Hailing from Salt Lake City, Royal Bliss gradually came together after
high school when guitarist Chris Harding stumbled into a pizza parlor
where frontman Neal Middleton was playing a solo gig. "I told Chris I
would love to sing in a band and he invited me to jam with his band at a
rehearsal" says Middleton. "That night we instantly clicked and wrote
four songs." The next day Middleton dropped out of college and quit his
day job to pursue the rock n roll dream.
For the next few years Royal Bliss built up a loyal fan base the
old-fashioned way--on the road. The band recorded a demo and thanks to
their hook-laden songwriting ability, synergy and stage presence they
were able to sell over 8,000 CD's on their own.
In 2004, the band started to generate major label interest, but it all
came to a halt when Middleton was seriously injured in a near fatal
accident that left him paralyzed in a wheel chair. After months of
rehabilitation, Middleton miraculously got back on his feet and was able
to walk again (he still has only partial feeling in his right leg). The
band regrouped and decided to push forward. They headed back into the
studio for some of the most intense studio sessions they have ever
encountered.
During the recording, tragedy ambushed the band again. Drummer Jake
Smith flipped his car five times after leaving the studio one night and
Harding sliced his face in half while skiing.
"It was crazy" states Richards. "Jake had just finished recording his
drum tracks when he left the studio the night of the accident and I
actually went with Chris on the skiing trip. I was skiing a different
slope, so I didn't even realize that it happened until I saw him with
his jaw wired shut."
After the smoke cleared, the band finally released their independent
debut--the appropriately titled "After The Chaos II". Combining elements
of classic rock and modern indie rock, the band received rave reviews
and played shows across the U.S. Supporting artists such as Kid Rock,
Maroon 5, Hinder, Three Days Grace, and Buckcherry.
After the initial release of "After The Chaos II" in 2005, The Control
Group, an independent record company out of Seattle picked up the record
and gave them a nationwide distribution deal. While the band had
substantial radio success in the past, the albums first single "Devils
and Angels" took them to a whole new level. A number of stations across
the US including KHTB/SLC, KZDX/Idaho, KCVI/Idaho, KOMP/Las Vegas,
WIIL/Chicago, and KEYJ/Abilene, TX started spinning the track and it
instantly became a top requested song exploding Royal Bliss to 1 airplay
at both rock and pop radio. “After The Chaos II” sold a staggering
12,000 units and at one point, their album was selling 1 at the Gray
Whale music store chain (outselling numbers 2-5 by a combined total of
nearly 8 to 1). At that time Virgin Records president Jason Flom took
notice and immediately signed them to his new Capitol Music Group Label
under EMI in May 2007.
That summer the band headed off to Portland, OR to record their major
label debut "Life In-Between" with producer Rob Daiker.
"Working with Rob, we were finally able to record the way we wanted"
states Middleton. "Our past recordings were done in a living room and a
kitchen. This time around, we all recorded in the same room and captured
the feel of the band". "There were multiple strip clubs to keep our head
in the game" adds Richards with a smile.
"Life In-Between" is the band's most honest and personal material to
date. "All of the songs are sculpted out of life's hard lessons." says
Middleton. "We went in with 30 plus songs and narrowed the record down
to 12."
When asked about the meaning behind the bands songs, Middleton explained
"Devils & Angels" is about feeling like your stuck in the middle and
having to make a choice. It's kind of like the old cartoons when the
main character would have an angel on his right shoulder telling him to
do the right thing and the devil would be on his left shoulder telling
him to do the opposite. The song is just about internal struggles."
"We Did Nothing Wrong" was written about all the crazy shit that's going
on in the world from a kids point of view. It's about war, global
warming, and all the other stuff that the kids are inheriting from the
older generation."
From the album starter "Save Me", written about Middleton's personal
struggles with alcohol, drugs, and transition into adult hood to "Here
They Come" about dealing with people trying to inflict their point of
view on you, the album is filled with big riffs and memorable melodies
that instantly get stuck in the minds of everyone who hears them.
The elements of life lie in the process and the adventure, these songs
are the result of that journey, a place where tragedy and beauty can
exist side by side, where every emotion is valid and every emotion is
needed. Such is the essence of Royal Bliss.
