The band… Read Full Bio ↴Loch Lomond is an American band based in Portland, Oregon.
The band started as a solo recording project of Ritchie Young in 2003. With help of engineer/producer Rob Oberdorfer, Young crafted the first Loch Lomond album, When We Were Mountains. Over the next few years, Loch Lomond performed around Portland and the Pacific Northwest in various incarnations. Live performances would range from Young by himself to a full band. During this time, many different recording sessions took place in various studios and homes. These recordings were compiled on the early 2006 EP Lament For Children.
In the later half of 2006, Loch Lomond solidified into a nine-person band. In this format, they produced their 2007 album "Paper the Walls", which was more reminiscent of traditional chamber folk music while featuring many non-traditional instruments. They toured with The Decemberists in late 2008. In 2010, Loch Lomond's song, Wax and Wire, was featured in the short film Danny MacAskill's Way Back Home produced by Red Bull Media House.
2011 saw the release of Little Me Will Start A Storm, Tender Loving Empire. 2012 Chemikal Underground released the EP White Dresses.
Pens From Spain, their most recent album will be released on September 2, 2016, on Hush Records.
Loch Lomond effortlessly combines their symphonic nature with chamber-pop melodies. The six to nine performers orchestrate instruments to provoke a visceral experience that is both raw and emotional, weaving the distinct use of mandolin, theremin and saw along with the traditional indie instrumentation.
Luring the listener with the unique range and power of his voice, Ritchie Young's vocal ability enables him to switch from fragility to thunder in the turn of a phrase. Yet, Young exercises the power of restraint, saving vocal tornadoes for emotional apexes, buoyed by the four-part harmonies, string section swells and rhythmic dynamics of the ensemble.
Drawing inspiration from the iconic Funky Church, a Portland venue that serves as a home to local artists and musicians , Loch Lomond utilized this space to nurture their music in a way only a high-domed ceiling and absent sound system can convey. In conjunction with the cathedral's influence, Ritchie Young calls on inspiration from within to infuse his creativity. "My internal inspiration comes out of me in strange ways," says Young. "I lock myself in a room until I scream, knock stuff over, whatever I'm compelled to do to make a song emerge. Once a song does come out of me, I leave it alone. Changing the structure or the lyrics would feel like I was second-guessing my art."
There are no half measures with Loch Lomond. This group remains a long respected, gathering force that brings their tidal waves of sound to a much wider audience by immersing itself in a myriad of trained musicians. Ritchie explains, "It was a very slow process of finding the right people that fit. I say this in the most humblest of ways. Amanda Lawrence for example was at a show we were playing and her husband leaned over to her and said 'This is the band you need to be in; this is what you have been looking for!' She gave Peter Broderick a call and the next week she was playing with us and she fits so well."
The third official recording from Loch Lomond, Paper The Walls, evokes an emotional response to deeply imprint itself on the listener with songs comprised of gently narrated stories unraveling with rustic charm; simple in form, but saturated with tone and texture. Recorded at Portland's Type Foundry (M Ward, The Decemberists) and their second release from Hush Records, the album is rich with detail while retaining an uncommon sense of space.
Scabs on This Year
Loch Lomond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waking up as I'm torn out of bed
And now I'm floating
And now I'm floating
Waking up as I'm torn from my bed
Waking up as I'm torn from my bed
Happy Sunday
Happy Holiday
and now I'm floating
Happy Sunday
Happy Holiday
Astral projection
Astral projection
Why haven't you called
Why haven't you called
Why haven't you called
Why haven't you called
My teeth my teeth are covered in dust
My teeth my teeth all covered in dust
And maybe just maybe this shell is too small
And maybe just maybe this shell is too small
My teeth my teeth are covered in dust
My teeth my teeth are covered in dust
And maybe just maybe oh this shell is too small
And maybe just maybe oh this shell is too small
oh my teeth oh my teeth are covered in dust
oh my teeth my teeth all covered in dust
The song "Scabs on This Year" by Loch Lomond features lyrics that convey a powerful sense of disconnection and disorientation. The singer seems to be experiencing a dissociative episode, as they wake up feeling torn from their bed and floating through the world. The repeated phrases "Happy Sunday, Happy Holiday" and "Astral projection" add to the surreal feeling of the song, as if the singer is trying to convince themselves that everything is normal when it clearly is not. The question "Why haven't you called?" is an intriguing element of the song, suggesting that the singer is longing for some kind of connection or validation but isn't receiving it.
The second half of the song focuses on the physical body, with the repeated line "My teeth, my teeth are covered in dust." This line could be interpreted in a few different ways - perhaps the singer is neglecting their hygiene or feeling a sense of decay and rot. The line "Maybe just maybe this shell is too small" continues the theme of disconnection, suggesting that the singer may not feel comfortable in their own body or identity. Overall, the lyrics of "Scabs on This Year" create a vivid and unsettling image of someone struggling to find their place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Waking up as I'm torn from my bed
Being suddenly awakened while still feeling sleepy and cozy in bed
And now I'm floating
Feeling free and weightless, unattached to anything mundane
Happy Sunday
A cheerful greeting acknowledging the joy of a day off
Astral projection
A state of being where one's spirit seems to leave the body and travel into a different realm
Why haven't you called
Expressing a sense of abandonment or loneliness from a lack of communication
My teeth my teeth are covered in dust
Feeling like personal hygiene has been neglected and things are not in order
And maybe just maybe this shell is too small
Wondering if the physical body is limiting personal growth or potential
oh my teeth oh my teeth are covered in dust
Continuing to ruminate on the idea of a lack of self-care and hygiene
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
saki2fifty
Just stumbled upon this group a few days ago... great band! More people need to know about them.
Pedro Araújo Marcenaria
Hi i´m from Brasil and wanna tell everybody: This is one of the best groups taht i know! I wish one day i could see you live. Where can i buy your material?
Jason_Music
an amazing band i just discovered. please come to France !!
THEdragon
They sound like singing angels.
Pedro Araújo Marcenaria
Thank's!