The Lone Bellow’s sixth studio album, What a Time to be Alive is more than just a self-portrait; it’s also the start of a whole new journey. With founding trio Williams, Brian Elmquist, and Kanene Pipkin along with drummer Julian Dorio and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Geertsma, the songs are earnest and poignant, full of ruminations of innocence, loss, and the mysteries of love, and the performances are rapturous to match, balancing raw, rock and roll swagger with tender, folk sincerity. While much is familiar — the band’s trademark lush harmonies and infectious hooks haven’t gone anywhere — it’s impossible not to sense the new horizons at play, to feel the palpable chemistry fueling these blissful, freewheeling celebrations of the human spirit in all its mixed-up, bittersweet beauty.

When it came time to write What a Time to be Alive, the band started in Henderson, KY, where producer Peter Barbee had converted an abandoned firehouse into a recording studio. There, they tapped into the playful energy of their soundchecks on the road, improvising a series of instrumental beds they could later write lyrics to. They headed to Muscle Shoals, AL next, to record the new material, tracking the foundation of each song live in the same room together before splitting off for intensive vocal and harmony workshopping. “We wanted to shake things up and try a new approach this time around,” says Elmquist, who took the lead in producing the album. “People just sat at whatever instrument they were feeling, and then we’d jam until we had a song. It felt like we were teenagers again playing in a garage, which is a magical thing for a band that’s 15 years into their career.”

The band soon hit a devastating twist of fate not long after when their van was broken into while out on tour, and amongst their equipment, gear, clothes, and other valuables, lost the hard drive that stored all their new recordings. The theft immediately set them back to square one with the album. When word got out, the band’s diehard fanbase stepped in, raising enough funds to replace their stolen equipment and get the group back into the studio within hours. It was a humbling experience that motivated them to push even harder, be more honest and brave and present, and record their best album yet for their devoted community of fans that have supported them over the past decade. What a Time to be Alive is a testament to the enduring bonds their music has forged, both on the stage and in the audience.

What a Time To Be Alive is available to order here on limited edition green colored vinyl LP (available exclusively at indie record shops) and on CD. While supplies last, all copies of the vinyl are signed by the band.

Preorders placed for local pickup are available in store as of Friday, February 13th.

Preorders for store pickup will be held for three months after release date. Please pick up your copy of What a Time To Be Alive no later than May 13th.