Lac La Belle
A Friend Too Long
Every time I get back from the United States into my cozy little German town, I realize how big America is, how much music is going on there, and how many amazing musicians collaborate, compete and dream the American dream of making a living doing what they love to do: Music.
Lac La Belle is an acoustic duo from Detroit, a city that is dying and at the same time full of life and possibilities. It makes sense that Detroit is the home of an undead musical genius in Jim Jarmusch's latest movie “Only Lovers Left Alive.” Yet it is hard to imagine that Jenny Knaggs’s and Nick Schillace's rural American folk comes out of Motor City.
With their third album, “A Friend Too Long,” additional musicians joined the duo and together they created kind of a cinematic sound that accompanies their stories perfectly. Droning cellos and violins, ethereal voices and quiet moments complement faster paced train ride-like songs.
I love every single album they've made so far and they are special to me, even if there are thousands of people who play American roots music out there. Nick Schillace' signature guitar picking stnds out in the same way as does E.C. Ball's picking style. And talking about Estil and Orna Ball, Lac La Belle is quite similar to the old West Virginia couple. Just listen to "Home Sweet Home" and then "New Memories of Oklahoma". Do you hear what I mean? To explore that further, listen to an old tune called "Grandfather's Clock" in a rendition by Lac La Belle, E.C. Ball and then John Fahey. That's where the circle closes. Lac La Belle playing traditional American folk with "Fahey's approach to assimilating influences into an original style".
You can buy Lac La Belle's album "A Friend Too Long" in several formats right on their bandcamp. If you want them in Europe, contact their agent immediately! They are a great live act!
Here is actually a lo fi video of "Rusted Bolt" that I shot last year in Chicago:
Write a comment, say something!