The Lone Bellow is an American musical group from
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York City.
History
The Lone Bellow began as a songwriting project for Zach Williams, whose wife had suffered temporary
paralysis
Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...
following a
horseback riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
accident. During his wife's recovery, Williams coped with the experience by writing in a journal. At the urging of his friends, Williams learned how to play the guitar and turned his journal entries into songs. Following his wife's recovery, the couple moved to New York City.
![The Lone Bellow IMG 8479 (16618765410)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/The_Lone_Bellow_IMG_8479_%2816618765410%29.jpg)
Previously, Williams had been performing as a solo act around Brooklyn and New York City, occasionally being backed by a hired band. Williams recalls when The Lone Bellow's guitarist and old friend, Brian Elmquist met at Dizzy's Diner in
Park Slope
Park Slope is a neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn, New York City, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park and Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Aven ...
. Williams invited fellow singer Kanene Pipkin to join them at the diner, and it was then that the trio was initially conceived. Initially known as Zach Williams and the Bellow, the band shortened its name to The Lone Bellow before putting out any official releases. In 2012, the group signed with Descendant Records, a newly formed imprint of
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
, and released its self-titled debut, produced by
Charlie Peacock
Charles William Ashworth (born August 10, 1956), known professionally as Charlie Peacock, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, and author. His albums include ''Love Press Ex-Curio'', ''Arc of the Circle'' and ''No Man's L ...
, in January 2013. It was recorded at local NYC venue
Rockwood Music Hall
Rockwood Music Hall is a music venue at 196 Allen Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Owner Ken Rockwood, aka "The Professor", opened the establishment in 2005 as a small bar and music venue. Today, the venue features ...
over the course of three days.
The album appeared at No. 64 on the
''Billboard'' 200. ''People'' named it No. 8 of the Top 10 Albums of 2013 and ''Entertainment Weekly'' said it was "One of the top reasons to love country music in 2013". The album was featured on 10 different Best of 2013 year-end lists.
The band announced in early 2014 that they would be recording a new album with producer
Aaron Dessner
Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band the National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums; a co-founder of the indie ...
of
The National. The band released the first single from the album, "Then Came the Morning", which premiered on NPR's website on October 6, 2014. The band released a second single, titled "Fake Roses", which premiered on Stereogum on November 3, 2014. The album was released on January 27, 2015. Later in 2015, they toured the UK with
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Lee Musgraves (born August 21, 1988) is an American country singer. She has won six Grammy Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, and three Academy of Country Music Awards. Musgraves self-released three solo albums and one as Texa ...
and were nominated for an
Americana Music Award
The Americana Music Honors & Awards is the marquee event for the Americana Music Association. Beginning in 2002, the Americana Music Association honors distinguished members of the music community. Six member-voted awards and several Lifetime Ac ...
for Duo/Group of the Year on the strength of their album. In early 2016 the band members relocated to Nashville.
In 2017, Descendant Records partnered with
Sony Masterworks
Sony Music Masterworks (Sony Masterworks) is a record label, the result of a restructuring of Sony Music's classical music division. Before the acquisition of Bertelsmann's shares in the former Sony BMG, the label was known as Sony BMG Masterwor ...
to release the band's third album, ''Walk Into a Storm'', recorded at the RCA Studio A in Nashville, produced by
Dave Cobb
Dave Cobb (born July 9, 1974) is an American record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, best known for producing the work of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen and Rival Sons .
Cobb i ...
and released on September 15, 2017.
In 2020, the group released their second album with Dessner, ''Half Moon Light''. Their fifth studio album, ''Love Songs for Losers'', was released on November 4, 2022.
Members
* Zach Williams – guitar, lead vocals
* Kanene Donehey Pipkin – mandolin, bass, keyboard, vocals
* Brian Elmquist – guitar, vocals
The trio are regularly accompanied on bass and keyboards by Pipkin's husband Jason, who has also contributed to the band's songwriting.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Awards and nominations
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lone Bellow, The
Musical groups from Brooklyn