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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Lord Huron (Updated with Interview)

Lord Huron :: Mighty EP


All the solo recordings of Lord Huron consist of just Ben Schneider, however he now has a full band composed of all Angelenos (by way of Michigan I believe).  He is a perfect example of how somebody can take a sound that as listeners we may have become very accustomed to and turn it upside down.  He could easily be grouped with Bon Iver or Fleet Foxes, however I think that would just be wrong.  Just as Local Natives transcend their associations with Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear through establishing their own energetic feel with genuine, adroitly crafted lyrics, Lord Huron carves his own niche through his mixing of extremely unique percussions with beautiful vocals and guitars.

Yes, he is also certainly rooted in American folk rock and features some awesome harmonies, but he completely distinguishes himself from the "soft indie rock" tag that some people might throw on him through his use of extremely inventive African drums and rhythms.  They bring a whole new life to songs, making them feel alive and jumping with color, like on "Mighty's" grand, almost jungle-evoking drums, or "Son of a Gun's" subtle maracas and rhythms.  He expertly blends this with his acoustic guitarwork to create vivid images of people almost overwhelmed by the huge, usually, but not always beautiful world around them through his simple stories of love,  falling from innocence, and nature.  His lyrics really are great, and they fully contribute to building these fantastic contained worlds.

My favorite song is easily "The Stranger" - all I'll say about it is how much I love the lines
"I've decided if it kills me I'll find out what you're about. / I can't trust anyone or anything these days but I know what you want and why ./ Of all the strangers you're the strangest that I've seen. / I'm not afraid to die."


Listen to this, and really, just go buy the EP (that's right, now free mp3s for you today!), its only 4 dollars.





You can really get the idea of the sort of simplicity and natural imagery that he is going for through the way he responds to my questions.  They are not exactly incredibly great questions (sorry, I wasn't in a creative mood!), but enjoy!


Me: You are still fairly new to the LA music scene - What do you think listeners should know about your music?

Benji SchneiderHopefully everything folks need to know is there in the music.  

MeHow did you first start making music/how long have you been together with the rest of your band?

BS (Maybe I should switch to LH for Lord Huron...)I've been making music for some time. I grew up playing bass in the orchestra and started my first band with Mark (drummer in Lord Huron) when we were 12 or 13. We played together for years and then went our separate ways for college. I was in some other bands and so was Mark, but I always knew I wanted to play with him again. We both went off into the world and learned a few things and now this project has brought us back together. We were lucky to find a great gang to join us.  

Me: How would you describe your music?

LHI don't believe I've figured that out. For better or worse, I leave that to others.

MeWhat's your writing and recording process like, and do you think it directly influences the sound of your music?

LHI often conceptualize a song visually and set out to evoke that image sonically. I hope that comes across here and there.   

MeDo you think you have a theme that you like to make music about/consistently find yourself writing songs about?

LHI'm interested in telling stories or portions of stories and letting the listener fill in the details. I find that to be a very worthwhile challenge. Nature and girls always seem to make their way in there. I have to resist the urge to write songs about cheeseburgers.

Me:  Again, thank you so much for your time, and keep up the awesome work!



Best,
Sam.

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