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.
Wax & Wire
Loch Lomond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm helplessly needless and needless to say I owe you.
Well I'd wade ten thousand clicks for a just one more chance.
Just one more chance, to see your face again.
Well I'd pull, 10 time the weight of the earth with my teeth.
The earth with my teeth to touch your face alive.
You lie helplessly still as your face falls apart.
With wax and wires and hair from the back of your head.
With wax and wires and hair from the back of your head.
Well I can make your face brand new.
Well I can make your face brand new.
(La la la da da da da da da da daaaa)
You are warm.
You are warm
Come take my hand and I'll take your hand,
And I will bring you out.
Come take the line and I'll take the line,
And I will pull you out.
To swing In the sun.
Come take my hand and I'll take your hand,
And I will bring you out.
Come take the line and I'll take the line,
And I will pull you out.
To swing In the sun.
The song "Wax & Wire" by Loch Lomond tells a story that is both emotional and haunting. The lyrics illustrate an intense longing for someone who has passed away, with the singer feeling helplessly needless and owing something to the person they are no longer with. They express an almost desperate desire for just one more chance to see their face again, and a willingness to go to any lengths to make that happen. The next lines in the song paint an even more vivid picture, as the singer declares that they would "pull 10 times the weight of the earth with my teeth" in order to touch the face of the person they have lost.
The tone shifts as the song progresses, with the lyrics taking on a more macabre and unsettling vibe. The repetition of the line "you lie helplessly still as your face falls apart" emphasizes the idea of decay and loss. But then, the song takes an even more eerie turn as the singer sings about using wax, wires, and hair from the back of the person's head to make their face new again. The image of someone creating a new face from wax and wires is unsettling, but it's clear that the singer is willing to go to great lengths to be with the person they miss so much. The song ends with a more uplifting message, with the singer inviting the person to join them in the sun, offering to bring them out and pull them towards the warmth.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm helplessly needless and needless to say I owe you.
I am lost without you and it goes without saying that I am indebted to you.
Well I'd wade ten thousand clicks for a just one more chance.
I would travel an immense distance for a single opportunity to see you again.
Just one more chance, to see your face again.
All I want is the chance to look at your face one more time.
Well I'd pull, 10 time the weight of the earth with my teeth.
I would exert extraordinary effort to hold you close once again.
The earth with my teeth to touch your face alive.
I would move mountains to feel your living skin again.
You lie helplessly still as your face falls apart.
You lie lifeless as your body succumbs to decay.
With wax and wires and hair from the back of your head.
I will use wax, wires, and even a lock of your hair to recreate you.
Well I can make your face brand new.
I have the ability to make a new, flawless version of your face.
(La la la da da da da da da da daaaa)
No words are needed to express the depth of my longing for you.
You are warm.
You are an embodiment of life and vitality.
Come take my hand and I'll take your hand,
Let me help you up.
And I will bring you out.
I will rescue you from the depths of death.
Come take the line and I'll take the line,
Take hold of the rope and I will pull you up.
To swing In the sun.
To bask in the light of life once again.
Contributed by Colton K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.