Home-grown band enjoys new success

Being in charge is way, way better than watching the show.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Michael Shepard never did attend many concerts while growing up in Alliance.
Currently frontman and visionary of rock act Lovedrug, the 1998 Marlington High School graduate was always interested in music but suffered from an ironic ailment of sorts considering he's now a musician in an up-and-coming rock band.
"I wasn't really a concertgoer, mainly because I'm claustrophobic and I have a hard time dealing with a lot of people," said Michael Shepard, calling from a Laundromat in Lansing, Mich. "It's not too bad [now]. It's kind of weird how being on the stage, feels more free than being in the crowd. I don't mind it so much but I have a hard time going to shows."
So he's admitting he's a control freak.
"Yeah, I've heard people say that before," laughed Shepard.
While a negative attribute in the real world, being a type A personality within the music industry is an asset. It's this type of drive that fuels Shepard as Lovedrug continues to tour off material he wrote over five years ago. The songs were recorded in 2003 for the band's 2004 indie label Militia Group album "Pretend You're Alive," which earlier this year was re-released by major label Columbia Records.
It works
Luckily for Shepard, the material -- decidedly alt rock sounding -- has stood the test of time, however brief.
"Everything sounds dated right now to me, like the songs you hear on the radio and the type of pop punk bands that's going on right now," Shepard said. "I feel like five years from now, that's going to seem like, 'Oh I remember exactly when that took place.' I wanted to create something that would seem a little more timeless."
He added, "So when I listen to our music, I hear a sort of an eclectic sound with a lot of different types of music. I wanted to somehow appeal to everyone but still remain sort of set apart from any sort of time-framed thing that's going on right now."
What's going on right now for Shepard and Lovedrug is the end of its touring cycle and pre-production for the band's sophomore album, which the songwriter feels will feature a more grandiose approach without sacrificing a pop sensibility. No word on a release date or even the band's next Youngstown area show but be assured this Northeast Ohio product hasn't forgotten his Buckeye roots.
"I really enjoy being in a small town," Shepard said. "I think if I grew up in New York City and tried to shape my own music path, it would be so much more difficult. There's so much going on around you and the sensory input is like you're overloaded. So coming out of a smaller, hometown area, where there's not a lot going on, especially in the creative sense, it allows you to be a little more free. I really enjoyed that."