Music Blog

It's been over a decade since Ritchie Young and Rob Oberdorfer began what would become Loch Lomond in a NE Portland basement. The band, marked by its often pastoral, layered sound and Young's unique vocal range, released three full-length albums and a smattering of EPs during that time, while also scoring an opening tour slot with The Decemberists in 2008 and going through a number of line-up changes. In short, they've enjoyed more success than most bands launched in Stumptown basements, and certainly more than Young says he could have imagined.

The past couple of years have seen Loch Lomond exploring-- and flourishing in-- a new realm: Europe. Maybe it has something to do with the notion of The Old World-- the band's sound seems made to reverberate through ancient halls and over thousand year-old cobblestone streets. New fans from that world have obliged on those recent tours, as has Chemikal Underground, the Glasgow-based label started several years back by The Delgados, which released the White Dresses EP earlier this year and will do the same with Black Dresses come February.

Indeed, as this new video for "Your Eyes" from Hayley Young and Sean Donovan shows, Europe seems to suit them well. It suits them so well, in fact, that Loch Lomond have arrived at the novel decision to cease existing as a live band here on their home soil, although they've no plans to become expatriates just yet.

We talked to the band's Ritchie Young and Brooke Parrott about that decision, the differences between touring the two continents and their final U.S. performance (Friday night, Nov. 30th, at the Aladdin Theater with openers Black Prairie). They also introduced a new song from that upcoming EP, in two vastly different forms.

Audio Files

Tagged: video