Brian Lovely has found a new voice.

Several years ago, Lovely's singing career radically changed when he was struck with an unusual neurological disorder that severely damaged his vocal cords.  That downfall led him to Kelly McCracken, a powerful vocalist from Warren, Ohio, to help him create the sound he wanted for his new band, Flying Underground. 

With Chris Arduser on drums and Dave Ramos on bass, Flying Underground is, at its core, a rock band.  “We’re a rock band for whom sub-genre labels are an annoyance,” says Lovely. 

The band’s debut EP, Death of Stars, will be released Wednesday at Ludlow Garage.  In a conversation last week, Lovely spoke about Flying Underground and its evolution. 

You're known for playing acoustic jazz guitar with The Faux Frenchmen--which you still do--and for creating the funky power pop sound of Brian Lovely and The Secret.  How did Flying Underground emerge?
I love rock music.  I put rock on the same artistic level as jazz, or any style of music.  As I get older, rock music means more than ever.  Many things important to me are inherent in rock music—immediacy and connection, alongside a radical sense of freedom. 

The title song of the EP, "Death of Stars," was written by you and Kelly McCracken.  There's fabulous imagery in that song. 
In "Death of Stars," we see the magic in the mundane.  Two people get together and burn down the artifice in society.  They feel alive.  They feel connected. 

You've called "Rocket Ship," the lead song on the EP, a "big, open, stream-of-consciousness" song.
"Rocket Ship" is about losing your ego and connecting to the cosmos.  It ties into ultimate freedom.  For us, that's what rock music is all about. 

Flying Underground releases its debut EP November 23 at Ludlow Garage.  Mike Tittel of New Sincerity Works and Tickled Pink open at 8 pm. Tickets at the door or at liveattheludlowgarage.com.