The Lazarus Heart

By Samantha Morgan

This past Saturday, Nov. 5, the new local band (The) Lazarus Heart, took the stage at North Gate Tavern for their second performance and blew the crowd away.


Erin Frith, lead vocals for (The) Lazarus Heart. (Photo by Samantha Morgan)
(The)Lazarus Heart, which consists of Erin Frith (lead vocals), Jermaine Keith Butler (bass), John Tulley (guitar), Andrew Greene (drums) and John Daughdril(l) (guitar and synths), is Tulley's brainchild, and formed just four months ago.

"John Tulley found me on MySpace," Frith said. "We started talking on the phone and we met up and he ended up bringing in [the rest of the members]. That's where it started."

The band has an experimental sound that is as soothing as it is intoxicatingly upbeat. At one of their shows you feel as though you have the option to either hang back and relax, or sway while dancing to their solid beats.

Very few bands in Baton Rouge opt for a lead vocalist that is female, which is a shame in my opinion. Frith puts forth a talent that is as strong as local vocalists Ashlin Phillips (The Eames Era) and Melissa Eccles (We Landed on the Moon).

Just as interesting as the bands sound is their name.

On their MySpace page, Tulley fully explained the meaning behind the band's name, which originated from the lyrics of the Sting song of the same name, written in 1987.

"Conceptually, to me the imagery created by this has really been powerful … The ideas of rebirth and having new life breathed into dead things. I've been through a lot of 'soul-searching' and 'coming-to-grips-with' … interestingly, both Drew and Erin, have also sort of experienced a parallel experience; for the three of us it has been approximately a year's time since our respective bands met their demise. So, the name is, for me, quite fitting for its members personally; a new musical life beginning. The name also makes me think about how our hearts (emotionally) are constantly going through a death and rebirth process. We have to constantly go back to square one, go back to the source."

And truly, their sound is indicative that description.

Currently the band has four songs, and is working to have them posted on their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/lazarusheartband. However, until that is completed you will simply have to take my word that this is a band worth checking out, and make a point of attending one of their upcoming performances, which are listed on their MySpace website.

- Tiger Weekly