The Lighthouse and the Whaler Make Waves
Sometimes mild-mannered indie-rockers can get overlooked, but the Lighthouse and the Whaler are making some serious waves, winning over new fans and critics alike with their unique brand of orchestral pop.
The Cleveland quartet’s ridiculously catchy tune, “Venice,” has amassed more than 1 million plays on Spotify and showcases their penchant for combining bright guitars and catchy melodies with fun, singalong moments replete with “whoa-wooh-oohs” and earnest declarations of love. When frontman Michael LoPresti sings, “Death is cold/Death is sure/Why don’t we all fall in love,” it’s hard to argue with that logic.
The fact that LoPresti studied literature and theology in college is evidenced in his insightful, poetic lyrics throughout their most recent album, This Is an Adventure, which was produced by Ryan Hadlock (Lumineers, Ra Ra Riot, the Walkmen). The quartet also features LoPresti’s brother Matthew, who diverted a career from professional soccer to play drums, as well as Mark Poro on strings and Ryan Walker on bass, a core lineup occasionally augmented by various multi-instrumentalists.
With a name inspired by the plight of the doomed whalers in Moby Dick, the Lighthouse and the Whaler adeptly explore dark and complex themes while keeping the music buoyant and playful, often belying the deep undercurrents that run beneath it. The band is currently hard at work on the follow-up to This Is an Adventure, slated for a 2015 release. If they continue to grow and build on their past successes, we think you’ll agree that these guys are poised for indie stardom.