The Strange Familiar is a pop rock band from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, formed in 2006 by the husband and wife singer-songwriter team Jeff Andrea and Kira Leyden. The founders first met in grade school and began their musical partnership, which led to Jaded Era, a local independent group in the Akron, Ohio area. After that group disbanded, they recorded new material in a basement studio, leading to the independent release of the EP You Can't Go Back EP (2008) on Paper Doll Records. The EP reached the top 10 on iTunes and featured the single “Courage Is...” (2008), which gained national exposure through promotions for the television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. In 2009, they issued their debut album, This Is Gravity (2009), which contains several songs from the EP along with new tracks such as “I Just Want To Love You” (2009). After signing with Krian Music Group, they released the album Chasing Shadows on April 10, 2012. The album includes the songs “Redemption” (2012) and “Unwanted” (2012). These songs were featured in television series such as The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars. Their album The Day the Light Went Out (2014) includes the songs “Painkiller” (2014), “Gone” (2014), and “Surrender” (2014). They also appeared in the fifth season of America's Got Talent in 2010, performing in the live quarter-finals. In addition to their recordings, the founders wrote the single “Invisible” (2006), which was released by Ashlee Simpson and debuted at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
