Lord Huron – Time’s Blur and His Homeopathic Kind of Nihilism

Lord Huron’s latest album Vide Noir captures wide-open spaces and the spirit of travel, while Atwood Magazine spoke to lead singer/songwriter Ben Schneider about time’s passage and homeopathic forms of nihilism.

Lord Huron first emerged in Michigan in 2010 when singer/songwriter Ben Schneider formed the band. Since then, Lord Huron have gone on to gain immense success, producing two albums and an acclaimed film.

About the Band

Lord Huron, formed by Ben Schneider in 2010, has quickly garnered an enormous following thanks to its emotive music. Named for Lake Huron near Schneider’s home that he frequented as a child, Lord Huron’s songs evoke feelings of wandering and adventure in its listeners.

Lord Huron is more than just a band; its members collaborate in weaving a rich tapestry of characters, settings, and stories through songs, videos, and other projects that give Lord Huron its unique identity among musical peers.

Lord Huron began touring in 2012 after independently releasing two EPs titled Into the Sun and Mighty, their debut full-length record Lonesome Dreams was released via IAMSOUND Records in 2015. Following this success they signed with them once more in 2015 for Strange Trails before signing to IAMSOUND again later that year to release Vide Noir; their third full-length release to date.

Lonesome Dreams

Ben Schneider released several highly regarded EPs before embarking on his debut full-length album Lonesome Dreams with bandmates Miguel Briseno (bass) and Tom Renaud (guitar). This record channels wide open spaces with its blend of folk, rock, pop, Americana influences.

Lonesome Dreams showcases a more refined sound than Mighty. Gone are the heavy international influences from earlier EP releases in favor of a sleeker sound.

This album takes a more relaxed approach, featuring many tracks without drums but featuring Schneider’s haunting voice overlaid over music – giving this album its signature haunted quality and showing how far this band has come since their start in 2012.

Strange Trails

Lonesome Dreams received tremendous critical acclaim upon its release in 2009, yet Lord Huron fans (known as Travelers and World Enders) saw more in this band than just an album. Ben Schneider founded Lord Huron after working as an artist before founding Lord Huron; with Strange Trails coming soon as their sophomore release he continues his multi-media endeavors.

Strange Trails follows in the same tradition of its predecessor album in that it features powerful storytelling with an Americana flair. Schneider explores themes like freedom, love and hopefulness – all themes which she addresses poetically on Strange Trails.

One aspect that makes this album particularly noteworthy is the presence of an ensemble cast. Each song takes place within its own fictional world that Schneider has imagined and references them on later songs.

Vide Noir

Michigan native Ben Schneider is an exceptional storyteller, conjuring vivid fictional worlds for both Lonesome Dreams (2012) and Strange Trails (2015). In Vide Noir–named after drugs, characters, and music videos–Schneider continues his efforts at crafting complex characters with intricate narratives.

Vide Noir is an album filled with dark, hypnotic country nods and surf-rock-inspired guitar lines, creating an unsettling atmosphere that has drawn comparisons to The War on Drugs and Lana Del Rey while its dramatic thematic elements suggest an appreciation of rabbit-hole multimedia plotlines.

The band has earned a devoted following for their expansive live shows featuring travel-inspired folk sounds, led by Michigan native singer/songwriter Ben Schneider and fellow members Mark Barry (bass), Tom Renaud (guitar) and Miguel Briseno (drums). Live performances feature all instruments with the exception of horn sections which are replaced with additional percussion when the four-piece travels.