Featured Band: Lightning Love

Lightning Love is an organic group to say the least. The Michigan group grew out an effort between Leah and Aaron Diehl, with guitarist Ben Collins eventually signing on. The trio have been playing together since fall of 2007. Their full-length, November Birthday, took a while to record—with Collins eventually acting as producer (see Future Perfect Radio's interview with Aaron Diehl below). The group's music is haunting. Leah's vocals are unique, similar to that found in Let's Go Sailing or even Lykke Li. While the lyrical subject matter ranges into the dark and depressing, the overall feeling of the music never gets gloomy—there's always a shining ray of sunshine.

(Thanks to Twitter user @christinajacobs for turning us on to Lightning Love! Got a favorite band you'd like us to feature on Future Perfect Radio? Tell us on Twitter @fpradio)

Try If You Like: The Submarines, Let's Go Sailing, Lykke Li

Listen to Lightning Love on: Future Perfect Radio, Great Lakes Soundtrack, Twee-Pop

Interview with Lightning Love drummer Aaron Diehl)

Future Perfect Radio: How/when did Lightning Love start?

Aaron Diehl: Lightning Love was officially formed in the spring of 2007. Leah and I played a mixtures of both of our songs, accompanied by a boombox/drum machine. The first (and only) show went terrible, due to the boombox breaking on stage. Ben Collins was later recruited onto guitar, I moved to drums, and we began playing strictly Leah's songs in the fall of 2007. This is Lightning Love as everyone knows it.

FPR: Where do you draw your influences from?

AD: Leah draws influences from lots of different sources, from Blur to The Smashing Pumpkins. We all just play to, and influence, each other.

FPR: What was the record process like for November Birthday?

AD: The recording process for November Birthday was a long one. There are about 5 different versions of the album floating around in various studios in Ann Arbor. When nobody could get the sound we wanted, we decided to self-produce it - Ben is actually a sound engineering student at the University of Michigan. Mixing sessions were long and stressful, but...

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