Bands Who Kill It: Invisible Lines

Invisible Lines is a post rock /post punk revival/indie band from Kearny, New Jersey formed in 2007. I have the good fortune of knowing these dudes for the past year and they are by far my favorite band at the moment. Several months ago i volunteered to interview them and write up for their biography. Anyone looking to contact them can do so at invisiblelines@hotmail.com. To see a live version of "Apollo in Her Eyes" recorded by Al Vasquez at the KilKenny Ale House in Newark. NJ click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZu8Osxd9H4 Invisible Lines is composed of (in alphabetical order) William Alexander Acevedo, 26, Guitar/Bass/Vocals; Mike Clifford, 26, Bass/Vocals/Guitar; Alan Gomez, 22, Guitar; Lucas Gonzalez, 21, Drums/Vocals and Joshua Thompson, 26, Guitar. Former members include Greg Murray, 28, Bass/Guitar. They are set to release their 5 song EP " Wise Up" with Killing Horse Records on May 14th 2010. "Wise Up" will include Painmaker, Medulla, Clean up the Mess, 2 Stops 1, and Release and was recorded at the Streets Studio in Passaic Park, NJ with the talented Ryan Gross.
Invisible Lines started as a by-product of Greg, William, Alan and Mike’s friendship. Mike, Greg, Josh and William all attended school together and after graduating William and Greg went on to form a math rock band named Computers in 2002, which dissolved in 2003. Mike and William also stayed close after high school. They both worked delivery routes and used the money to rent out studio time to practice together while in between different projects. Alan’s interest in Led Zeppelin inspired him to start playing guitar on his own, soon, after which he became a regular fixture at Pearl Studios jamming with the rest of the men. In 2006 William was approached to play a benefit show for Kevin Greene on July 30th. Greene was a friend who was paralyzed in a drunk driving accident. The group agreed and played together under the name Electric Body Collective. This show led to others at local Northern New Jersey spots such as the Loop Lounge and Donegal’s. Lucas joined in 2009 taking over drums for Mike who now plays bass. The newest member of Invisible Lines is Joshua Thompson adding his skills on guitar to those of Alan's and William's. The now three guitar band debuted their new line up at the Irish American in Kearny, NJ on Friday February 19th. Mike, William, and Joshua all grew up in New Jersey while Lucas and Alan immigrated to the US from South America. Alan lived in Asuncion, Paraguay until he was 12 and Lucas was born in Argentina but has lived in Kearny since he was 11 years old. Currently they have 11 songs;Apollo In Her Eyes, Painmaker, Medulla, Clean up the Mess, 2 Stops 1, Release, Guanania, Carolina, Thought to Catch, Weak in the Knees, and Marley; that make up a typical set list for a show and that get devoted practice time. The rest of studio time is devoted to writing new music, revisiting old songs, hashing out details of upcoming shows and any other band related business.
In December 2007 they officially became Invisible Lines after a long discussion between Mike and William, aided by a few bottles of blue moon, on various aspects of American culture, immigration and geopolitical boundaries. At the end of the conversation the sentiment was “ isn’t it “crazy that all these invisible lines shape our lives”. After a brief pause for reflection on the phrase “invisible lines” Mike suggested that it might be a good name for the band. William remembers he felt a light go on after Mike spoke up and said he “ just looked at Mike and was like DONE, that’s it, that’s the band”. Alan saw the name as a reflection of the “truth about what we thought about the world, it suited our minds and ideology”. Greg agreed just as easily and they had a name. The question of how the band choose the name Invisible Lines ignites a lot of talk and thought amongst the members, which is why they choose the name in the first place. William sees the name as tied up in the idea of “expansion past the lines of enforced reality” and something Thurston Moore once said about “the idea of a song and how you write it and its perfect and it changes with the people around you, and its perfect… the people who touch it and influence it are those invisible lines and that’s what really makes a band, its collaboration and sharing and process.” Alan believes that “… the name (will) make(s) you think, and if you let it these thoughts can spiral outwards forever due to the idea that unseen forces connect everything. For me the band represents the limitless creativity of life and the expression of that through our art, which is rock. The name has that same limitless capability so it’s perfect” William smiles at this adding “ we just want people to come and just let loose, you know bug out!” This feeling is expressed in the views of the others in the band with only a few deviations. While Alan and William express a mystical side of the band Mike and Lucas have a little more button-downed approach that balances the group. Lucas sees the band as a “way to break down, for me and for people who get into the music, the boundaries that society puts up, those invisible lines that don’t connect in a positive way but rather hold us down. Music is a way to rebel and break free that’s not destructive. Music is a way of drawing a line around yourself and what you love, too” Mike builds on this jokingly with a quick reference to Walter Sobchak’s famous advice to the Dude in the Big Lebowski: “I’m talking about drawing a line in the sand”, but no, seriously, everything that ties us to everything else both positive and negative whether it's creativity or stifled energy or things left unsaid or things you wish you hadn’t said are reflected in the name depending on where your mind it at when you hear it. All those aspects of life are what we deal with in our music as well.”- Jessi Miller, picture courtsey of Invisible Lines and Michael Martello.