ALO

The music and magic of ALO (aka Animal Liberation Orchestra) shines vividly on their new album, Frames, on Brushfire Records. Frames embodies the spirit of a band riding a creative wave, sharing art through four unique windows, with a depth and character that feels fresh and vital. There is great joy in listening to this band of lifelong friends, as they playfully meld their distinct musical personalities into one cohesive and beautiful voice.

Inspired by the energy of their live performances, Steve Adams (bass, vocals), Zach Gill (vocals, keys), Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz (guitar, vocals), and Ezra Lipp (drums, vocals) entered a studio wonderland in the summer of 2024, alongside close friend and studio collaborator, David Simon-Baker (aka,“DSB”). Ten tracks were collectively born, exploring themes of connection and reflection, balancing optimism, humor, and emotion.

The concept of Frames emerged organically during the recording process. “The idea of frames – both literal and metaphorical – kept popping up in different ways,” says Gill. This theme is explored in tracks like the Lebo-penned future-pop-disco anthem “Space Between Frames,” which reflects on moments of clarity.

“So often we find ourselves trapped in a warp-speed life with frames of information coming at us faster than fire,” says Lebo. “Some of it’s inspiring and some of it’s scary, but it’s all so rapid paced that we just can’t keep up. The space between frames is about finding that quiet place without so much noise, where we can actually reflect on what we want to be and what we want to offer the world.”

The album’s first single and lead-off album track, “Blank Canvas,” written by Gill, sets the tone with its dreamy, feel-good anthem of optimism and adventure. “It’s about looking at the world with fresh eyes and leaving behind cynicism,” explains Gill. Adams adds, “Sonically and thematically, it felt like the perfect beginning. Bare and vulnerable, yet full of possibility.”

Of his own composition “Separated, Come Together,” Adams ruminates, “after many days of word-wrestling, I ended up with this simple little rocker, depicting a day on the town, people-watching, letting the mind untangle, getting lost in the stars and accepting that life’s connections are just a mess of rubber bands. A song about appreciating our moments together and trusting more will come.”

On “Rescue Our Demons” Lipp explains  “the song reflects the idea of not just confronting our darker instincts, but learning to live with them, even embrace them.” “Hey Hello (Tale Of The Twist and Shout),” another Gill composition, “was inspired by our 2024 summer tour of Colorado mountain towns and all the colorful characters who came out to dance and sing with us under the stars. It’s a greeting, a campfire conversation, and an ole’time-y hoedown.

“ALO is a California  rock n’ roll institution, going on over 30 years, and it is the most egalitarian band I have ever been a part of,” says Lipp. “I think that’s one of the reasons for its longevity.” ALO’s biography is a timeless, feel-good rock n’ roll musical love story. California natives Lebowitz, Adams and Gill joined forces in junior high in the ‘80s, stayed together throughout their years at UC Santa Barbara in the ‘90s, returned home to the San Francisco Bay Area in the ‘00s, and have cultivated a devoted following over the course of decades, keeping the band in high demand at venues and festivals worldwide. Ezra Lipp has held down the drum seat for over 7 years, with Frames being his second full length album with the band.

While all four members of the quartet spend time outside of ALO playing with luminary artists such as Jack Johnson, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Nicki Bluhm, it is within the framework of ALO that these four musicians really shine. Individually, each band member writes and sings, and together they create an eclectic yet accessible blend of heartfelt song-craft, dance-floor booty beats, and expansive improvisations. ALO is more than just a band, it’s the comfort of lifelong friendships, the spontaneity of late-night road trips and the discovery of treasures hidden in car seats, green rooms and buried voice memos.

Frames feels both old and new, fresh and classic. It’s a powerful and engaging statement and step forward for ALO. It’s a beautiful sounding record, with depth and character that balances the emotion, musicality and touches of clever humor in a new way for the group. It holds dreams in its folds, and possibilities in its frames. “Now we get to go out into the world with these 10 new songs, share them with people, and let them develop on stage,” says Lebo. “Getting to know them and letting them grow on the road is really exciting for all of us.

In a world obsessed with selfies and the claims of overindulged individualists, it’s a joy listening to this band of lifelong friends as they work together, playfully melding their distinct musical personalities into one cohesive and beautiful voice. A voice that is ALO.

The miles we travel make up the stories we tell. 

The soles of your favorite boots or the tread on your prized car’s tires soak up the experiences and wisdom of the road under your feet. Born in New England, based in Bozeman Montana, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Madeline Hawthorne pens the kind of tunes you listen to on a cross-country trek to start anew or in the dead of night when you just need a reminder that somebody’s listening.

In this respect, her 2024 independent album, Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives, serves as a fitting soundtrack to life’s trip.

“It’s the perfect road trip record,” she affirms. “It was mostly written while I was on tour. If the songs were written at home in Montana, I took inspiration from journal entries and memories of my travels. This is me stepping onto the stage with more miles under my boots. I’m giving into the moment and the melody to tell a story. It’s like eleven different versions of me—a woman I could have been, a woman I perhaps thought I was, and a woman I hope to be someday.”

Obsessed with music since her childhood on the East Coast, Madeline planted roots in Bozeman, MT during college and never turned back. She honed her talents through countless backup and band gigs before going solo amid the Global Pandemic. Balancing Americana, roots, folk, and rock, she introduced herself on the 2021 LP, Boots, co-produced by Brad Parsons and Tyler Thompson in Pittsburgh. In between, she shared the stage with everyone from Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson, Josh Turner, and Kip Moore to Sierra Hull, John Craigie, and Nathaniel Rateliff. Plus, she wowed audiences at festivals such as Treefort Music Festival (ID), Americanafest (TN), WinterWonderGrass (CO), Pak City Song Summit (UT), Roseberry Music Festival, (ID), and more. Earning acclaim for tracks like 2023’s “Neon Wasteland,” Relix applauded her “vibrant and buzzing.” Hawthorne has also caught the eye of CMT, who featured her “Neon Wasteland” video at CMT.com and she has received praise from tastemakers such as No Depression who says, “She’s been crushing rootsy tunes.”

Eventually, she decamped to Bear Creek Studios for ten days to record Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives alongside producer Ryan Hadlock [Zach Bryan, The Lumineers].

“I was fully immersed in the experience,” she recalls. “I went for a walk every day, wrote in my journal, and spent a nice amount of time with the spirits of artists who have worked there before me. I appreciate that Ryan put my acoustic guitar first in the arrangement. He felt it was important for listeners to hear the songs with the instruments of origin driving the vibe and feel of the music.”

You can hear this energy loud and clear on the first single “Chasing The Moon.” Bright acoustic guitar underlines pensive lyrics uplifted by piano and a steady beat. Her words resound with excitement as she observes, “That lonesome highway is my Hollywood Boulevard.” On the hook, she exhales, “You can’t change the way things are, but I’ll try again. I’ve got nothing left to lose chasing the moon.” 

“I wrote “Chasing the Moon” about my many late nights driving through Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado,” she notes. “It was born driving down Highway 191, going from Big Sky to West Yellowstone. Sometimes, I’ll pull over, get out of my car, and look up at the night sky. It’s powerful to stand in the quiet of the night and listen with your heart.”

Loose slide guitar mirrors the sway of her vocals on “Where Did I Go Wrong.” Her reflections ripple with raw emotion, “Pushed you away for the sake of a song, I need a drink, a moment to think, where did I go wrong?”

“The words you hear are the first words that came out of my mouth,” she goes on. “There are no edits. Although I’m happily married, I’d be lying if I told you this career path doesn’t challenge even the strongest of relationships. I never want to be that woman sitting alone at a bar wondering where she went wrong. It’s a good reminder to nurture a loving relationship.”

On the other end of the spectrum, “Night Ride” instantly intoxicates as she urges, “Roll me up like a joint and smoke me.” She remembers, “It’s about the time I had with my husband during the pandemic. It’s rare we get that much time together without a million things to do. It was a silver lining to an incredibly challenging period.”

The opener “Cold Shoulder” culminates on a wild guitar solo laced with organ. “The record starts off hot and heavy,” she goes on. “It’s a sequel to Boots, which ends with my songwriter character leaving her old self behind to step into a new form. It’s a sassy statement about where I am and how I feel as an artist and a woman.”

The LP concludes with the pensive and poetic “Long Drive To Bozeman,” which traces a map of her life so far. “It’s about my journey to Montana from New Hampshire when I was 18-years-old,” she notes. “I met a boy. We both had aspirations to move to Montana for school, so I drove him to college. Driving into Bozeman still stops my breath to this day. I wound up marrying that man and now we have a house in Bozeman with two cats, two dogs, and a garden. I followed my heart and it brought me home.”

In the end, Madeline is here for you on your journey.

“I’d suggest playing this in your car this summer on a long drive,” she smiles. “Sip your favorite beverage and spin the vinyl in your listening room—or turn it up to 11 and dance wildly around your kitchen. Wherever you are, I hope it gives you what you need. This is an album for the lovers, the wild children, and the ones who refuse to grow up too much. Adventure is always out there. Go on and take the leap.”