[interview] Lord Huron - Progress Report
Interview with the LordBen Schneider (seen above), the lead singer/creator of Lord Huron, was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for Three Colours. Currently, Lord Huron is riding a wave of buzz and touring through the heart of the country. Tonight marks the start of their headlining tour - most notably is their just-announced appearance at this year's Lollapalooza (exact date still TBD). The interview proceeds the tour dates. If you get a chance to see these guys live, I highly recommend it.
Lord Huron tour dates:
Lord Huron tour dates:
04/26 - Washington, DC - DC9Lord Huron Interview
04/28 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
04/30 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
05/02 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick Lounge
05/03 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's Tavern
05/07 - Norman, OK - Opolis Coffee
05/08 - Austin, TX - Emo's
05/10 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
05/11 - La Jolla, CA - The Loft at UCSD
05/14 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
08/5-7 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza!
(Three Colours) There seems to be a lot of lore behind the creation of Lord Huron and your two EPs Into the Sun and Mighty. If I'm not mistaken, most of what ended up on these two records was conceived on the beaches of northern Michigan. Would you care to talk a bit about what images/emotions were going on in your life that created such beautiful soundscapes?
(Ben Schneider) My life was changing a lot at that time. Good and bad, as it often goes.
(TC) Did you know from the beginning when you first started writing this music that it would eventually lead to a band?
(BS) I hoped it would, but I didn’t really have any expectations. I really enjoy performing live, so that was always in the back of my mind. Thankfully people responded very positively to the recordings, and I’ve been able to put together a great group.
(TC) Now that you're touring across the country, you've had to adapt these solitary recordings into a road band. What have been the major challenges in this process?
(BS) There’s a lot happening on the records. Ideally I’d have twelve musicians with me every night, but that’s just impossible at this point. The biggest challenge has been attempting to recreate the size and intricacy of the recordings with 5 people. Thankfully, the guys are all incredibly talented. We’re still working it out to be honest. Things change night to night. We’ve only been together for a few months and it just takes time.
(TC) And what would you say has been the most serendipitous additions to your songs that you've experienced while playing these live?
(BS) It feels really great having other musicians to interact with. Each player brings his own personality to the music, and that’s been interesting to hear and work with.
(TC) You just released an EP back in November, but are there any plans to begin crafting an full-length LP, or is one already in the works?
(BS) I’ve continued writing and recording all the while. Not sure what this new material will turn into, but I think we’ll probably release an LP within the next year.
(TC) Will you be entering the studio as a collective, or will it be a solitary recording session again?
(BS) I’d definitely like to get these guys into the studio. I’m really interested in working with a producer as well. I think the right person could do a lot for the songs.
(TC) Do you think you will go back to the beaches of the mighty Huron for more inspiration, or will the Pacific do just the trick?
(BS) I’d like to keep working up there as much as possible. We shot a video there, too, and it’s just a great place to work. I think I’ll probably move back to Michigan before too long.
(TC) I'm a really big fan of your album art. Is that done by one of you guys?
(BS) Thanks. Yes, I do the artwork. Working on the visual aspect of the project has been really enjoyable for me.
(TC) I hate to label a band's sound, so I won't, but I can't help notice an overarching element that reminds me of backpacking through some far-off land. Has travel influenced the sound of these records?
(BS) Travel has been an important part of my life, and so has home. I’ve always had this internal struggle. A strong attachment to home vs. a raging wanderlust. Turns out touring is a pretty good way to handle this.
(TC) While touring, you've probably trailblazed through unexplored territories - do these new cities/places inspire new songs?
(BS) We’re just getting going, but we’ve already had some interesting adventures and encounters. Whether or not they’ll make it into the music remains to be seen.
(TC) Do you have any memorable touring moments that you'd like to share?
(BS) It’s all pretty memorable to us, but I doubt it would be very interesting to others. We’ve met a lot of good folks. No arrests yet, thankfully.
(Ben Schneider) My life was changing a lot at that time. Good and bad, as it often goes.
(TC) Did you know from the beginning when you first started writing this music that it would eventually lead to a band?
(BS) I hoped it would, but I didn’t really have any expectations. I really enjoy performing live, so that was always in the back of my mind. Thankfully people responded very positively to the recordings, and I’ve been able to put together a great group.
(TC) Now that you're touring across the country, you've had to adapt these solitary recordings into a road band. What have been the major challenges in this process?
(BS) There’s a lot happening on the records. Ideally I’d have twelve musicians with me every night, but that’s just impossible at this point. The biggest challenge has been attempting to recreate the size and intricacy of the recordings with 5 people. Thankfully, the guys are all incredibly talented. We’re still working it out to be honest. Things change night to night. We’ve only been together for a few months and it just takes time.
(TC) And what would you say has been the most serendipitous additions to your songs that you've experienced while playing these live?
(BS) It feels really great having other musicians to interact with. Each player brings his own personality to the music, and that’s been interesting to hear and work with.
(TC) You just released an EP back in November, but are there any plans to begin crafting an full-length LP, or is one already in the works?
(BS) I’ve continued writing and recording all the while. Not sure what this new material will turn into, but I think we’ll probably release an LP within the next year.
(TC) Will you be entering the studio as a collective, or will it be a solitary recording session again?
(BS) I’d definitely like to get these guys into the studio. I’m really interested in working with a producer as well. I think the right person could do a lot for the songs.
(TC) Do you think you will go back to the beaches of the mighty Huron for more inspiration, or will the Pacific do just the trick?
(BS) I’d like to keep working up there as much as possible. We shot a video there, too, and it’s just a great place to work. I think I’ll probably move back to Michigan before too long.
(TC) I'm a really big fan of your album art. Is that done by one of you guys?
(BS) Thanks. Yes, I do the artwork. Working on the visual aspect of the project has been really enjoyable for me.
(TC) I hate to label a band's sound, so I won't, but I can't help notice an overarching element that reminds me of backpacking through some far-off land. Has travel influenced the sound of these records?
(BS) Travel has been an important part of my life, and so has home. I’ve always had this internal struggle. A strong attachment to home vs. a raging wanderlust. Turns out touring is a pretty good way to handle this.
(TC) While touring, you've probably trailblazed through unexplored territories - do these new cities/places inspire new songs?
(BS) We’re just getting going, but we’ve already had some interesting adventures and encounters. Whether or not they’ll make it into the music remains to be seen.
(TC) Do you have any memorable touring moments that you'd like to share?
(BS) It’s all pretty memorable to us, but I doubt it would be very interesting to others. We’ve met a lot of good folks. No arrests yet, thankfully.
