By Toni Caravello
Madison Magazine
Special To Channel 3000

John Paul Roney stands at the microphone, guitar slung around his neck, explaining that the following song was inspired by yet another failed attempt at love. As soon as he sings the first note, the crowd begins to swoon. He has a way of making everyone in the crowd believe he is singing specifically to them; and in this intimate stage setting, bleachers of blushing girls are sold.

We the Living's first performance at Summerfest this year was an afternoon show, hastily sandwiched between two other bands because of rain delay. The band finally took the stage before a modest, but loyal, crowd of fans. Years of touring in their college days have created a healthy fan base in the Midwest, where the band originated.

"We get really excited when we get to come back to Wisconsin and Minnesota. We're really excited for Summerfest," said Roney.

The next night the band headlines on the same stage, although the scene is completely transformed. Silhouetted under bright blue lights illuminating the smoky stage, the band's intensity is the same as the previous show, proving that they pour their hearts into every performance. The crowd is larger, but even in the dark the same faces can be made out as they enthusiastically sing along. WTL delivers yet another heart-melting performance, debuting a catchy rock number off of their new album titled, "This is the Sound of Falling In Love."

We The Ambitious

If you saw any shows around the UW-Madison campus between 2003-2005, chances are you caught front man Roney and drummer Ben Schaefer playing with their college band, the Profits. The highly popular outfit booked a tour following their graduation from the UW, but things didn't go exactly as planned when two members decided to part ways leaving Roney and Schaefer -- and 40 booked shows. They found two musicians to fill the spots, not knowing what to expect.

"We figured out that we loved to play together and that it wasn't the same kind of music as our college band. We wanted to make a new record, have a new name and start from scratch," said Roney.

Thus the birth of We the Living.

Comprised of four ambitious Midwesterners -- add Matt Holmen and Jasper Austin to the mix -- the boys of We the Living aren't above playing to a crowd of 20 at a college dorm. That go-get-'em attitude was evident when the band packed up the van and relocated to Los Angeles in 2006 to record their first album, the "Heights of the Heavens" and returning a year later to record a second, the "Depths of the Earth."

"The day we got finished recording (the 'Heights of the Heavens) we jumped in the van and started touring," says Roney. "It was our goal to play a show every day and reach as many people as we possibly could."

They made good on their agreement to play seven days a week, booking their own shows from the road. On the off-chance the band had a free day, the theory was, if nothing was booked, find a way to play.

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