LoveWar launches new EP at Longbranch

Knoxville band LoveWar is, from left, drummer Chris Potocik, singer-gutiarist Elijah Newman and bass player Nick Cheek.

KNOXVILLE — At 18 years old, Elijah Newman is no rookie to the local music scene. Playing in metal bands since 14, he is well versed in Knoxville's coarser offerings. After three years of dabbling in the heavier side of rock, Newman came of age, emerged from his cocoon of teenage angst and now seeks out a style he finds more fulfilling in LoveWar.

While Newman's metamorphosis isn't as common as one might hope, similar evolutions have been shared by many of the Knoxville's indie hall-of-famers as the development of technical ability often precedes the development of good taste.

Assembling other like minds in bassist Nick Cheek and drum phenom Chris Potocik, who hail from similar musical backgrounds, LoveWar began rehearsing in March of 2010 and played its first house show in October. While the group's music lacks the requisite quirkiness for an indie-rock designation, its style is crisp, clean and melodic and explores the full spectrum of emotions, striking a blow against the restrictive wrath that confined the group members' previous metal projects.

Newman explains his reasons for the transition. "I was really bored with metal, that's all I had played for years," he says. "Just over a year ago I discovered that I have somewhat of a decent singing voice. Never having done any vocals before, I wanted to try it out. I really wanted to produce a stripped-down, rock 'n' roll, indie sound ... I got really bored with 'chugging.' Every metal band I was in went, 'Chug, chug, squeeeal, chug!' That's really fun live, but in terms of letting my creativity flourish - it didn't. I was always about writing songs, and when I wrote for personal enjoyment, it was never metal. So I really wanted to explore my late-night writing."

"The music is its own monster really," adds Cheek of LoveWar's songwriting. "It consistently goes places that we don't expect. At first we had a few vague ideas on how to go about writing music for this project, but eventually we just started going, letting it create itself in a way. It's still evolving, and I really love it for that. I'm excited to see where it goes."

Despite having only three shows under its belt, LoveWar sprung at the opportunity to record its inaugural EP with Miah Lajeunesse at The Sound Lair and will unveil the product Saturday. The EP, titled "Original Sins," showcases a signature sound - framed by rapid fire drum beats, heavy guitar reverb and soaring vocal melodies - that lands somewhere between Foo Fighters and Toad the Wet Sprocket.

"It's like a big goop of indie-rock, folk, hard rock, trippy, experimental and a hint of metal," Newman describes. "I would compare it to bands like Thrice. Honestly I didn't know what I was creating, I just know I had this sound in me. I would characterize it with amp feedback, delay, loads and loads of delay and a rowdy ruckus."

In playing gigs with his former bands, Newman was granted access to a number of venues despite being under age. Turning the heads of bar patrons, he overheard the mutterings of his older audiences, who often preemptively dismissed his musical merit. This time around, he hopes his matured art will be taken seriously, or at least given a fair shake.

"I know there are many new bands coming out today, and sometimes really great bands get lost in the confusion," Newman says. "I hope that people become interested in LoveWar and the music we make. This band is close to my heart. I've never written so honestly in a band before. I want to give people an escape and produce music that moves people. Our music moves me. It makes me uncomfortable. It makes me sick to my stomach. It makes me giddy. I can only hope that people hear something in our music that drives them."

BIGGER BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: Johnny Astro and the Big Bang warm up for Sundown in the City with a show at Barley's Taproom tonight. Also appearing is Atlanta blues crew The Booze. Music is slated for 9 p.m.

CINCO-PATION: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Angel (Zuniga Martinez) and the Lovers at Preservation Pub Thursday. The fiesta kicks off at 10 p.m.

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