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Editor's note: KSL.com does a monthly feature on local musicians/bands in the community. If you have an up-and-coming band/musician in mind, feel free to email your submission to fjolley@ksl.com. Please include a contact email for the artist, if available.SALT LAKE CITY — Popular music has always been about finding something new — a new sound, a new style, a new look. But when The Lower Lights formed in 2009, they decided to take the opposite approach. Instead of looking to the future, they turned the past.
The group, made up of more than 30 musicians from throughout Utah and beyond, found inspiration in traditional hymns and spirituals and then made them their own. In the years since, The Lower Lights have released four albums of reimagined hymns and two Christmas records.
With dozens of players featured on the recordings and even more instruments — from banjos and mandolins to tubas and slide guitars — there is no shortage of ideas.
“When we come to a recording session, the musicians bring a variety of song and arrangement ideas. Some ideas shine immediately while others take some work,” said Paul Jacobsen, who plays guitar and sings in the band. “(Though) there's now a decent sense of what makes a Lower Lights song and what doesn't, we are constantly exploring what that means and broadening our borders. We don't get close to using all the ideas people come with, which is probably why we keep making albums.”
While the records are rooted in traditional religion, they’re not just for the traditionally religious. The band is not afraid to find gospel outside of the hymnbook as they tackle songs by Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder.
“We have tried our best to leave room for the listener in every song, every performance,” Jacobsen said. “In doing so, we've been lucky to have a lot of different types of people feel a sense of belonging in these songs.”
A Christmas tradition continues
The band is currently gearing up for its annual Christmas performances. What began seven years ago with one small show for about 250 people at the Post Theater at the University of Utah has grown to nearly a week of concerts at the 2,000-seat Kingsbury Hall. This year’s shows run December 5 -10 and tickets are selling out quickly.
The performances vary each night, as the band pulls from its deep catalog of holiday songs and also throws in a few of its non-Christmas tunes. Depending on the song, there are anywhere from two to 20 musicians on the stage.
“We have incredible musicians and singers, to the point where I think there's someone for every audience member,” Jacobsen said. “If you love fiddle, Ryan Shupe will blow you away. If you love gorgeous voices, we have some phenomenal singers. If you want some electric guitar, Dylan Schorer and Scott Wiley have you covered. Basically, we try to make it entertaining and moving and fun and unifying, however we can.”
The band is blown away by how popular the Christmas concerts have become and how many fans have made the shows part of their own holiday traditions.
Though he’s not sure exactly what keeps crowds coming back year after year — and some of them night after night — Jacobsen said, “My guess is that they feel some Christmas spirit and they feel part of something positive and moving, maybe nostalgic and spiritual. The fact that it has become a tradition for people blows my mind. It's not something we could ever have anticipated.”
Tickets for this year’s performances are available here.
