When we went down to Belton, Texas to film Flyleaf for their Artist of the Week appearance, we didn’t expect to leave with quite as much as we got, which was an overwhelming amount of goodwill and generosity so real that you couldn’t fake it even if you wanted to.
The five-piece hard rock band, fronted by lead singer Lacey Mosley, and known for their Christian values, first started out in the music biz driving through blizzards with a mattress strapped to the roof of their car just to play a show and have something to sleep on that night. Today they’re headlining Family Values with their gut-wrenchingly honest, painfully poignant, and at times even sexy breed of alt-metal, backed by aggression, intellect and, above all else, hope.
For their MTV Artist of the Week videos, we shot Flyleaf in their Texas hometown, where they not only hung out and played a few rounds of Rock Band, but they also got as real as you’re ever going to see a group of friends get, famous or otherwise. Lacey and guitarist Jared Hartmann made a holiday dinner, everyone got presents, and guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya led everyone in a moving toast to his close friends.
That same weekend, the band volunteered at a Dallas charity and played a free show for all of its volunteers. But perhaps all that honesty, humility, and meaning is unsurprising for a band so sincerely filled with passion and committed to appreciating what they’ve been given and helping others less fortunate.
Watch Flyleaf’s MTV Artist of the Week spots all week long on MTV (and see a few of them below), and you’ll find out more about their inspiring efforts to help those in need. And see how you can join in the giving, at think.mtv.com.