EILEEN MOWREY
Assistant Reverb Editor
One morning at Dizzy’s Diner in Park Slope, Brooklyn, three musicians, Zach Williams, Brian Elmquist and Kanene Pipkin, made music together for the first time. They were, respectively, a solo artist, a diner employee and a girl who had recently returned from Beijing. Today they are the Lone Bellow, and they are currently in the upswing of a very promising career.
With Williams on guitar and lead vocals, Elmquist on guitar and vocals and Pipkin on mandolin and vocals, they produce some of the closest and sweetest harmonies I have heard in a long time. Their harmonies remind me of The Head and the Heart, and their melodies and lyrics bring to mind The Lumineers. To pinpoint a single genre they belong to would be difficult. They incorporate themes of country, Americana and pop music into every song.
Williams has been the driving force behind the band. In fact, the group was originally called Zack Williams and the Lone Bellow, but once it was time to release their first (and to date their only) album, he decided to drop his own name from the band’s identity. Williams only learned to play guitar after his wife was involved in an accident that caused her to be temporarily paralyzed. It was after she had recovered and the couple had moved to New York that Williams began his musical career.
I discovered the Lone Bellow thanks to the helpful recommendations on my Spotify account. The suggestion of this band alone made the price of my monthly subscription well worth the price. I quickly became enchanted by their songs and have listened to their 11 song album all the way through more times than I can count. There simply are no weak spots. When I found out that they were scheduled at Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo on Nov. 21 as a part of their national tour, I became determined to make the show part of my Fall concert plans.
While other musicians have appeared with the Lone Bellow, Williams, Elmquist and Pipkin remain the heart of sound and the obvious talent. The way the three musicians blend their voices, instruments and emotions results in music that is deep in meaning but light on the ears. It has an upbeat momentum that is impossible to ignore. I look forward to seeing them when they come to Buffalo and I strongly encourage you to be there too.