09/28/2026
It started in Northeast Wisconsin, but the story would take Chris Dobry and Jamie Fontaine & the Level far beyond the familiar streets, stages, and recording studios of home. What began as a pursuit of music and success would lead to sold-out shows, Nashville recording sessions, Los Angeles performances, major festivals, national headlines, and ultimately a #20 Billboard hit. It would also lead to addiction, betrayal, personal tragedy, and the painful unraveling of everything they had built.
In Scars and Melodies: The Rise, The Fall, and The Reckoning, Chris Dobry tells the true, chronological story of the bandβs rise and fall and his own experiences behind the scenes. From building a recording studio in his basement and discovering the bandβs potential to watching that potential turn into real success, Chris takes readers inside the world of Jamie Fontaine & the Level as they fought to make their mark in the music business.
But success came with a price.
As the bandβs profile grew, so did the pressure. Alcohol, drugs, egos, personal conflicts, and the demands of the music business began to take their toll. At the same time, Chris was dealing with his own personal struggles, including a turbulent relationship with a girlfriend whose behavior brought another level of turmoil into his life. Betrayal, manipulation, substance abuse, and the consequences of that relationship became part of a much larger personal battle.
From Northeast Wisconsin to Nashville and Los Angeles, Scars and Melodies follows the journey as the dream gets bigger and the cracks begin to show. It is a story of ambition, friendship, music, success, loss, and the consequences that can come when everything begins to spiral out of control.
This is not a story about fame from a distance. It is a firsthand account of what happened behind the stages, headlines, recording sessions, chart numbers, and photographs and what it really looked like when the dream began to fall apart.
Available now on Amazon. The book is offered in hardcover and paperback editions, all containing the same collection of photographs that follows the story from beginning to end. The hardcover and standard paperback feature the photographs in black and white, while a full-color paperback edition is also available. The photographs document the people, performances, recording sessions, Nashville sessions, Los Angeles shows, and moments that shaped the entire journey.