In an age where money and who you know talks louder than talent and what you know, it's refreshing to find a band that still believes hard work and great songs should be the way forward. Israel's
missFlag is one such band. Borne from the friendship of five individually talented musicians, missFlag has been steadily carving a niche for themselves since their inception in 2005.
This is in no small way thanks to the diverse musical influences that the five members of missFlag bring to the band – from jazz to classical, fusion to rock, the music of missFlag is testament to the musical education the members of the band went through before finding each other.
But perhaps it's not the musical range and diversity that finds missFlag on the verge of their international breakthrough – rather, it's the message of hope and self-belief that can be found throughout each song on their debut album 'To Infinity'. Reaching out to the world from Jerusalem and surrounded by everyday conflict that most other bands could never understand, missFlag refuse to be drawn into any political statements, and instead share their hope through music that we can all live as one.
From sublime anthems such as the beautiful 'Run', with its belief that even the poorest relationship can be saved, to the live favourite in waiting that is 'Let It Show', missFlag show they can stand beside such luminaries as Coldplay and Snow Patrol and not be overshadowed. For further proof of missFlag's place in the indie world, you only need to listen to 'Hidden Thieves', perhaps their signature song, and one that shows the range in song-writing strength the band possess.
With 'To Infinity' in their back pocket and North America in particular beginning to pick up on them, missFlag are now ready to step from out of the shadows and take their place amongst the established bands of the genre. It's been a long and often difficult road, but the end destination is finally in sight.
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Within the last year missFlag have toured the US extensively. The reaction of the press to missFlag and their performances has been very exciting:
L.A Times (second feature): "This pop band from Israel is starting to make waves with the catchy song "Hidden Thieves" getting airtime on KCRW and elsewhere. It's not hard to understand, as the group's urgent, heartfelt pop has the potential for reaching a large audience. Ohad Eilam's voice and Gil Assayas' piano are the essential stitches to a fabric that incorporates diverse chord changes and tempos, but always resolving into memorable choruses."
Boston Globe: "missFlag brings a beautifully shambling sensibility to the epic chord changes and winsome melodies."
L.A Times (first feature): "This band from Israel covers some of the same ground as Coldplay with the kind of sing-along choruses that could appeal to a large audience. Singer Ohad Eilam has an accessible sincerity and, in "Hidden Thieves," when the keening guitar enters on the final chorus, providing a diversion from the center of focus (the piano) one can imagine a concert hall of swaying bodies."
Jerusalem Post: "With star-quality songs, stage presence and musicianship. Someday you'll be able to say you saw missFlag 'back when'."
(You can find the full articles in the
Press Section of missFlag's website).
Since May 2007 missFlag have been featured on KCRW's “Morning Becomes Eclectic”, the internationally influential music show on National Public Radio. With a national following on air and a worldwide following online, MBE's DJ Nic Harcourt chose missFlag's “Hidden Thieves” for heavy rotation on the show, launching it into the
top slot of songs played on the station. Airplay on MBE is highly competitive, receiving submissions of over 500 songs per week.
During September 2007 DJ Nic Harcourt also chose missFlag for a highly coveted
live in-studio performance from MBE's Los Angeles studio, which included an interview with missFlag's lead singer Ohad Eilam. During the interview, Harcourt observed, "There is a sincerity in their original songs that makes them stand out," complimenting the band on being, "so sweet, yet hungry – a great combination for a band trying to make it here in the U.S."
In December 2007 missFlag's song "Fortune" was selected as
KCRW's Top Tune.
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