Their quirky name is a mouthful, and it is no wonder their Twitter bio reads, “Our name is too long for Twitter to handle.”
The name; The Lighthouse and the Whaler or aptly handled @TLATW, was inspired by Moby Dick, according to the band’s website.
The band came about when Michael LoPresti and Aaron Smith decided to collaborate in a field one afternoon and composed their first song, “The Field Song.”
TLATW now includes Michael LoPresti, a theology and literature graduate, his brother Matthew LoPresti, who chose music over soccer, Mark Poro, a musical prodigy and solo artist and Ryan Walker, a community organiser with a love for the stage.
Eventually TLATW released an EP with four songs in 2008 and later released a self-titled album in 2009. Their songs, “White Days” and “Under Mountain, Under Ground” got reasonable airplay on radio and TV.
In 2012, their second album, This Is An Adventure, was released. The song, Pioneers was featured on a Season 10 episode of Greys Anatomy.
TLATW had two national tours in 2013 and recorded another album later. They are currently in search for a label for a release in 2014.
Folky, with a bit of pop and obviously indie (indie-folk-pop), TLATW refuse to be labelled by a genre. All you need to know is that their music makes you feel like you’re on a summer camp. The one with the cabin in the woods, songs around a campfire, fields with daffodils and a big lake you would run out to and dive into after a long hike.
They use all kinds of instruments which create a chimey ring you will appreciate in Windows, The Stars And The Trees and White Days. There’s a ukulele and a violin in there, so you know it sounds good. Iron Doors has a familiar rock element to keep it home.
The song Venice has received incredible attention and has been remixed and features Chancellor Warhol (I know, who is that guy?). Well, it sounds like a combustible piece of Arcade Fire and M83 (but that’s just my interpretation).
The tone is very young-adult, past that teenage-coming-of-age drama. It just fits perfectly, without trying too hard to fit with any one person’s stage in life. If you were looking for a soundtrack to your life, you would want TLATW to compose it for you.
TLATW is currently on tour with musician Matt Pond. In the past they have shared the stage with Aussie group, The Temper Trap.
MTV described TLATW music as “Really cool melodic folk-rock… and a live show you’ve got to check out for yourself.”
But fame has not changed them, according to an interview with Cleveand.com, it looks like they are not making plans to leave Cleveland. “Cleveland is such a special city, especially growing up here, we would never leave. It is important to us, the people and places here have been so supportive of us.”