Mini Interview with Lives Lost on Their New Single Haunted

Photo Credit:  Ian Mimnall of icmvisuals

I am pleased to announce a new initiative focused on conducting mini-interviews about upcoming music releases from various artists. This platform is designed to offer musicians the chance to share insights into their creative processes, the inspiration behind their songs, and what fans can expect from their new music.

Before we begin, let's provide some background on this band. The spark for LIVES LOST was ignited in Hershey, PA, in 2020 in the apartment of singer/songwriter Tanis Pellegrini, quickly transitioning from bedroom dreaming to making a significant impact on the scene. Their purpose was straightforward: to answer the call for music-based ministry, spreading compassion and service to others through music.

From the outset, LIVES LOST has been a vessel for the light of human connection, channeling influences both old and new to create a sonic blend of emotional songwriting, high-energy instrumentals, and soaring vocals. They have brought their electric performances to stages across the East Coast, Midwest, and Deep South, as well as maintaining a strong Internet presence on social media platforms.

For fans of modern rock acts like Beartooth and Nothing More, as well as legacy post-hardcore acts such as Silverstein and Underoath, LIVES LOST has established itself as an essential new force in alternative music. Their monumental singles from their sophomore effort, "Home EP," including "Numb the Pain" and "FOUND," featuring an iconic performance from Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens, have solidified their presence. This success has led to radio appearances on IDOBI HOWL, Kerrang! New Blood radio show, 228 The Sound, and numerous blogs and tastemakers like V13, New Fury, HM Magazine, Outburn, and Ghost Killer Entertainment, among others.

However, LIVES LOST is more than just a collection of influences. Their music deeply explores the human experience, delving into themes of loss, love, and the struggles we all face in a world that often feels chaotic and unforgiving.

The current lineup of Lives Lost includes:

• Tanis Pellegrini - Lead Vocals

• Alan Thompson - Drums

• Chad Wynn - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

• Austin Zechman - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals

Photo Credit:  Ian Mimnall of icmvisuals (Tanis Pellegrini - Lead Vocals)

Today, I am delighted to welcome back the talented lead vocalist, Tanis Pellegrini, from the band Lives Lost. I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his brand-new single, "Haunted," which you can read below.

Amit Ahuja: Let’s talk about your new track “Haunted.” Can you take us back to the very beginning of this single and walk us through its earliest moments—whether it started with a lyric, a melody, a feeling, or a specific experience—and explain how that initial spark, along with its source of inspiration (whether personal experience, observation, or imagination), continued to guide the songwriting process, shape the sound, and influence the overall emotional tone, lyrical direction, and message of the song as it gradually came together?

Tanis Pellegrini: The song was rewritten and came together a couple different times with a couple different meetings, but ultimately, I kept circling back to where I feel we are as a society with social media and perceived value of self. We are all closer than ever with social media but also more disconnected than ever and I think and feel that we're all clinging to our past more than ever because of our digital footprint and I do not think that this mindset is healthy and that contributes to the isolation. We remember how easy community was when we were kids and life as an adult can be hard and isolating because we don't find time for the things that matter. We're burnt out so we Netflix binge and doom scroll, but we should be recharging with our friends, family, and loved ones.

To take it a step further, for me as a Christian, there are more than a few verses in the Bible there's a few references of having to move forward and not clinging on to the past. I think that this is when this final form of this song came together and it just finally ended up being a full rewrite in a day and ended up being one of the best songs, I think I've ever created. Like you can get stuck in the past and

I feel like almost all of our current catalog was written about my trauma and things that HAVE happened whereas I'm ready to write about TODAY and help others out of the hole that we can be in with the pace of life and clinging onto nostalgia. I feel like in Isaiah when the Israelites are exiled from Babylon, and they're wearing the future, God tells them “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” And that serves as a reminder to me to move forward even when unknowing and to finally leave the past in the past as God intended me to do long ago and I think it's my job to spread this message with my ministry.

Photo Credit:  Ian Mimnall of icmvisuals (Alan Thompson - Drums)

Amit Ahuja: When it came time to develop the cover art for this single, how did you approach creating a visual identity that truly reflects the atmosphere, emotional weight, and underlying themes of the song, and how important was it for the artwork to feel like a natural extension of the music rather than just a standalone image?

Tanis Pellegrini: It was so important to find a good image and for me, I think the person on the outside window clinging to the glass with the other disembodied person on the bed with the phone right by them just fits the vibe of disconnection and despair that I think that we get caught in. It's a very haunting image and it really speaks to what the song is about.

Amit Ahuja: As a band, do you feel that these single carries a shared meaning that everyone connects to in the same way, or has each member developed their own personal interpretation and emotional relationship with the song as it evolved through the writing, recording, and eventual release process?

Tanis Pellegrini: I think per the usual we all develop our own perspective on what a song is about and how it feels. I think that everybody in this band wasn't 100% about this song initially because this is our first song where I'm really evoking Christian undertones into the music out loud other than chin up kid, which I think is just such a double entender that most people's meaning flies over their head…. That being said, I think the rest of the band only really caught on to this song when was finally finished in November/December and it's really grown on them and I think they all relate to it on a different level.

Photo Credit: Ian Mimnall of icmvisuals (Chad Wynn - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)

Amit Ahuja: Was there a particular lyric in the song that holds a deeper meaning for you personally, and does that line connect to a specific moment, feeling, or experience that influenced the writing of the track and helped define its emotional core?

Tanis Pellegrini: For me, the pre-course hit so hard because it's like talking about how everything in the modern world is, or well, it's supposed to be, self-love, but it ends up hurting you in the end and the line “If This is love. Why does it hurt? You've taken everything! Unholy Ghost of History we wrote, you can't escape.” It really drives that feeling home and I think some people are going to relate this song to toxic relationships or something and I think that's good cuz it gives it more mainstream appeal. But the toxic relationship for me that this song talks about is my and many other people's relationship with social media.

Amit Ahuja: When you look at this single in the context of your earlier releases, in what ways do you feel it represents growth for Haunted as a band—whether through new musical choices, a deeper level of emotional honesty, or a more confident and evolved creative approach—and how does this song fit into the band’s current chapter both creatively and personally while also offering a glimpse into your upcoming plans or future direction?

Tanis Pellegrini: The song is hands down the most alternative metal/ metalcore release we as a band have ever had and I think it speaks to the direction that I'm taking this new music. As a writer, I'm really ready to bring the nu metal riffs and the intensity in this new songwriting that I have shied away from on some former releases. I think it's time that I'm finally stalwart in my convictions and I am immovable in my purpose. The new music makes you feel that in every chord and every vocal melody and I'm very ready for this chapter. This is where lives lost are going and I can't be more excited to bring that to the masses.

Photo Credit:  Ian Mimnall of icmvisuals (Austin Zechman - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals)

Amit Ahuja: As this single makes its way out into the world, what do you hope listeners feel, take away, or connect with after spending time with “Haunted”?

Tanis Pellegrini: I truly hope that listeners take this song as a reevaluation on what we consume, on the people we spend time with and on how we treat our bodies mentally, physically and spiritually. We have one shot at this life, and I want to spend it doing the things I love with people. I love and inspiring others to do the same.

Amit Ahuja: Thank You So Much Tanis Pellegrini from Lives Lost for sharing a bit about your brand-new single "Haunted."

We invite you to explore this exceptional band. All related information can be accessed via the link below:

https://beacons.ai/liveslostband?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnGvs4qm0rL3izgcjmsv4COJPg-_ovfN5igoBjNlWMzz1RZwKpC98UWA8q1kw_aem_sTmlTw70yJ0Z422aFUg4uQ

***Unless otherwise specified, all image credits are attributed to Ian Mimnall of icmvisuals.***