TOTAL ORDER ISSUE 103 | Page 22

LIVE COVER IN ACTION STORY

LACEY STURM TALKS ABOUT NEW MUSIC WITH SKILLET , UPCOMING LP RELEASE & PERSONAL LOSS DURING THE PANDEMIC .

In 2002 , a band out of Bell County , Texas , Flyleaf , burst on the mainstream rock and Christian metal charts with their self-titled debut release . After three successful records , singer Lacey Sturm departs the band to concentrate on raising her son with husband Josh , guitarist from the band Kairos . Since then , she ’ s become an accomplished author and the first female to top the Billboard hard rock album charts with her solo debut release “ Live Screams .” In 2020 , Lacey started releasing new music , beginning with the single “ The Decree ,” and now a new song in 2021 , co-written by the members of Skillet called ” State of Me .” In a personal and inspiring interview , we talk about the struggle of depression , faith , family , new music , and I reveal something I ’ ve never discussed in an interview . This is my personal interview with Lacey Sturm . - Michael Presti
Photo Credit : Lacey Sturm PR
There are so many people dealing with isolation during the pandemic . It ’ s also a time real reflection and “ State of Me ” is a statement song for this moment .
LACEY : Well , what else can you do when you ’ re in the middle of chaos ? I mean , you fall apart , or you try to figure out what ’ s going on ? I guess I definitely did have that season . You know , going through mental chaos . You don ’ t always realize where you ’ re headed in your thoughts until you ’ re in a really hopeless place , and you ’ re like , how did we get here ? Looking back and realizing a lot of worse things have happened and I ’ ve done fine . Then this year , I lost somebody . When I lost this person , I really took stock of what was in my own life . Why am I still here ? I think that we have to ask ourselves that when you lose people . I have another day for some reason . Why am I still waking up ? Thinking about what are you intentionally going to do with the time you have . If you were to die , and you were to face God , and he was like , not your time , go back ! What are you gonna do with that time ? Would you like another day ?
We don ’ t have to die to do that . Sometimes it takes somebody else to die for us to even acknowledge that it ’ s a gift to have another day . I think for me , I kind of feel that way already because of my own history of why I ’ m even breathing . It made it real hard for me .
“ State of Me ” is a true song for this moment in time . You have been friends with Skillet for a while , what was it like writing with them ?
LACEY : Well , it ’ s easy . That ’ s the cool part about how it is . There are things that make it easy just to
Photo Credits : Josh Sturm
( opening spread and photo right )