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
David Archuleta and Life Beyond “American Idol”
To be fair, most of the incredible stars from the first run of the ABC reality television show American Idol had the talent needed to have a successful career in the music industry beyond their time on the show. One of those talented young contestants was world-renown...
The New Youth Album, “A Great Work,” Has Landed at #8 on the iTunes Christian Music Charts
Every year The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chooses a new youth theme, which is normally accompanied by a music album of songs that support the theme. For the year 2021, the theme is “A Great Work.” The theme is based on the scripture found...
Camille Nelson’s “Acoustic Christmas” Brings Hope and Joy for the Season
No doubt the year 2020 has been a challenging year for a great number of people on many different levels. There are many people who are feeling lonely and rejected, lost and confused, frightened and uncertain, desperately seeking to know if there is any hope left in...
Mat and Savanna Shaw Make Their Billboard Chart Debut with Their Debut Album “Picture This”
On Friday, 23 October 2020, the father-and-daughter viral duo from Kaysville, Utah, Mat and Savanna Shaw, released their debut studio album, Picture This. The success of the album has been phenomenal. An initial supply of 10,000 CDs were sold out on release day and a...
Latter-day Saint Musicians Spread Hope and Joy Throughout the World Through Music
One of the ways that Latter-day Saint musicians help to spread hope and joy to the world during the holiday season is through the release of their holiday music videos on Facebook and YouTube, as well as the release of their singles, EPs, and albums on the various...
Carson Ferris Uses Debut Single “I Will Fight” to Adress His Struggle with Performance Anxiety
Carson Ferris is a ten-year-old rising music artist who gets a lot of opportunities to sing and has his own YouTube channel. He also likes to go on bike rides, read, and do fun things with his family. He is a member of the One Voice Children’s Choir and Voices...