UNSIGNED SPOTLIGHT                              

The Lifeline

This Chicago rock band experiments and fuses classical music with rock, which makes them stand out from the rest. With two dates on the Vans Warped Tour and numerous successful shows at Chicago's premier venues under their belt, The Lifeline is ready for center stage.

By: Gian Erguiza

Gian: Who is The Lifeline?

Ryan T: The Lifeline is Ryan T. Hope - Vocals/Guitar, Rebecca Faber - Violin Eddie Yonushatis - Guitar, Berto Salgado - Bass, Lonni Lane - Drums

Gian: What best describes the sound of your music and how did the violin come into play?

Ryan T: Well...I think the best way to describe the Lifeline (and be assured that this is not an easy one to answer) is a clever mix of classical and rock. Even leaving it at that gives room for people to categorize and sub-categorize our sound. Some have called it a lovely infusion of aggressive rock and melodic violin which I prefer. I don't like to compare the band to others out there simply because I do not feel like we sound anything like other band out there. The Violin adds a uniqueness that I feel no one has really messed yet. The violin was there from the beginning. Our plan was never to start a rock band that used the violin as a lead instrument, it just kind of turned out that way. For months Rebecca and I (Ryan) played as a acoustic guitar and violin duo, but after hearing bands like A.F.I and the Smashing Pumpkins we thought it would be cool to try the full band thing. Once we realized that we had something really special going on, we took it to the next level and tried to incorporate the instrument like no one had before.

Gian: What is the message that your band/group is trying to convey?

Ryan T: The Lifeline has a very simple message. No matter who you are, where you are from, how much money you have, there is always a chance for you to make a difference in your own life. I think we as a people get too caught up in what other people think and I think that really hurts us. Both of our records deal heavily in that notion that no matter how bad things are, there is always hope for the future. A lot of music out there just doesn't carry a positive message like that anymore and I really can't understand why. I try to use the music I create as a way to help myself understand the world we live in and I feel others look to music they listen to for the same kinds of things.

Gian: If given the chance to share the stage with anyone, who would it be?

Ryan T: This is a very hard question to answer because we all would answer differently. Personally I would love to play with Pink Floyd. Rebecca would probably choose the Pumpkins, Berto would say Silverchair, Eddie would say Glassjaw and Lonni would probably say Def Leppard. So far we have played with some really awesome bands like The Used and 30 Seconds to Mars and it really makes you feel like you have a long way to go, but really these people are doing what we are doing every day, working hard and hoping that in some way we can impact the lives of people we don't even know.

Gian: Any additional comments?

Ryan T:

Gian: Thanks Ryan!

For more info about The Lifeline and to purchase their new album, please log onto: http://www.myspace.com/thelifeline