Lifehouse Biography

Lifehouse is an American alternative rock band that originated as Blyss in Los Angeles in 1996. Its early lineup included singer-songwriter and guitarist Jason Wade, bassist Sergio Andrade, and drummer Jon "Diff" Palmer. Guitarist Collin Hayden and keyboardist Aaron Lord later joined the early lineup. The group performed at local venues and college campuses before attracting the attention of producer Ron Aniello, who introduced Wade to musician and producer Jude Cole. Cole subsequently introduced the group to DreamWorks Records executive Michael Ostin.

In 1999, Blyss independently released Diff's Lucky Day, a limited early recording that was sold at concerts and distributed to friends and music industry contacts. Produced by Ron Aniello, the recording featured Wade, Andrade, Palmer, Hayden, and Lord. Some of the songs from the Blyss sessions were later re-recorded for Lifehouse releases. The group adopted the Lifehouse name before releasing its major-label debut.

Lifehouse released No Name Face on October 31, 2000. The album reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Its lead single, "Hanging by a Moment," peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 but finished at No. 1 on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 chart for 2001, despite never reaching the top position on the weekly chart. The song became one of the year's most-played radio tracks. No Name Face included songs dating back to the Blyss period, including re-recorded versions of "Breathing" and "Cling and Clatter."

The band's second studio album, Stanley Climbfall, was released on September 17, 2002, and reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200. It included the singles "Spin" and "Take Me Away." The lineup during this period included Wade, Andrade, drummer Rick Woolstenhulme Jr., and guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme. Andrade and Sean Woolstenhulme left the band in 2004, and bassist and vocalist Bryce Soderberg joined later that year.

Lifehouse released its self-titled third studio album on March 22, 2005. The album reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and included the singles "You and Me" and "Blind." "You and Me" peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 62 weeks on the chart. It also reached No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts. Jude Cole became a frequent songwriting and production collaborator with Wade, co-writing several Lifehouse songs, including "You and Me," "First Time," "Whatever It Takes," and "Halfway Gone."

In June 2007, Lifehouse released Who We Are. The album produced the singles "First Time," "Whatever It Takes," and "Broken." These songs continued the band's presence on alternative, adult contemporary, and mainstream radio. The album also included "Storm," a re-recorded version of a song originally released during the Blyss period.

Smoke & Mirrors was released on March 2, 2010. The album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, matching the peak position of No Name Face. Its singles included "Halfway Gone," "All In," and "Falling In." "Halfway Gone" was released in 2009 ahead of the album, while "All In" followed in 2010 and "Falling In" in 2011.

In December 2012, Lifehouse released Almería. The album reached No. 55 on the Billboard 200 and No. 12 on Billboard's Rock Albums chart. It included "Between the Raindrops," featuring Natasha Bedingfield, and "Right Back Home," featuring Peter Frampton. The band's seventh studio album, Out of the Wasteland, followed on May 26, 2015. It reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and included "Flight" and "Hurricane."

Lifehouse released the compilation album Greatest Hits on July 14, 2017. The 18-track collection brought together songs from the band's recording career. Guitarist Steve Stout, who had toured with Lifehouse beginning in 2015, became an official member in 2017. The lineup following his addition included Wade, Woolstenhulme Jr., Soderberg, and Stout. Other guitarists associated with the band's history include Sean Woolstenhulme and Ben Carey.

On November 26, 2021, Lifehouse released Goodbye Kanan, a six-track EP through ALLSWELL Records. The release followed a series of singles issued earlier that year, including "Cut & Run," "Dragonflies," "Static," "En Rogue," and "Chester Copperpot."

Full-band activity has been limited since 2021 as the members have pursued individual projects. Wade has performed acoustic concerts billed as Lifehouse Best of Acoustic, featuring songs from the band's catalog. He has also continued working with guitarist Steve Stout through the band ØZWALD.

The band's early recordings as Blyss have received renewed attention through subsequent releases. A remastered edition of Diff's Lucky Day appeared in December 2025, followed by a deluxe edition in 2026. During 2026, ALLSWELL Records also released reimagined, acoustic, and archival recordings associated with Lifehouse, including "You Can Shake the Mountains (ReImagine)," "Joshua (ReImagine)," and "Somewhere in Between (Acoustic)." On October 23, 2026, Lifehouse released "Midnight in Philadelphia (Demo)" as a single through ALLSWELL Records.

Discography:

Early release as Blyss:
Diff's Lucky Day (1999)

Studio albums:
No Name Face (2000)
Stanley Climbfall (2002)
Lifehouse (2005)
Who We Are (2007)
Smoke & Mirrors (2010)
Almería (2012)
Out of the Wasteland (2015)

Compilation album:
Greatest Hits (2017)

Extended plays:
Live Session EP (2005)
Halfway Gone Remixes (2010)
Goodbye Kanan (2021)

Selected later releases:
Diff's Lucky Day (Blyss Remaster) (2025)
Stanley Climbfall (Live Acoustic) (2025)
Diff's Lucky Day (Blyss Deluxe Edition) (2026)
"Midnight in Philadelphia (Demo)" (2026)