Tennessee rockers Line So Thin have crafted a powerful and catchy heavy rock sound that they describe as “emotional, intense and honest.”
The Memphis band started out as an online project born out of a love for 2000s rock bands like Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace. They began crafting their sound in 2022, working with producer David Cowell to write debut single Done With Everything, which has gone on to rack up over 50 million streams. Band member changes followed before finalising the current lineup of Dustin Allen (vocals), Cody Landers (guitar), Blake Leonard (bass) and Jared Wainscott (drums).
And on the sound they’ve honed since, Dustin told us: “I’d say Line So Thin is heavy, emotional, and real. We’ve got that early 2000s rock sound mixed with a modern edge and a lot of raw emotion. It’s aggressive when it needs to be, but it’s also melodic and honest. At the end of the day, we just want to make people feel something.
“Our music lives in that space between breaking down and breaking through – that thin line where everything feels like it could fall apart, but you fight to hold it together anyway. That’s what our sound represents. It’s for anyone who’s been through something real and needed an outlet to scream it out.”
Our latest taste of this is Choke, which was released earlier this year. It opens up with echoey vocals that give way to an intense smash of heavy guitars, which drop into engaging vocals. Chunky guitar chords creep in underneath, building up to the singalong chorus “I tried to tell you I was on the edge, Won’t let you push me back, don’t take another step, I let you choke on every word you said, When you light the spark, the fire starts to spread.” An edgy chorus leads into another big chorus, which gives way to a wall of crushing guitar chords that continue under screamed vocals, before effects-ridden vocals tee up a big final blast of the chorus.
On the track, Dustin said: “Choke has been amazing since launch – people have really connected with it in a big way. But what’s been really special about that song is the live energy it brings. Every time we play it, the whole room lights up – everyone’s jumping, everyone’s screaming every word. It’s one of those moments that reminds you why you do this in the first place.
“For anyone new to Line So Thin, Choke is about being pushed to your limit and finally taking a stand for yourself. It’s about that breaking point — when you’ve had enough and you decide you’re not backing down anymore. It’s heavy, it’s emotional, and it’s real. If you’ve ever felt like you’re done being walked over, this song is for you.”
Choke is the band’s only single release this year, but follows on from last year’s excellent Prey, which again showcases their ability to write hooky, catchy rock tracks led by the chorus “What do you do when the walls come crashing down? What do you say when you’re sick of being stalked like prey? How can you feel when all you’ve had is taken away, And you’re lost in the grey?”
That built on the success of the more laid-back Here I Am, the dark and edgy Seal Your Fate and the aforementioned debut release Done With Everything, which you can check out in the video below, in 2023.
The Line So Thin sound has been heavily influenced by early 2000s bands like Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Papa Roach, and Daughtry. As Dustin says: “They all had that mix of heaviness and emotion that really stuck with us. We try to carry that same energy into what we do, just with our own modern twist.
“A lot of what we write comes from real life, it’s usually the hard stuff people don’t always talk about. Pain, frustration, loss, growth… all that. Music’s always been our outlet for that kind of thing. Most of our songs touch on struggle, mental health, and finding strength when everything feels like it’s falling apart.”
There’s plenty more to come from Line So Thin, who are currently writing and recording new music that Dustin says: “Really pushes what we’ve done so far – it’s heavier, more emotional, and more personal than anything we’ve released yet. We’ve been experimenting with new sounds and really dialing in what makes Line So Thin feel alive.” The band also plans to hit the road next year, playing gigs in new cities, and have a special project dropping soon for the dedicated fans who’ve been with them since the very beginning.
And Dustin added: “Our goal has always been to make music that’s real – something people can truly connect with. Line So Thin is for anyone who’s ever felt broken, overlooked, or like they’re barely holding it together, because we’ve been there too. If even one of our songs helps someone feel understood or less alone, then we’ve done what we set out to do. Thank you for all the love and support – it means more than we can ever put into words.”
You can follow Line So Thin on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Listen to Line So Thin and more new bands on our Spotify playlists GigRadar Metal and GigRadar Rock
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