Texas rock act Flickerstick won VH1's reality show "Bands on the Run," getting a deal with Epic Records. But with newfound stardom came a stigma: being scoffed at for getting signed without putting in the hard work most musicians have to in order to get discovered.

The truth is, the members made a name for themselves all on their own.

"We were playing shows on the weekends and working day jobs for four years before VH1 came along," lead vocalist and guitarist Brandin Lea said. "It wasn't uncommon to have a few hundred people show up to a Texas show."

But television rewards over-the-top drama " which can be frustrating when a band just wants to share its music.

"We knew it was going to be that way, but we didn't expect how right we were," Lea said. "But we always figured out a way to keep our eye on the prize, play good shows and sell records."

NEW LIVE ALBUM
Now, six years, four lineup changes and three albums later, Flickerstick recently invited a couple hundred fans to join them in Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta for a live recording session.

The resulting two-day set turned into its latest album, "Live from Atlanta: Two Nights at the Tree Sound Studios."

"We just like how we sound in a live setting," Lea said. "We had the option to play two nights and record them while we were in between albums, so we took it. We ended up really enjoying it." "Graham Lee Brewer