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A band for life’s big moments

More than one engaged couple has pop-rock band Lifehouse to thank for supplying the appropriate music for one of the most memorable occasions of their lives.

Lifehouse With opening acts Building A Better Spaceship and Cane Field Heroes When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Kapono's, Aloha Tower Marketplace Tickets: $25 presale and $30 at door, 21 and over Call: (877) 750-4400

"It's been a pleasure to see our song 'You And Me' take off," said singer Jason Wade, 25, by phone from Los Angeles. "The first three months of the year, we were busy going around to music stations promoting it, and a couple of guys in the crowd (at these promotional mini-concerts have) turned around and proposed to their girlfriends while we were playing an acoustic version of the song."

Home in L.A. for a couple of days before heading out to Hawaii, Lifehouse has been on tour since January in support of songs such as "You and Me," the first single off their self-titled third album.

While the first hit of their career, the catchy ballad "Hanging By a Moment," was the most-played song of 2001, the trio received virtually no airplay for their sophomore attempt. Wade said he's pleased that the band has overcome that particular slump that happened with 2002's "Stanley Climbfall."

The new "Lifehouse" debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard albums chart in March.

LIFEHOUSE took a laid-back approach to recording their third album. They felt so comfortable during the time they spent at producer John Alagia's home in eastern Maryland, they put the album together in just five weeks.

"We were in a relaxed environment and focused on music we wanted to play," said Wade. "Surviving the music business is tough in general, but the second album just didn't do well. We were caught up in writing hits. (But) we're just (thankful) to have the opportunity to put another record out."

Their biggest hit, "Hanging By a Moment," was written by Wade for his wife, Braeden, when he was just 19. Wade said the guitar-driven sound of the song was inspired by Pearl Jam and other grunge rock acts from his hometown of Seattle. Just how popular has the ballad become? Bassist Bryce Soderberg, the newest addition to the group, learned "Hanging by a Moment" while attending music school long before he ever joined the band.

But Wade, Soderberg and drummer Rick Woolstenhulme remain fairly anonymous, despite being accessible to their fans. In addition to drawing comparisons to Pearl Jam, whom they opened up for in 2000, they've been mistakenly categorized as a Christian band and an emo-rock band in more recent times.

"We've never really figured out exactly where we fit in terms of category," said Wade. "I think it's because we're not political or controversial, people have a tough time figuring us out."

Wade said Lifehouse's stockpile of music can be split fairly evenly into romantic, celebratory songs and break-up songs.

"Recently, I had a falling out with a person, a family member I lost contact with, and I turned to writing to release the emotions," said Wade. "(The experiences are) half sweet, half sour. We all feel great when we're in love, we're happy. But when I'm faced with something difficult or too depressing, I turn to writing, as well. When there's not a lot going on, I write about someone else's life."

THE SON of missionaries, Wade spent a lot of his childhood traveling around the Far East and the United States, even spending six months of his youth on the Big Island. Wade said many of his early songs reflect his parents' divorce, which occurred as he was entering his teen years. A shy kid, he learned to channel a lot of his negative emotions into the 12-string Washburn guitar his mother gave him when he was 15.

"After my parents divorced, my father left the family, and mother and I moved to Los Angeles. We lived in a 120-foot trailer. My mom took care of us and she was working and going to school and supporting us. She gave me the guitar, because she didn't have any time to play, and taught me a couple of chords. I carried the guitar around everywhere.

"Music kind of changed everything. It kind of found me. I guess a lot of people will say they love their newest album the best, and I love it, too, but I would have to say the first album has a special place. It's a document (of my life) between 15 and 20."

He lives less than two minutes away from his first apartment in L.A., one he shared with several roommates when he was 17.

"It's been an interesting time period. The road can be so fantasy-like, a lot of bands lose perspective. I have to thank my wife for keeping me grounded. She was one of the first people I met when I moved to L.A. We've been married five years."