half•alive

An American pop group based out of Long Beach, California, Half Alive (stylized as half•alive) emerged in 2016 with a compelling blend of beat-driven dance-pop and dark electro-rock that evoked contemporaries like Joywave, Twenty One Pilots, and X Ambassadors. After their breakthrough single “still feel.” helped build an audience, the trio released their official debut full-length, Now, Not Yet, in 2019. Their sophomore effort, Conditions of a Punk, appeared in 2022.
Founded by Josh Taylor after the dissolution of his previous band the Moderates, the trio — which also features Brett Kramer and J Tyler Johnson — recorded their debut EP, 3, inside a helicopter hangar converted into a studio in the Mojave Desert. Released in 2017, the EP garnered millions of online streams on the strength of the high-octane singles “The Fall” and “Aawake at Night.” The summer of 2018 saw the trio issue the single “Still Feel” and its lavish accompanying video, the latter of which drew praise for its dance choreography. The track was their first to chart in the U.S., rising into the Billboard Alternative Top Ten. Subsequent singles “Arrow,” “Runaway,” and “OK OK?” paved the way for their official debut album, Now, Not Yet, which landed in August 2019, hitting 15 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums chart.
The single “What’s Wrong” appeared in 2021, serving as the first taste of the band’s 2022 EP Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 1, and leading up to their sophomore long-player, Conditions of a Punk. Along with “What’s Wrong,” the album featured a bevy of previously released singles, including “Summerland,” “Make of It,” and “Hot Tea.” Also featured was a guest appearance by Irish singer/songwriter Orla Gartland. ~ James Christopher Monger