Loch Lomond is an American band based in Portland, Oregon.

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.

Stripe II
Loch Lomond Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Last night I had a dream
That I was a stripe
Running up your arm
Killing you at work

It's the speed of what's to come
It's the speed of what's to come
It's running up your spine and you won't let it go

Well I had a thought
That I was a vein
Running up your leg
Infecting your heart

It's the speed of what's to come
It's the speed of what's to come

Well it tears me apart
Well it tears me in two

Oh to wash my skin
Oh to wash my skin
Oh to wash my skin

Free from my day
Falling off my
Sink into the ground
Sink into the ground
Falling of my
Sink into the ground

Sink into the ground
Sink into the ground

Overall Meaning

In Loch Lomond's song "Stripe II," the lyrics describe a disturbing dream where the singer imagines themselves as a stripe running up someone's arm, ultimately killing them at work. The eerie dream continues as the singer envisions themselves as a vein, infecting the heart and causing turmoil. The repetition of "it's the speed of what's to come" adds to the feeling of anxiety and unease in the dream world. The chorus reflects the singer's distress as they struggle with their thoughts and emotions, tearing them apart.

The idea of the dream represents the fear and internal struggles that the singer is experiencing. The desire to wash away these thoughts and fears is reflected in the repeated phrase "oh to wash my skin." The dream imagery of sinking into the ground represents the feeling of being overwhelmed and consumed by these thoughts and fears.

Overall, the song reflects on the complexities of the human mind and the struggle to overcome one's inner demons.

Line by Line Meaning

Last night I had a dream
I dreamt a terrifying dream

That I was a stripe
I was a thin, deadly mark

Running up your arm
Making its way upwards on your arm

Killing you at work
Causing your death while you were at work

It's the speed of what's to come
Predicting the pace of the future events

It's running up your spine and you won't let it go
A feeling of unease that grips you tightly

Well I had a thought
A worrisome idea crossed my mind

That I was a vein
I was a long, bloodvessel carrying a fatal disease

Running up your leg
Making its way upwards on your leg

Infecting your heart
Spreading the disease to your vital organ