Flyleaf Biography
Who is Flyleaf?
Flyleaf is an American rock band formed in Belton, Texas, in 2002 with chart appearances across mainstream rock and Christian music markets. The band originally performed under the names Listen and then Passerby, but changed its name to Flyleaf after signing with a record label.
Early in the band's development, vocalist Lacey Sturm, then performing under her maiden name Lacey Mosley, began playing music with drummer James Culpepper. Guitarists Jared Hartmann and Sameer Bhattacharya were later recruited, helping shape the group's evolving sound. "Sameer and Jared are really experimental with melodies and pedals, and we all had different influences that were all blending together with the same passionate and hopeful heart, and that brought out this beautiful feeling. It was magical," Sturm said. During the band's Listen era, several bassists performed with the group before Kirkpatrick Seals joined in 2002 after leaving his previous band, The Grove.
The name was inspired by the literary term flyleaf, which refers to the blank page at the front of a book. "A flyleaf is the blank page at the front of the book," explains Sturm. "It's the dedication page, the place you write a message to someone you're giving a book to. And that's kind of what our songs are — personal messages that provide a few moments of clarity before the story begins."
Flyleaf's music is primarily rooted in alternative rock and hard rock. The band has cited influences including Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Incubus, and Rage Against The Machine.
Members of the band have stated that Christian faith has influenced their music, worldview, and songwriting, though Flyleaf has not been defined strictly as a Christian rock group. The band has been associated with Christian music audiences because of the faith-centered themes and personal testimony reflected in their work. "We all share the same faith. And so when we deal with the whole 'Christian band thing,' we kind of think about something P.O.D. says, like, 'If you're a Christian, it affects everything in your life. So if you're a plumber, does that make you a Christian plumber?'" Sturm said. "I don't know the answer. We're a band, it's part of who we are, so it comes out in our music, and it's the fuel for what we do. And finding Christ saved my life. So I'm not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that."
The band released the song "Cassie," inspired by the story of Cassie Bernall, one of the students killed in the Columbine High School shooting who was reported to have professed her Christian faith before her death. The song is one example of how real-world events and personal conviction have influenced Flyleaf's songwriting. Flyleaf performed a free concert in November 2006 at Los Angeles Pierce College for The Revolt, a Christian student group campus gathering.
The band's first full-length studio album, Flyleaf, was released in October 2005 and reissued in the United States in October 2007 with additional acoustic tracks and digital EP material. Flyleaf's second album, Memento Mori, was released on November 10, 2009, and featured a more melodic sound compared to the band's debut album. Pre-release singles included "Beautiful Bride" and "Again."
Sturm left Flyleaf in 2012, a week before the release of the band's third album New Horizons. Kristen May later served as vocalist until announcing her departure in 2016 to focus more on family life. Following May's departure, Flyleaf entered a hiatus period while members pursued other musical projects.
During the hiatus, band members remained active in music, including Jared Hartmann and his wife forming the musical duo Kat&Jared in 2017. Other members participated in rock and touring-related collaborations connected to the broader alternative and Christian rock music community.
Interest in Flyleaf resumed in 2021, when the band's social media activity was reactivated after a period of inactivity. In November 2022, Flyleaf began teasing its return, including releasing promotional images featuring original lead singer Lacey Sturm and using the phrase Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm. On April 27, 2023, the band played a reunion show in Belton, Texas, marking its first live performance in approximately seven years and the first with Sturm in nearly eleven years.
Flyleaf is scheduled to appear at several festival events in 2026, including Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida on May 9, 2026; Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio on May 14, 2026; and Shinedown's Lunatic Ball Beach Weekend in Miramar Beach, Florida from October 23 to 25, 2026.