The Lone Bellow Their Rendition Of 'Islands In The Stream'
(MPG) The Lone Bellow released their fan-favorite rendition of "Islands In The Stream." The song is the latest to release off their upcoming album What a Time to be Alive, due out February 13th.
Of the track, the band stated, "'Islands in the Stream' has been a staple in our setlist for years and a crowd favorite every single time. Written by the Bee Gees and made legendary by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, it's one of those timeless tunes that brings everyone together. Including it on the record felt like the perfect way to thank all the fans who've sung it with us over the years - now they'll always have their version to hold onto, and we sure hope we did it justice."
"Islands In The Stream" follows The Lone Bellow's brand new single "You Were Leaving," which was featured on Paste and The Bluegrass Situation, who stated "'You Were Leaving' finds the band with an expansive, resplendent sound that certainly sounds like The Lone Bellow, but steeped in the Shoals." The trio also recently released the "harmony-rich" (No Depression) "Common Folk," as well as the "stunning" (MXDWN) "No Getting Over You," and the "mesmerizing" (Holler) "Night Goes Black."
Recorded in Muscle Shoals and written/recorded collaboratively for the first time with the band's full touring ensemble, What a Time to be Alive marks a whole new chapter for the Nashville by-way-of-Brooklyn group, as they break fresh sonic ground with ecstatic arrangements that crackle and hum with all the energy and firepower of their acclaimed live show. The result is their strongest, most exhilarating, and cohesive record to date. With founding trio Zach Williams, Brian Elmquist, and Kanene Pipkin along with drummer Julian Dorio and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Geertsma, the songs are earnest and poignant, full of ruminations of innocence, loss, and the mysteries of love, and the performances are rapturous to match, balancing raw, rock and roll swagger with tender, folk sincerity. While much is familiar - the band's trademark lush harmonies and infectious hooks haven't gone anywhere - it's impossible not to sense the new horizons at play, to feel the palpable chemistry fueling these blissful, freewheeling celebrations of the human spirit in all its mixed-up, bittersweet beauty.
"This record encapsulates everything we love and respect about each other," stated Williams. "It's a snapshot of the friendships we've built over the last decade-and-a-half, of how far we've come and how much we've grown."
When it came time to write What a Time to be Alive, the band started in Henderson, KY, where producer Peter Barbee had converted an abandoned firehouse into a recording studio. There, they tapped into the playful energy of their soundchecks on the road, improvising a series of instrumental beds they could later write lyrics to. They headed to Muscle Shoals, AL next, to record the new material, tracking the foundation of each song live in the same room together before splitting off for intensive vocal and harmony workshopping. "We wanted to shake things up and try a new approach this time around," says Elmquist, who took the lead in producing the album. "People just sat at whatever instrument they were feeling, and then we'd jam until we had a song. It felt like we were teenagers again playing in a garage, which is a magical thing for a band that's 15 years into their career."
The band soon hit a devastating twist of fate not long after when their van was broken into while out on tour, and amongst their equipment, gear, clothes, and other valuables, lost the hard drive that stored all their new recordings. The theft immediately set them back to square one with the album. When word got out, the band's diehard fanbase stepped in, raising enough funds to replace their stolen equipment and get the group back into the studio within hours. It was a humbling experience that motivated them to push even harder, be more honest and brave and present, and record their best album yet for their devoted community of fans that have supported them over the past decade. What a Time to be Alive is a testament to the enduring bonds their music has forged, both on the stage and in the audience.
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