While browsing Facebook posts recently, Liliac was on a friend’s post:  “I love this band,” it proclaimed.  I had to take a listen.  Dancing in the Dark, one of their newest singles was displayed.  I listened.  That voice!  I needed more, like a sugar fix.  Three hours later I was a Liliac aficionado and one of their biggest fans.  If you are a Ronnie James Dio enthusiast, like Melody Cristea (Lead Vocals/Bass) is, then you’re going to want to hear a few of their cover songs:  Holy Diver and Rainbow in the Dark.  Follow it up with a dose of Ozzy’s Crazy Train, and Metallica’s Enter Sandman.  There are originals too:  Dancing in the Dark, Mars, Chain of Thorns, Nothing, and many, many more.

My obsession drives me to learn more about this group, which is composed of 5 siblings aged 12 to 21, yet wise beyond their years.  Rock n’ roll is infused in their blood, bloodline that is.  Dad is a musician/producer originally from Transylvania, Romania, and mom is also from Romania.  A social media mantra reads, “A family that rocks together, stays together!”  And social media videos show the family working out together at the gym and demolishing wood planks on the karate mat.  They rehearse, write lyrics, compose music, and produce their own videos together.  Each has chosen a tool of choice:  Melody (Lead Vocals/Bass), Abigail (Drums), Samuel (Guitar), Justin (piano/keyboards), and Ethan (bassist).  Florin Cristea (Dad) jokingly says, “Can’t get out of the band.  It’s like the mafia.”  They live about 13 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, which holds the title for ‘the entertainment capital of the world’.  Interestingly, Los Angeles ranks #8 for music capital of the world.  Number one is Austin, Texas because it has more music venues per person than anywhere in the US.  Okay.  Fascinating little tidbit!

If you shook up a time machine with the 70’s musical sitcom The Partridge Family and 2003’s School of Rock, wherein Jack Black exposes his students with the musical talents of rock godz he emulates and idealizes, out would come Liliac.  Vocally, throw in a little Dio and Joplin combined, and Melody Cristea could be their offspring.  The band has the sound, look, and aura of rock n’ roll of yesteryear.  In a musical climate that has been depreciating for decades, their music is gravely desired, and Liliac is so desperately needed.  And with a world that has diminishing family values, they are a strong example of what can be accomplished by working together.

Liliac performed for several years on the Santa Monica Pier and then performed on CBS’ The World’s Best, which was followed by the release of their 1st EP Chain of Thorns, that went #1 on Amazon’s Best Seller for Rock Music Charts.  They also uploaded their covers onto YouTube, which garnished millions of views.  They did their first tour and opened for Loverboy, Queensryche, Tom Keifer, Foghat, and played several shows on the KISS Kruise.  They also played the infamous NAMM in 2019.  Currently, they are working on a new album, Rock This World, and a release date has not been announced.  They can be found on Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, and at www.liliacband.com.

Jordonna: There are two upcoming dates, one in Texas in October and another in Ohio in November.  Do you foresee this changing?  And are you continually practicing while this pandemic is occurring?

Liliac:  As of right now, we aren’t sure whether these dates will change. We hope that we’ll still be able to play these shows; however we cannot predict the future. We are continuously practicing to get better and rehearsing our new set of original songs!

Jordonna: How did the whole family evolve musically?  What catapulted the family to become a part of the music industry?

Liliac:  Our father is our music producer and manager, so we grew up with music around us. He gave us instruments to learn and took us to lessons at Downey Music Center. We feel like that is what sparked our family to evolve musically.

Jordonna: There is an emphasis placed on classic rock ‘n roll music playing.  Was there always music playing around the home?

Liliac:  Yes, there was always music around us, and we discovered rock music together as a family. The first band we listened to and made us love rock n’ roll was Queen.

Jordonna: Where did Melody get that powerful voice?  And how does she prepare her voice for a performance?

Liliac:  Melody always had a unique voice, but her main influence was Ronnie James Dio, which helped her develop her voice by listening and studying Dio’s powerful voice.

Jordonna: Aby is a strong dummer.  How much practice does it take to become so proficient at playing the drums?

Liliac:  It takes a lot of practice to become a proficient musician. We tend to practice everyday at home for many hours. Every Friday we would rent a rehearsal studio to practice loud with the whole band.

Jordonna: The band plays some covers and also plays their own music.  What is the song writing process?  Do the words come first and then the instruments, the other way around, or both at the same time?  Is it a group effort?

Liliac:  It is definitely a group effort! It usually starts with Sam’s guitar riff. And if we like it, Abby starts finding the drum groove. Then Melody and our Dad find the melody lines for the song. After we get the whole structure, we write the lyrics together. But melody writes most of the lyrics for the songs.

Jordonna: There are newer singles out by the band, Nothing and We are the Children.  During Covid, what are your marketing strategies to get your music out there and continue playing to keep music alive?

Liliac:  We are very happy with these singles, and we can’t wait to release our new full length album! It was very different because of COVID. We had to shoot the music video at our own home in the living room for “Nothing”.  We basically put our singles on all social platforms/digital stores and encourage our fans to share it as much as they can!

Jordonna: Are there any new projects that the band is working on?

Liliac:  There are a few projects we are working on. The first is finishing the album which is super close to being done! Then we also want to make more music videos from songs off of this new album that are in the works.

Jordonna: You travel all over touring when not during lockdown.  What is one memorable place you enjoy playing?

Liliac:  The most memorable places we enjoyed playing was when we opened up for Loverboy in New Mexico, Tom Keifer in Ohio, and Stryper in Texas!

Melody:  Lead Vocals/Bass

Sam:  Guitar

Aby:  Drums

Ethan:  Bass

Justin:  Piano/Keyboards

By: Jordonna Lobese

Photos Courtesy of:  Thomas Coffman.