AllurA

AllurA is a charismatic local band from the City Of Angels who’s hard work and perseverance continues to pay off big time! They’ve participated on the entire Vans Warped Tour several times over, and recently unleashed a whole new collection of tunes entitled True Colors on Hardline Entertainment. A powerful work showing AllurA at their most impassioned, True Colors is sure impress both old fans and well as secure the band a whole legion of new converts. Here is a recent interview we conducted with one of the AllurA members to find out more about their tour of duty on Warped, their compelling tunes, their take on the local Los Angeles music scene, and other colorful topics of interest. Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in AllurA, and how long the band has been together.
My name is A.J. Bartholomew, I play Lead Guitar and sing back up vocals. AllurA has been together for about 4 years now.

First of all, what do you think of our local LA music scene and who are some bands you would recommend checking out?
I think it’s really great. There’s probably a show every night for every style you can imagine. I’ve seen some amazing shows here. It can feel a little over-saturated though sometimes, there’s so many bands in the area. It can get a little cliquey around here as well.

How does the music on True Colors differ from your previous albums and what took so long for a new recording to come out?
This album is a lot heavier than our previous ones. I think that was always our intent, but it never really came through before. I couldn’t be more proud of this album, definitely my favorite one of ours to date. Over all, I think it’s just a more solid album. We took more time writing the songs and it shows. The older albums were mostly made up of songs we had written long before we knew we were going to record, so this was the first time we got to write from scratch, which was nice. All of these songs were written specifically for this album.

After about a year and a half of AllurA’s existence, we decided to move Chris from drums to lead vocals. After that point, we had a lot of rebuilding to do. For about a year it was really just Chris (vocals), Taylor (guitar) and myself playing shows and touring, with people filling in on bass and drums. Adam joined the band, just before we went on our 3rd Warped Tour (’09), and Brandon joined the band about 6 months after that. So it wasn’t until we had a full lineup again, that we felt ready to write for the new album. We spent a lot of time getting everyone up to speed, and writing the new material. Once we were ready to record, we spent a good 7/8 months in the studio, which was by far the longest we’d ever taken. I’m glad we didn’t rush this time though.

Is there any story or concept behind the True Colors title?
We chose to title it ‘True Colors’ because we feel that after all of the line up changes and crap we’ve had to go through, this album shows really shows our True Colors… it shows what we can really do. The E.P., and the full length prior to this one, I think, we were still trying to figure ourselves out. But I think we’ve come into our own now.

Select any two songs from True Colors and what inspired the lyrics.
I can only speak about the songs I wrote. We had a few people write lyrics for this CD. Brandon and I wrote the song True Colors together, actually. It’s about people that define themselves by one thing. That one thing is how everyone knows them, but when you really get to know them better it’s really just all a show. Their heart isn’t in it, they just like people thinking it is. My side portion of the lyrics I think were from a more personal experience, and Brandon ’s were more about the subject in general.

I wrote Graveyard Shift as well. A lot of times I feel people see me as being lazy or taking an easier route than most because I’m trying to make music my career. I don’t think that’s a fair assumption at all, because this is just as, if not more stressful and much more time consuming than any full time job I’ve ever had. There’s always something you can do to further the band. It never ends. I can’t even begin to count the amount of hours I spend weekly working for AllurA.

Did you miss NOT playing the Warped Tour this year? How strange was it to be home all summer long?
Of course we missed Warped Tour. Who wouldn’t? Those tours are some of the best experiences I’ve had in my life. And it has always helped our band out immensely. But I think it really important for us to not do Warped this past summer, or really at all for that matter. We decided we didn’t want to play much until we had an album that could reflect our live performance, and that we were extremely confident with. We finished up the album mid-summer and spent the rest preparing to release it. It was definitely a well spent summer I think.

What is the strangest thing that has happened to the band while out on the Warped Tour?
Wow. Well since I don’t have 5 hours to tell you all of the ridiculous shit that has happened to us on that tour, I’ll just tell you one of the bigger incidents. One year, we ended getting into a little altercation with another band that wasn’t on the tour. The other band’s singer to a swing at Chris, and totally missed. Chris retaliated and punched the guy in the mouth. Unfortunately, Chris’s hand split open on the guy’s tooth and got really infected. After one of the shows in upstate New York we had to drive him to the emergency room. We needed to keep making money, so we ended up leaving him in the ICU for 3 days or so while we stayed on the tour selling our merch at each show. After having surgery on his hand, he was released from the hospital and met up with us to finish out the tour. He played in a sling for week.

How did you wind up being signed to Hardline Entertainment?
I started working for Famly Clothing in late ’06, a clothing company owned by Kevin Lyman, Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise and Ken Seaton (Owner of Hardline Entertainment). Through that job we were given the opportunity to start doing the Warped Tour. We’ve been in touch ever since. Ken has always been a huge help to us through the last couple of years. When it was time for us to record a new album, we decided we wanted to work with Ken in a more official capacity. So we started recording with him at his studio “the Porch” in Hermosa Beach , and we went from there.

Who did the cover art for True Colors and how much input did you have on it?
Zeb Love did the artwork for the album. He also did the artwork for The Organization of Sound and Silence, our last album. He’s also done shirt designs and website layouts for us as well. We love his work. We came up with the concept for the artwork, and he brought it to life.

What are the pluses and minuses about having two brothers in the same band?
Chris and I have always played music together. We’ve been in bands together for over 10 years running now, so there are no pluses and minuses to us. This is just how it is. We don’t know anything else.

Do you still keep in touch with any of the ex-AllurA members?
Absolutely. We all grew up together in the same circle of friends, and we’re still close with all of them. In fact, most of them have filled in for us at one time or another since their departures. Chris and I still jam with Mitch, our old singer on the side as well.

Do you plan on doing any touring for True Colors?
Yes, as much as possible. We’re in the market right now, looking for a booking agent, and hoping to get on some tours soon. We’d love to get back on Warped next year, and anything else before or afterwards we’re up for. We love being on the road.

What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most after hearing your music for the very first time?
We’re very proud of the fact that we write full, complete songs. Each part happens for a reason, each part fits well with the next. They all makes sense together. We don’t want to just throw a bunch of different riffs together and call it a song. Hopefully that’s something people can hear when they listen to us, and appreciate.

Any final words of wisdom?
New album ‘TRUE COLORS’ out now on Hardline Entertainment! Digital copies available on Itunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/true-colors/id465532973 or physical on the Hardline store at www.HardlineEnt.com. It will also be available at all of our shows.

And check out of the Hardline Entertainment acts like Neo Geo, Phathom, Thousand Watt Stare and Lionize. There are some really great bands on there!


- Highwire Daze Magazine

Halloween’s that strange and special time of the year which allows us to be more silly, sexy, and spooky than usual, without feeling bad about it. It’s time for cobwebs, and hanging dead guys from the tree in your front yard, without it being weird. Time for zombies, jesters, heroes and villains, monsters and aliens, honeys and hobos. Time for the dead to walk alongside the crazy, parading in search of tricks and treats; candy. It’s time for costume contests and Halloween parties. It’s time for local Metal band AllurA to see you in hell.

AllurA performs Saint Rocke inHermosa Beachthis Halloween weekend for their See You In Hell party. The festive gathering begins at the stroke of 9 on Saturday night, Oct 29, and will also feature the talents of Hoist The Colors, Neo Geo, Friends In Low Places, and DJ Nocturn.

AllurA is Taylor Killam (guitar, vocals), A.J. Bartholomew (lead guitar, vocals), Adam Romine (bass), Chris Bartholomew (lead vocals), and Brandon Brown (drums). With the exception of Romine, hailing fromPasadena, they’re comprised of class of ’05 and ’07 Mira Costa students.

Reasonably in line with the spirit of Halloween, this band of seeming tattooed bad boys actually took its name from a female cartoon character.

“Our old bass player came up with it,” says A.J. Bartholomew. “It’s from the old anime cartoon Vultron, one of the princesses is named AllurA. We thought it was alluring enough for a good band name.”

She must have been one badass princess to name such a band after; while their music might be delicately made, it’s by no means a delicate sound.

“We’re a heavy band,” says Bartholomew. “But when you listen to us, I think it’s pretty evident that we’re not just a straight metal band. You can hear a lot of different styles in our music; every song is a little different… Some songs are fast, and others are more groove oriented.”

As their sound digs beyond the surface level of straight metal, rather than going too in depth – Bartholomew usually resolves to say the band is simply metal, with the most common impression being a heavier version of Rise Against.

Romine suggests, “AllurA’s in your face sound combines an aggressive metal feel with a melodic backbone.”

Perhaps stemming from the essence of a melodic undertone, Bartholomew says the band projects a positive message full of energy and passion, with most of their current songs giving him a sort of uplifting feeling.

“The understanding of where one stands in the world and the contribution they make is really important in our lyrics,” he says.

To date, the boys have an EP titled Change in the Winds (’07), and an LP The Organization of Sound and Silence (’09) under their belts, as well as a freshly completed LP called True Colors, released Oct 4 on Hardline Entertainment.

Ken Seaton of Hardline Entertainment has played an integral role in both facilitating the most recent release by AllurA and conditioning their current status as a band.

“I used to work for Famly Clothing, a clothing company owned by Ken Seaton and Fletcher Dragge (of Pennywise),” Bartholomew says. “They gave us the opportunity to be a part of the Warped Tour for a few years, which led to us working together in a more official capacity. We recorded our new album with Ken at his new studio ‘The Porch,’ and now we’re putting the album out on his label Hardline Entertainment. He has been nothing but supportive towards us; and his love for music, especially up-and-coming music, is just awesome!”

The same being true for all art, all bands require support. And AllurA has also provided support of their own. They’ve performed at several important venues, including House of Blues and The Troubadour, and have opened for such notable acts as Pepper, Strung Out, Stick To Your Guns, Attack! Attack!, Ignite, and Death By Stereo (the lead singer of which is featured in a guest spot on AllurA’s new album). And with a fresh pressing to show for themselves, they’ll be hitting the venues like crazy in the near future.

Bartholomew says, “Now that the new album is done, we’re starting to shift our focus back to playing live – as much as we can, as many places as we can. We have a lot of shows booked through the beginning of November already, and we’re gonna keep building from there, back up to being on the road full-time.”

See AllurA live while they’re still local, Saturday Oct 29 at Saint Rocke’s See You In Hell Halloween Party w/ Hoist The Colors, Neo Geo, Friends In Low Places, and DJ Nocturn (show at 9 p.m., doors at 5 p.m.). For more info on AllurA go to facebook.com/alluraband. Their new LP True Colors is available for digital download on iTunes, and physical copies can be purchased at shows or from www.HardlineEnt.com.
- The Easy Reader

AllurA is a melodic hardcore/ metal band that hails from the South Bay of Los Angeles, California. They recently released their new record, ”True Colors,” via Hardline Entertainment on October 4th, 2011. The album starts off commonly enough with some chug progressions and a slow but steady build up into the first song. From there, the album goes on to prove its worth in gold with its complex guitar work, rock-influenced chug patterns and complex drumming. The vocals are often layered on top of one another, with clean vocals generally taking the lead and screaming vocals offering powerful support. Although, in some cases, the heavy vocals do take the lead. I cannot stress enough how impressed I was by the guitar work. The solos are perfectly placed and match up with the overall groove of the music. I promise you that once you start listening to AllurA it’ll be impossible for you to keep from banging your head along to the beat. At times the guitar work reminds me of early A Life Once Lost, and the screaming vocals definitely reminisce of Every Time I Die. - Migrate Music News

It all begins with an epic intro that makes you feel immediately in heaven, you almost expect to see the angels, until everything changes and an agressive metal sound with melodic backbones smack you down to the deepest hell of awesomeness.
- Vents Magazine - Music and Entertainment Magazine

AllurA shows 'True Colors'

by Michael Hixon
(Updated: Thursday, July 28, 2011 12:40 PM PDT)

A.J. and Chris Bartholomew grew up in the South Bay punk rock scene listening to the likes of Pennywise, Black Flag, The Deviants and Western Waste. They been playing together since they were in elementary school and now their band, AllurA, is set to release its second studio CD “True Colors.”

The brothers, along with original member Taylor Killam, rhythm guitarist, and the band’s newest members drummer Brandon Brown and bassist Adam Romine, have spent nearly two years working on “True Colors,” which A.J. called an “entire group effort.”

“We’re going to tour on it as much as humanly possible,” A.J., 24, said. “We’re going to try to get it to as many different people as we can so they can hear it and spread the word around.”

Chris, 22, added, “So much time and effort has gone into this one.”


Taylor Killam, A.J. Bartholomew, Adam Romine, Chris Bartholomew and Brandon Brown are AllurA.
“True Color,” which will be released by Hardline Entertainment, features 13 original tracks that were recorded at The Porch Studio in Hermosa Beach. The band’s next local gig is an acoustic set at Patrick Malloys on Aug. 9. A CD release party is in the planning stages.

From grade school through their years at Mira Costa High School, their musical influences had always been punk. They formed AllurA in 2007. But recently their horizons musically have broadened because of a metal icon.

“I got an Ozzy Osbourne CD, and that’s when everything got so much bigger,” Chris said. “Basically we were just into punk and soon as we got into metal ... that’s when we started getting into hip hop, electronic ... even country and pop. I think that there is something good in just about every genre.”

Over the past few years, AllurA went through several changes. Chris went from behind the drums to being out front as the band’s lead singer. They then added Brown and Romine to roundout the newly revamped AllurA.

“We met the new drummer and bass player over the years just playing with other bands and they decided to join us,” A.J. said.

From 2007 to 2010, the band got a big break when it performed all over the country on the Warped Tour, one of the largest showcases for punk bands in the country. With the new album ready to be released, they will be able to spend more time on the road.

“We’ve been concentrating on the recording and finishing it up and mixing it,” A.J. said. “But we are going up north in August and we’ll tour more consistently after that.”

Chris calls “True Colors” different than anything that band has ever done, a “heavier and catchier” and a more “melodic metal record, but it’s got more than that.”

“It’s blowing me away,” Chris said. “Hopefully it will do the same for other people.”


- The Beach Reporter

Allura is a local band from the City Of Angels who performed on the Famly Stage/Kevin Says/Ernie Ball stages for the last three years. This year, they were invited back to play a few of the dates, including an appearance at the Kia/Kevin Says stage in Carson. Playing mostly newer material from an expected year-end release, the guys have plenty of charisma to spare and the material to back it all up. Best in their too-short set included a fantastic new song called Don’t Look Back and the wildly impassioned False Hope. - HighwireDaze Magazine

The quintet Allura have coupled their appearance at the 2007 Vans Warped tour with the release of a four-track EP A Change in the Winds. Typical metal motif, solid black with grey Old English-style font and skull-themed artwork, adorn the cover. Inside, adjacent to photographs of the band members suspended in mid-performance, Allura have kindly provided lyrics revolving around themes of frustration, anger, betrayal, and the yearning for escape that parallel their heavy sound. Burst in Flames initiates the EP with blaring feedback that erupts into thrashing guitars, melds characteristically harsh metal growls with harmonious background vocals, and introduces the frantic speed that defines the sound of the EP. Surprisingly melodic vocals emerge on From Beneath and More Than Just a Name and accompany frenzied guitar duels and crashing drums. A head-bangers delight, Dead Inside finalizes the EP with intense full-band shouts and metallic screams, but unlike the previous tracks, this closer culminates with more complex and varied instrumental arrangements, and develops an intriguing rhythm.

Alluras A Change in the Winds demonstrates promising talent and vigor through its four tracks. While this small sample may not be sufficient to indicate how much Allura will progress or transform the metal genre, time will tell. Take a listen to Allura at www.myspace.com/alluraband to decide Alluras potential and give them a chance to take off.

By Meijin Bruttomesso-All-Access Magazin - All Access Magazine

The first band I decided to check out was Allura, who were playing on the Kevin Says stage. Hailing from Los Angeles, this five-piece had kind of a metalcore sound, but with very melodic (in a good way) vocals and thrashy guitars. Think of a cross between The Black Dahlia Murder and Death By Stereo. Although metalcore usually isn't my thing, there is something very unique about Allura's sound, and I was totally digging them. It looks like they are playing the entire Warped Tour, so I am definitely looking forward to seeing them again when they return to the Bay Area in August.
- Ground Control Magazine