poignant as they are enigmatic; the six-string figures he and fellow guitarist Julian Balestrieri weave are nothing short of masterful.”

-POP MATTERS

”It’s the type of album that can be played in the background while you go about other tasks, or it can demand all your attention as you absorb the lyrics and how they complement the incredibly mature musical arrangement.”

-YELL MAGAZINE

”If you aren’t swaying your head back and forth when you hear this you might want to check your pulse.”

-METAL-TEMPLE

“The eerie atmosphere seeps into the palette of any listener…”

- NEW NOISE MAGAZINE

“The Living have given us an album sure to please anyone looking for a more atmospheric approach to hard rock.”

- THE ANTHEM MUSIC