The Longing (2)

Band Members Laura Bradley - Vocals & Piano, Michael Wallace - Bass, Tom Plumb - Drums, John Huldt - Guitar Mashadi Maximus - Guitar Home Town Los Angeles, CA Record Label FilthyPrincessRecords Biography There’s a divine place, which suspends itself deliciously between distinct musical genres. A place, which proudly and effortlessly beams a smile of non-conformity, never needing to wedge itself into that perfectly chiselled square box. It’s here that you’ll find The Longing, swimming in their own unique musical sea, which bridges the gap between over-simplistic genre categorisation. Transcending expectations of symphonic metal, they hover gloriously over the void between raw progressive metal and rock. This is a sound that audiences are hungry for, proven by the band’s previous success both sides of the Atlantic. Founded by LA-based musician/singer/composer, Laura Bradley, The Longing are a 5-piece band who take a tight hold on raw progressive metal, mix it with a fusion of gritty rock and deliver a uniquely hitting sound. Bradley has the ability to harness the power of her trademark angelic vocals, unleashing her voice with the spectral force of an emotional whiplash – that’s what instantly brings audiences to a standstill. Fuse this with Bradley’s impeccable poetic lyrics and compositional style, which injects a jagged, rhythm-driven musical perspective, and you begin to experience the energy igniting the ever-snowballing fan-base of The Longing. In addition to Laura, the band consists of guitarists John Huldt and Mashadi Maximus, bassist Michael Wallace and drummer, Tom Plumb – all formally trained, seasoned session and touring musicians with numerous high-profile production and engineering credits. Meet the band: Michael Wallace (bass): Originally from Kewaunee, Wisconsin, Michael began playing bass at the age of 14, joined his brother’s band ‘Worlds’ and moved to LA to play to larger audiences. Owner of When in Rome Studios - a state of the art content production facility for recording, mixing and mastering for audio & film. John Huldt (guitar): Originally from Sweden, The Longing’s guitarist has called LA his home since 2006. An award-winning (2012 South Bay Music Awards Guitar Player of the Year) musician, John is known as one of the most versatile guitarists among his peers and has been receiving accolades from many of the industry's top names. He released two solo albums, both to much critical acclaim before joining The Longing. Tom Plumb (drums): Tom picked up his first drum sticks at the age of 10 and soon went on to play the snare drum for the Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. When not touring with The Longing, Tom teaches his craft to the next generation of musicians. Mashadi Maximus (guitar): Mash has been a touring musician since 2002 and has appeared on numerous recordings as well as performed with artists from Asia, Canada and the US. Alongside his work with numerous bands, he has also worked as a session musician since 2009. Recently, Mash has added mastering to his resume and Mashernator Audio’s projects include exciting collaborations with various corporate entities and numerous Los Angeles electro-pop luminaries. Being naturally gifted with his hands, Mash also makes custom cables and is well versed in professional audio production installations as well as sound system design. Laura Bradley (founding member and singer/songwriter): Born in Toronto, Bradley grew up in Miami, Florida, where the musical influences are as diverse as the multicultural population. Singing from earliest childhood, and self-taught on piano and guitar into her early teens, her diligence and tenacity paid off in a music scholarship for operatic voice. Bradley simultaneously studied opera while singing rock, expanding her multi-octave range and developing the finely tuned vocal control that distinguishes her in the crowded field of singer-songwriters. Always ready to push creative boundaries, The Longing joins Laura in blending buoyant, aurally addictive hooks, searing guitar work, multi-layered rhythm to enhance Bradley's tormented vocals. Bradley has toured nationally as a solo artist in support of her first two solo projects, ‘Rain’ and ‘Storm’ (distributed by eOne), and became the opening act for both Colin Hay and Dionne Warwick & Friends at Miami's Bank United Center. Previously, singles from ‘Rain’ and ‘Storm’ were in rotation on multiple Clear Channel stations, and the track, ‘Choosing You’ was featured on the season finale of MTV's ‘The Real World — Down Under in Sydney’. Bradley also has a great passion for film and co-composed the score for William Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest’, as well as writing and performing the theme song, ‘Sword and Stone’." ‘Rain’ was featured on the soundtrack for Benny Bliss and the Disciples of Greatness (feature film, Sundance Film Festival: Official Selection 2009), and ‘Love Song’ the theme song on ‘Butterflies’, a short film presented in Cannes 2009. With the addition of The Longing, the group has performed at numerous rock venues with a unified vision and sound that electrifies an audience. Impressed by her playful theatrics and easy rapport with an enthusiastic crowd at The Viper Room, Music Connection Magazine reviewer, Lisa Elaine Scott wrote, "Laura is an accomplished composer and a sophisticated performer. Her risk-taking lyrical story lines, combined with stellar musicianship and a spellbinding stage presence, make for an outstanding live show. Unafraid to stray from the familiar formula, Laura Bradley and The Longing are creating aural art at its best." The chemistry amongst this collection of outstanding musicians is phenomenal, as they create music that’s tempting the world. Previous singles ‘Wicked’ and ‘Frozen Ground’ received tremendous airplay in the UK and 18 countries worldwide, whilst ‘Wicked’ earned a UK record of the week. Their current album, “Tales of Torment” has been highlighted in Prog Magazine along with features and rave reviews by PureGrainAudio.com, Paste Magazine, Noize Machine and many more. Their previous album release, “Bleed” hit #38 on the US iTunes Metal Sales Chart and garnered many features and reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. The Longing are back with a string of singles, tour dates and a fresh new album. Enjoy!