There are many things that seemingly happen randomly over the course of one’s life. For the Denver-based band Banshee Tree, appreciating randomness and rolling with the punches are important for maintaining a good balance in life.
It’s the theme of the band’s song “Bright Blue Light”, which is featured on the group’s sophomore album Bad Luck, which was released last week independently via their own Banshee Tree Records. The song is about reflecting and finding optimism while searching for meaning in a world that seems chaotic, tempting, and built on chance.
The band filmed a spirited live version of the song in the studio around the time they were tracking the album, and we’re excited to premiere the video for you below:
“This song came together in 2022 as we were drafting and demoing this record,” lead singer and guitarist Thom LaFond tells SWT.
“It’s a nod to the beautiful randomness of life. When playing music, there are forces that come through that cannot be directed, only tuned into. It has an anthemic feeling and an arc of energy that peaks with a big saxophone-led outro. The song has become a staple of our live show.”
Banshee Tree also features Michelle Pietrafitta (drums/vocals), Jesse Shantor (keyboards/saxophone), and Jason Bertone (bass).
Together, the quartet creates a sound that, according to a press release, “blurs the lines between indie rock, jazz, roots and psychedelic pop, all with an accessible touch of an avant-garde edge. It’s expansive without losing melody and experimental without sacrificing emotional clarity.”
There’s everything from “immersive, melodic soundscapes to contemplative and mid-tempo offerings to dreamlike alt-folk to propulsive, adventurous arrangements.”
“Bad Luck is cohesive, but never predictable as it seamlessly moves from immersive soundscapes to contemplative mid-tempo reflections to rootsy Americana to dreamlike alt-folk,” the press release continues. “The album represents their true arrival and a fully realized work.”
“Bad Luck is a musical playground,” LaFond says via press release. “The drums and bass keep an almost salsa feel, while the vocals and saxophone glide over the cracks in the ethereal harmony. There’s a feeling of rhythmic forwardness that contrasts all the ambient layers. Lyrically, the theme is bad luck, and what you do with it. Do you shake it off, or do you curl into a ball? It all can be part of a path forward.”
“Bright Blue Light” is indicative of the album’s themes that explore the relationship between humans and the natural world, detailing what the press release describes as “moments of tension, beauty, and even warning. Throughout the album, there is a recurring sense of choice and transformation, examining how moments that feel ominous or uncertain can become gateways to growth.”
You can connect with and listen to Banshee Tree at the links below:
Their website: Banshee-tree.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/bansheetree
Instagram: Instagram.com/bansheetree
Spotify: Banshee Tree on Spotify
Bandcamp: Bansheetree.bandcamp.com
YouTube: Youtube.com/@bansheetree
Apple Music: Banshee Tree on Apple Music
Joshua is co-founder of Scummy Water Tower. He’s freelanced for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including: Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Guitar World, MTV News, Grammy.com, Chicago Magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, MKE Lifestyle, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, A.V. Club, SPIN, Alternative Press, Under the Radar, Paste, PopMatters, American Songwriter, and Relix. You can email him at josh@scummywatertower.com.
