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IS: | Ross Phillips | Chris Miller | Andy Emerich |
Originally formed as 4 ALARM early in 2006, the band, now known as Life Stage, then consisted of Ross Phillips, Rocky Phillips, AJ Grigson, and Andy Emerich. The guys played around as a cover band during that time, covering acts like Metallica, Pantera, Creed, Incubus, Tool, and many others from the past and present, but it didn't take long for the guys to take to writing, and become more passionate about that side of music. With college, family issues, and other obstacles to overcome over the next couple of years, it was hard for the band to write and produce new music consistently. Uneasiness grew, and some of the band members quickly became discontented with the situation. The guys pressed on though, and in late 2008, officially changed their name to Life Stage, and pursued recording their first studio EP, scheduled to be released in early 2009. The studio was a great new experience for the guys, but the stress and pressure proved to be the final straw for both AJ and Rocky, who withdrew from the band, both during, and shortly thereafter their time in the studio.
Determined to regroup and press on however, Ross and Andy found bassist Chris Miller back in their hometown, and liking the feel of this new configuration so much, decided to go on as a 3-piece, filling the unique niche of the progressive metal trio! Having postponed the release of their album, the guys then decided to go ahead and release the tracks from their studio time as their first EP – Stage 1 – in August of 2009. They have been supporting the album with local shows and online promotion ever since, and play all of the material live in their new configuration of just three.
Today, Life Stage is working hard writing material for a yet-to-be-determined future release, continuing to promote Stage 1 with shows, online promo, and getting expert reviews on the album, and slowly but surely making a name for themselves as a contender in the overcrowded genre of Progressive Metal – as a three piece, no less! These guys are dedicated to making the best music they can, regardless of trends or typecasts, so don't expect their exit from the music scene anytime soon. Instead, look for Life Stage to endure the struggles of an independent band in the new music business, and to continue to push themselves and their music to new, unseen levels, as they progress through life in all its stages. There is plenty more to come from Life Stage!