Fictionist
Fictionist is a Provo, Utah, based budding alternative rock band with origins in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Sacramento, California. The band consists of Stuart Maxwell (lead vocals, bass guitar), Robbie Connolly (lead vocals, guitar), Aaron Anderson (drums), and Brandon Kitterman (guitar, bass guitar), all of whom are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Former members include Jacob Jones, Spencer Harrison, and Jeremy Bowen. Jones left the band without a keyboardist when he left the band in January 2015.
The band formed in 2007 and was known as Good Morning Maxfield at that time. In 2009, the name of the band was changed to Fictionist and their first album Invisible Hand was released. The band won an Independent Music Award for Best Pop/Rock Song for their single “Invisible Hand” from the album, and their song “Noisy Birds” was featured in Season 6 and 7 of the PBS program Roadtrip Nation. They have toured nationally and have opened for acts including Imagine Dragons, Vampire Weekend, Neon Trees, Young the Giant, and Shiny Toy Guns.
The band’s first official music video was directed and animated by artist Eric Power, and unveiled via Lasting Echo, their second album which was released in 2010. The music video for the single “Blue-eyed Universe” was featured at the 2010 Tucson Film and Music Festival, and Paste Magazine selected Lasting Echo as the April 2010 VIP bonus album. In 2011, Fictionist received another Independent Music Award for Best Pop/Rock Song for the single “Blue-Eyed Universe.” The album cover to Lasting Echo was also nominated for Pop/Rock Album and Best Album Art.
On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, on 15 February 2011, the announcement was made that Fictionist would be one of 16 bands to participate in the Rolling Stone Magazine “Do You Wanna Be A Rock ‘n Roll Star” contest. They spent a week in New York City where they performed live for Rolling Stone staff members, representatives from Atlantic Records, and corporate sponsors. During round 2 of the competition they recorded two new tracks with producer David Bendeth. They were eliminated in round 4 of the competition as semifinalists.
In the fall of 2011, Fictionist signed with Atlantic records and released a 6-track EP titled Fictionist – EP. In 2012, the band announced that it had recorded an album produced by Grammy nominated producer Ron Aniello and engineered by Nick DiDia for Atlantic Records. The album was recorded at the historic Hollywood Sunset Sound Recorders. The band also announced that they used a guitar once played by Elvis Presley on one of his albums during the recording session. Neither Fictionist nor Atlantic liked the album so it was never released.
The band decided to record an album independent of Atlantic Records and produced by Nate Pyfer. They released their third album Fictionist at the Provo Rooftop Concert Series on 3 October 2014, in gratitude to their local fans. The album was released nationally on 7 October 2014.
Fictionist toured with Imagine Dragons in 2013 and 2014. Robbie Connolly also appears in the Imagine Dragons music video for “On Top of the World.” In 2015, the band toured with Mates of State and on a summer east-coast tour with Neon Trees (13 June – 26 July). They were named 2015 Salt Lake City Weekly Best Band Winner, and were also the subject of an episode of BYUTV’s “The Song That Changed My Life.”
Follow Fictionist
Recent Posts
American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic’s Inspiring Performance of “If You Could Hie to Kolob”
The Psalmist declared, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). And the Savior taught, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). During what may seem to be the darkest nights of our lives, in times...
One Voice Children’s Choir Stunning Rendition of “Only Hope”
On 12 March 2017, the One Voice Children’s Choir under the direction of Masa Fukuda, released a stunning new music video for a cover of a song called “Only Hope.” The Christian-themed song is by the American band Switchfoot and was written by Jon Foreman for their...
Marie Osmond – Music is Medicine That Heals the Soul
Olive Marie Osmond (Marie), like her musically inclined brothers – Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, and Jimmy – has had five decades of experience in the entertainment business. Her two oldest brothers, Virl and Tom, were both born deaf but have joined their talented...
Donny Osmond, Broadway, and “Beauty and the Beast”
Donald Clark Osmond (Donny) is certainly not a stranger to the entertainment business. For more than 50 years, he has performed on stage with his brothers, in concert and shows with his famous sister Marie, on solo tours in different parts of the world including the...
15-Year-Old Hanna Eyre Receives Chair Turns from Three Judges on NBC’s “The Voice”
Hanna Eyre from Laguna Niguel, California, is a 15-year-old piano teacher who has a dozen piano students. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and she is also a contestant on season 12 of NBC’s The Voice. She is the third LDS teenager to...
Mormon Tabernacle Choir to Host Premiere of Mack Wilberg’s “A Cloud of Witnesses”
Christendom reveres the celebration of Easter as a time to commemorate the vicarious death and the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. During that season of the year, there are passion plays, cantatas, and special musical presentations by...