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With So Much More
Lightning Love has gotten far by work of blistered hands, swell of genuine hearts and the charm of their sound. Label-less, publicist-less, guileless, this Ypsi-Arbor trio (singer/pianist Leah Diehl, guitarist/singer Ben Collins, drummer Aaron Diehl) released their debut full-length (November Birthday) last year, on their own, and wound up on a Canadian tour with the Von Bondies.
“I’m really glad we did everything on our own for our first record,” said Leah Diehl, who, with Aaron, are the offspring of musician parents, who have been playing most of their lives. “I wrote the entire thing when I was 21 and I’ll be 24 in August. So I feel like I’ve grown quite a bit as a songwriter, a performer, everything. I’m going into the next one with so much more.”
Sweet, minimalist and rhythmic, Lightning Love has gotten this far by catchy enchantment; piano pounded indie-pop, whirly space-rock, and meandering vocal melodies flicking the ugly/beautiful coin of delicate romance and disillusioned youth — ever hardening and maturing in all elements, as band, as people.
And damned humble, they mostly talk about friends in other bands, like Ann Arbor’s epic theatro-poppers Tally Hall (“stunning” said Diehl, “made me so excited and motivated”), and their “amazing” adopted “big brothers,” Detroit buzzsaw rockers Millions of Brazilians, with whom they’ve shared numerous bills, “I feel like our bands sort of grew up together.”
Lightning Love formed in October '07, almost on a dare; the siblings had been experimenting with an insidious, haywire drum machine — but rounded out in time for their debut with U-M music student (and son of music teachers), guitarist Ben Collins.
The band is balancing recording (Aaron demos other bands and works on his own music), school, jobs and writing/recording a follow-up. Hopefully out in the winter of 2010, Diehl wants the album to have “bass, more instruments, a better keyboard, better mics” and, a long-saved for Steinway Grand Piano. “I think it will have a fuller, more mature and realized sound.”
As things speed up, the band’s talking to labels and a manager. “I just hope we keep moving and keep getting better. I don’t want to stop or slow down," stated Diehl. "If I don’t do this now, I never will.” | RDW
Lightning Love • 7/1 • Cityfest’s Pure Detroit Stage
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