Today is Valentine’s Day, so it’s only right we spotlight indie band Loving today. Not only did the group drop their dreamy third album Any Light last week, but it’s on-theme for the holiday as it’s weaved together with moon-kissed ballads and poetic love letters.
The group, composed of David Parry and brothers Lucas Henderson and Jesse Henderson, have made a name for themselves with their billowing, twang-tinged love songs. The longtime friends-turned-band-members met in a chance encounter while planting trees in Western Canada, a hobby which eventually lay the groundwork for the group’s lush instrumentation.
Throughout the album, Loving spin together themes of dreams and light on tracks like the languishing “Blue” and tender “The Light In You.” Vocalist Jesse Henderson notes the themes weren’t intentional at first, but came to reflect the album as a whole. “When I looked at all of these songs together, I realized that the concept of light was threaded throughout the album,” he said in a statement. “For me, light signifies awareness or insight, which ties into how many of these songs document a shift in perspective.”
To celebrate the release of Any Light, Henderson sits down with Uproxx to talk Leonard Cohen, breakfast in bed, and foosball in our latest Q&A.
What are three words you would use to describe your music?
Blue, cloudy, painting.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Like when you find little tidbits of your old self in a desk drawer or coat pocket.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Leonard Cohen — mastery of language, feeling, poetic vision, delivery.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?
I have such a sh*t memory. I just ate breakfast in bed — toast with an egg, goat gouda, smoked paprika, a bit of sunlight.
Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.
Leonard again. He played for hours and with such energy and grace.
What song never fails to make you emotional?
“Goodnight Sweetheart” by Al Bowlly.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
Google translate, I’m presently in Germany and “alles gut” only gets you so far.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
We had this habit of bringing camp gear along on summer tours, it mainly just got in the way during load-in. The one night we decided to camp last summer we chose the Moab desert. We thought it would cool down at night and it did not. At all. Instead, we were slow-cooked and the next morning when we woke up, we discovered that while no one slept at all, everyone somehow managed to remain in complete silence. Silently suffering all through the night.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?
No favorites. Okay, Buenos Aires.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Don’t listen to me.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
Foosball.
If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?
There’s a lot of pressing causes to support and they all need more than one million dollars, they require real political intervention.
What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?
My mind doesn’t travel down this road. I’ve always been a bit of a teenager in this way, when everyone is on about something I tune out.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you.
Nina Simone, Chet Baker, Joao Gilberto, Leonard Cohen, Chopin.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?
Nobody.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
No tattoos.
What is your pre-show ritual?
Get really anxious, walk around like I’ve had too much coffee. Once we danced to some improv riffs with Casio beats and I think that’s the right direction.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Brad Pitt in Legends Of The Fall.
You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?
A Buddhist retreat, somewhere completely unknown to me, alone.
What is your biggest fear?
Wasting this precious life.
Any Light is out now via Last Gang/MNRK. Find more information here.
