Band of Lovers are so great. They’ve got the male/female co-leads folky vibe you catch from the Head & the Heart or Lord Huron, with some cool dreamy harmony stuff inspired by the Zombies. They’ve been on perpetual nationwide tour for a few years now and that’s basically the theme of this album, which is their second. (They also are literally on tour right now, so if you happen to be in MI, PA, NY, or NJ, hit me up about going to see ‘em!!) Also, FYI, this album is definitely 100% FCC CLEAN (there’s even a lyrics doc you can search for yourself if you don’t trust my word—it’s wrapped up in the download which I can happily send ya if you work at a radio station) – I mention that because there was a misprint on some of the stickers where it only says “FCC” (the “CLEAN” got cut off) and I only noticed it once something like 80 CDs had already been packed up with those stickers on ‘em and sealed into envelopes, so it’s possible you got a CD with a sticker on it that just confusingly said “FCC” with no further FCC details—it’s clean!! I promise!! For sure!! Sorry for the confusing labeling! Anyway, this band is great, you’re gonna love it, and then sometime soon you’ll surely have the opportunity to see them on their neverending tour! Do it!!
BAND OF LOVERS
AMERICAN TOUR
Self-Released
After four years of life on the road comes Band of Lovers’ sophomore album, American Tour. Its Americana aesthetic and chamber pop harmonies, born through the tests of constant motion and influences like Brian Wilson and the Zombies, started incubating when the band formed in 2013.
Dave Strumfeld, lead songwriter, singer, and guitarist, had been writing songs since childhood, but he credits this music to life on tour and his creative partnership with longtime friend Sabina Beachdell. “We’ve tried every incarnation of friendship, and the strongest one for us is this—traveling the country and turning that into music together.”
Beachdell, a lyricist, singer, and ukulele player in the band, came up with the group’s moniker in 2013, heavily influenced by her solo travels. “Meeting so many people around the country, I kept coming back to love—everyone is a lover. It’s the one thing we all have in common, and I feel like we should band together around it.”
This is precisely what drew Liliana Urbain—percussionist and singer—to the group. “I’d never seen a project so driven by this belief in love and art, and the call of the road. It was intoxicating.” So much so that after meeting by chance at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville in 2014, the trio decided to join forces. It was the same way they made most of their decisions— boldly, rashly, and without looking back.
What ensued was a whirlwind: love, heartbreak, copious amounts of songwriting, adventures, depression—some of the deepest highs and lows the band members had seen, apart or together.
All the while, the constants of the road and the music kept them going. “Anthem,” the album’s lead single and first track, became their warrior cry to the motion. “Long Day, Late Night” acknowledged how tired they’d become. “Carry You” rallied around the drive and the minimalist nature of it all. Together they chronicled heartache and triumphs, the call of the West and their own personal dreams.
Now in their fourth year on the road, the band is growing up and pushing onward. True to form, concurrent with the release of American Tour, they’re embarking on a five-month trek to hand deliver the album to nearly every corner of the country.
It’s music meant for motion. Take it with you – it’ll keep you company when the wanderlust kicks in and the open road awaits.
RIYL: The Head and the Heart, Wilco, Fleet Foxes, The Zombies, Lord Huron, Shakey Graves
Start With: 1, 11, 5, 4, 2 FCC CLEAN
TOUR DATES:
6/16 – Boyne City, MI – Stroll The Streets
6/16 – Bangor, MI – Hoodilidoo
6/18 – Grand Haven, MI – C3
6/24 – Indianapolis, IN – The Upside Down House Concert w/ Chad Lehr
6/29 – Port Huron, MI – Schwonk Sound Stead
6/30 – Lake Orion, MI – 20 Front Street /w The Goetz Girls
7/1 – Lake Orion, MI – 20 Front Street w/ The Rough and Tumble
7/3 – Algonac, MI – Pickarel Tournament (Algonac Lions Club)
7/6 – Geneva, OH – M Cellars – Take Steps from Crohn’s & Colitis Benefit show w/ Gage Brothers
7/11 – Pittsburgh, PA – Hospitality House Concert w/ Buffalo Rose
7/15 – New York, NY—Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2
7/16 – Egg Harbor City, NJ – Folk Across the Street
Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!
the band mom loves you 
Leave a Reply