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PROVO — Following the bedroom-recording artist trend of the 2000s, Corey Crellin started writing and recording songs privately in high school, but didn't release or publicly perform any songs until he moved to Provo around five years ago.
By meeting people with mutual interests, and collaborating with Emily Brown, who also has her own solo work, he created the music he had always envisioned, creating Porch Lights.
While in High School, Crellin discovered music that spoke to him and the music that still influences what he writes and creates now. Citing Broken Social Scene and Bon Iver as major influences, he also mentioned how the music that was played in his home helped him create his own sound.
"In Denver, in the house I lived in there was a lot of country music too, and not that my music is country at all, but I think it made me start leaning towards a more natural sound in my music," Crellin said.
These different influences can clearly be heard in the band's newly released album, "Caverns." Crellin's and Brown's voices and harmonies are comparable to Kevin Drew's and Leslie Feist's own singing in Broken Social Scene.
While playing mostly acoustic instruments found in roots music, "Caverns" also creates an intricate soundscape that may bring to mind the complexity of Broken Social Scene's music.
"There were quite of few contributors on the album," Crellin said about the recording process. "Stephen Cope who owns Studio Studio Dada, where the album was recorded, was a huge part of embracing the feel of the album with me and kind of going for cool majestic type sounding noises."
Crellin wrote all the songs and then collaborated with other artists on the album. He said the different musicians had creative freedom to allow them to bring their talents to the music.
These sounds and influences couple with Porch Lights' desire for making honest and real music that anyone can relate to. Crellin found inspiration from a variety of things while making the album, but two major inspirations for the album were Utah's natural beauty and a former relationship.
"A lot of the goal of the album was to be open and real," Crellin said. "To portray what I was experiencing or what I was feeling at the time. A lot of the songs are about loving someone, but loving them enough to know you shouldn't be with them."
Crellin attributes the band's growth to the music scene of Provo. Because of the number of bands in Provo, and the scene's spirit of collaboration, Crellin said, the community has been a huge support for these creatives.
For all musicians and artists, the path to success is a difficult one, and many never seem to be able to make it to a level of popularity they feel their music deserves. It can be a constant worry and stress for many, but Porch Lights keeps grounded by not worrying about success, and only focusing on the beauty of making music.
"We do this because we love music and we love sharing an emotional experience with people," Crellin said. "I think that helps us, because whatever success we reach as a band, it doesn't matter as much. Being happy is our main goal."
Porch Lights will travel to Chicago on Nov. 6 to play a Daytrotter session, which will be posted online. The band's music is available for listening and purchase at porchlights.bandcamp.com
