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The Lone Bellow at Americana Fest: guest post by Paul Wallen

9/29/2014

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We met Paul and Diane at The Lone Bellow show at The Iron Horse in Northampton back in August. We had arrived early to make sure we would get good seats, and were first in line. They arrived about 5 minutes after us, armed with folding chairs to make the wait more comfortable. As we chatted with them, we quickly discovered we all frequently attend concerts, and like many of the same bands. It is thanks to them that we learned about The Lone Bellow show at Mohegan Sun in September.

We have kept in touch, and when we found out Paul and Diane would be seeing The Lone Bellow perform at the Americana Music Festival, we decided to take advantage of their proximity, and Paul's journalism background, and asked him to write up a short review for this site. Paul has graciously provided us with the following report:

My wife and I had been kicking around the question all week.

After enjoying three shows by The Lone Bellow in more intimate settings — including one at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton where we were so close that Zach Williams could have easily fallen onto our table during one of his trademark edge-of-the-stage clapping outbursts — we couldn’t help but wonder how different it might be to see one of our favorite groups an arena-like setting.  Would the Lone Bellow’s unique blend of power, precision and tenderness translate to a much larger crowd in a larger space?

We received an emphatic answer to that question at the Americana Music Festival, where The Lone Bellow opened for the Avett Brothers at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville, Tenn on Sept. 20. In fact, it was almost as if Williams (guitar, lead vocals), Brian Elmquist (guitar, vocals) and Kanene Pipkin (mandolin, vocals) were on a mission to demonstrate that they are quite prepared for the bigger stages that may be inevitable as the trio prepares to release their sophomore album early next year.

The Lone Bellow seized the swelling crowd’s attention by roaring into the opener “You Can Be All Kinds of Emotional.” Williams always seems to be going full-throttle on stage, which made it surprising to see him hit an even higher gear on a humid Tennessee evening. After a couple songs, my wife turned to me and said, “Zach’s in rare form tonight.”

The rest of The Lone Bellow were in top form as well, delivering a fantastic set that included songs from their 2013 debut such as “You Never Need Nobody,” “Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold,” “Two Sides of Lonely,” “You Don’t Love Me Like You Used To,” “Teach Me To Know,” “Bleeding Out,” “Tree To Grow,” and “The One You Should’ve Let Go.”

Their performance of newer songs such as “Diners” and “Watch Over Us” left us even more eager for the upcoming album. A few days later, I caught myself searching for the gospel-tinged “Watch Over Us” on my iPod before I remembered that it hasn’t even been released yet. It’s that good.

So if you haven’t yet seen The Lone Bellow perform live in one of those smaller venues, dear Tree To Grow readers, hurry up before they are playing to sold out arenas. But don’t worry, I can also confidently report that they are more than ready for the big stages.

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Americana Fest

9/28/2014

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With all of the hype over the upcoming album we almost forget to talk about Americana Fest, where we hear The Lone Bellow worked their magic again.  CMT Edge had this to say about our favorite band:

"As shamanesque as Williams can be though, the truly unique sonic secret of The Lone Bellow lies in the way his voice and energy unite with mandolinist/vocalist Kanene Pipkin and guitarist/vocalist Brian Elmquist. No matter how boisterous one of their songs can get- the percussive gallop of "Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold" comes to mind- the powerful sound created when the trio sings together unquestionably outshines everything else going on."


You can read the entire article here. 
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Video: Then Came the Morning

9/25/2014

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The Lone Bellow also posted this video of "Then Came the Morning." They are really getting us hyped up!
Post by The Lone Bellow.
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Photos from Dreamland Studios

9/25/2014

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The Lone Bellow posted photos on Facebook from their recording sessions at Dreamland Studios, and they are truly beautiful. We have looked at them again and again, and  love this glimpse into their creation of Then Came the Morning. We can't wait for the single (less than a month!), nor for the album!
Post by The Lone Bellow.
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Save the Dates!

9/25/2014

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This morning we came across this article by Brian Palmer about The Lone Bellow and their upcoming album! It's got all the details, including the date of an EP to be released very soon, and we finally get to hear a new song as early as October 7! We cannot wait! Make sure to check out the article because it's got everything you need to know. 
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Then Came The Morning

9/24/2014

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As if we weren't already excited enough, The Lone Bellow has been teasing us for the last week with hints about their upcoming album, Then Came The Morning. Last we heard from the band, they are hopeful it will be dropping in January! As Bostonians, this is the first time we've been excited about January's arrival!

It’s on. New videos for the new album with @theserialbox #thencamethemorning pic.twitter.com/UjfiWhmYPk

— The Lone Bellow (@TheLoneBellow) September 24, 2014
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One of a thousand reasons we can't wait for the new album

9/16/2014

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We have been lucky enough to see The Lone Bellow a few times this summer, and this is a song that has made it into their live sets. It's such a good one, and we cannot wait until the new album comes out so we can play it on repeat. 
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Baeble Music Interview with The Lone Bellow

9/10/2014

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We recently came across this interview and performance from not quite a year ago, filmed in Washington Square Park by Baeble Music. It is interesting to hear a little about how the trio collaborate on songwriting, and how their music has affected fans.
You can watch the whole performance here.
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Paradise Encore

9/6/2014

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Earlier in the week, we posted a link to the Front Row episode about The Lone Bellow show at the Paradise back in November 2013. While the episode was great, and it was so fun to relive moments from that show, we were disappointed they didn't include some of the encore from that night. There is no doubt we would have been hooked on them just from the main part of the show. Their music, passion, and the connection between the band members and with the audience was evident, and absolutely drew us in. But the encore sealed the deal. Their silly banter and, um, interesting song choices made us laugh and smile so hard. The Lone Bellow takes their music seriously, but they clearly have so much fun performing, and they aren't afraid to be goofy, or to put themselves out there for the audience. Fortunately, Chris Van Slyke from the blog Boston Through My Eyes was smart enough to video most of the encore so we can share it here.

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Unexpected Gifts

9/5/2014

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In the pre-dawn hours of this morning, I found myself unable to sleep because of the lengthy to-do list running through my head. I turned to Facebook, the great distractor, in hopes that it would still my brain. Instead, I discovered the words written by Zach Williams, describing the tragedy that he and his wife went through ten years ago; the tragedy that gave rise to his music career. 

Zach’s portrayal of events is somehow haunting and beautiful. As I read, then re-read his story- as you do when you realize what you’re reading is deeply stirring something within you- I could not help but think of the times in my life when I was staring tragedy in the eye, terrified of the unknown. While his wife (thankfully) made an inexplicable recovery, Zach said he did not view this as the miracle, rather for him the miracle was, “watching the loved ones, nurses, and patients love one another and see a beauty that only they have the honor of truly understanding.” These words will not leave me. It is, indeed, during sorrowful times that we are completely unable to deny our unyielding need for one another, and it is love and compassion for one another that carries us through.

As I read the comments on the Facebook page, I was struck by how many people were genuinely moved by his words, and how tragedy, like music, has the power to unify us. I suspect that his wife’s healing, in and of itself, was a blessing.  Luckily for us, though, the event led to the creation of The Lone Bellow. I have, at times, wondered why this band? What is it about them that I can’t shake off? Then I go to another show and see just how infectious their energy is, and how every concert feels like its own little miracle. And really, that’s enough.
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    Who We Are

    We are Abra and Bobbie, two friends living in Boston who go to a lot of concerts together. We saw The Lone Bellow, having never heard of them, and could not believe our good fortune in discovering such talent. We now try to go by the "Four-Hour-Rule", meaning if we can get to a show within four hours, we will be there, hopefully right up front.

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