Northeast Ohioans endure a lot through the seasons, from unforgiving weather to underperforming athletes. We recognize that change is character building, it hardens our souls, but not our hearts. It has built the collective spirit of our region. Born of that spirit and singing its praises is The Lighthouse and The Whaler. Despite their indie credibility, these guys are not just another group of self-conscious mid-westerners with a thesaurus and a string section.
When listening to the group's folk-inspired songs, you are transported to a place where stress is forgotten and comfort envelops you like your favorite blanket. The name, taken from one of the most famous books about the sea, Moby Dick, is aptly fitting, as they also draw inspiration from a homespun narrative that finds beauty in the struggles of man.
Performed live, the band's music is transcendent. The Cleveland-based band regularly bring their music to the masses as mainstays of the Grog Shop and The Beachland Ballroom & Tavern. "They have always been good to us and, in our opinion, they are the best places to play in Cleveland," says lead singer Michael LoPresti.
No matter what venue they play, their stripped-down, folk-driven creations make the experience feel as intimate as if they were playing just for you. It's refreshing to hear a band go back to the basics while still making their music sound fresh. That's no coincidence, as LoPresti acknowledges the song writing process is a collaborative effort: "We spend a lot of time recording ideas, emailing them back and forth, and adding on to each idea as it trades places. The process is very evolutionary. Each song takes on a life of its own and some songs come together faster than others."
Drawing inspiration from the charismatic sounds of Radiohead, U2 and Midlake, while echoing melodies similar to Seven Swans-era Sufjan Stevens, Great Lake Swimmers and a less twangy Band of Horses, the band delivers a richly seasoned, remarkably unaffected catalog of tunes, led by LoPresti's soulful croon, a special instrument all in itself. "We each have been inspired by different artists and draw our influences from different genres of music," says LoPresti. "I think this adds to the unique style of our music, though."
In 2008, musicians Lopresti, Aaron Smith and Evan Storey recorded and self-produced the Lighthouse and The Whaler's first EP A Whisper, A Clamour, an all-too-short sampling of indelible folk harmonies that was strong enough to catch the attention of national press, including Paste, Under the Radar and Filter. After nine months of recording in Cleveland, the group released their self-titled debut earlier this year, a welcome successor to A Whisper, A Clamour, featuring more of the same melodies and hooks tempered with a playful eccentricity. "I think we've all had the experience of really connecting with an album," says Smith. "That's really the most you can hope for as a musician, to give that to somebody else."
This trio is on pace to become another act that can put Cleveland back on the musical map, a notion that LoPresti sees as part of a bigger positive picture. "The Cleveland indie scene is really starting to mature," he says. "I really believe in the next few years, you’re going to see the indie scene in Cleveland gain a lot of momentum." On the local scene, they champion groups such as Bears, Bethesda and Tinamou who, have all grown out of Cleveland's local harmony tree.
On Saturday, May 22 at 7:15 pm, The Lighthouse and the Whaler will take the stage as part of the Weapons of Mass Creation Festival, curated by Jeff Finley and Cleveland's Go Media. "We couldn’t be happier to play this festival," says LoPresti. "The guys over at Go Media are awesome, and we feel the festival is going to be awesome addition to the musical landscape of Cleveland."
LISTEN: The Lighthouse and The Whaler - "Windows"
/media/Music/May/Windows.mp3
