Southern rockers LANCO have released their highly anticipated album Hallelujah Nights, which follows their 4-song EP released in 2016. Hallelujah Nights was produced by award winning producer Jay Joyce (Little Big Town, Erich Church) and includes co-writes with many of Nashville’s top songwriters including Jeremy Spillman, Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne and Ashley Gorley. The band is made up of five members: Brandon Lancaster on lead vocals, Chandler Baldwin on bass, Jared Hampton on keyboard, Eric Steedly on guitar, and Tripp Howell on drums.
From start to finish, the album fully embraces the beauty of living life. Lancaster described the album in a press release: “We all go through more of the same experiences than we realize and songwriting is a process of observing those moments. Our stories have different people, different names, different places, but they all have the same emotions attached to them. It’s not fantasy-related. To me, this album is about glorifying the reality of life.”
The album has a common theme of love and the importance of a life well-lived. “Pick You Up” recalls a relationship that’s ended and symbolically uses a car to reconnect the memories shared by two people. “Singin’ at the Stars” begins with a beautiful instrumental intro and gradually turns into a rocking love song. “Win You Over” is a hopeful, upbeat ode to what could be and the what if’s early on in a relationship.
“Middle of the Night,” with its heavy harmonica, is a boot-stomping track that embraces young love and the freedom of forgetting about adult responsibilities. “Trouble Maker” has a quirky, groovy sound, and its lyrics admire the beauty of a woman.
Standout Tracks:
The anthem “Long Live Tonight” urges you to live in the moment and not allow distractions interfere with what’s going on around you. It reminds you to enjoy the moments as you’re living them, because once they are gone, there’s no getting them back. Key Lyrics: “One day, one day when we’re old, we’ll look back, look back and we’ll know we always kept our dreams alive, loved and laughed until we cried.”
“Born to Love You” is a tribute to the past and the road on which you’ve travelled. It references simple things such as Friday night lights and a childhood church, connecting those experiences with who you’ve become. Key Lyrics: “Born again in a church where the steeple’s white, preacher preached Brother John and my Mama cried. Meanin’ of life was in verse two, didn’t make sense till I found you.”
“So Long (I Do)” begins slowly then builds into a fast-tempo song that will have you singing along in no time. A nostalgic look back on memories made and shared. Memories of summer nights and fireworks come flooding back. The title track, “Hallelujah Nights,” perfectly completes the album, leaving you with a wistful feeling. It ties the album together nicely and drives home the message of living in the moment. Key Lyrics: “It’s been a while since I’ve seen your smile light up the night like fireflies, honey we’re too young to be sitting somewhere doing nothing, let’s get out there while we’re still young and wild. These are the hallelujah nights, these are the best days of our lives. The one’s we won’t get back, the one’s that go too fast. The one’s that make you feel like heaven might be right next to ya, throw your hands up hallelujah, these hallelujah nights.”
Characters are brought to life via song throughout the album. Connections are made from the very beginning, tying memories together and weaving a story that leaves you wanting to listen over and over again while getting lost in the music. Their songwriting and storytelling abilities are undoubtedly strong and this album showcases it. Catch LANCO out on the “Losing Sleep Tour” with Chris Young and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and their website. Hallelujah Nights is available here.
Hallelujah Nights Official Track Listing:
1. “Born to Love You” (Brandon Lancaster, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne)
2. “Long Live Tonight” (Brandon Lancaster, Jason Reeves)
3. “Pick You Up” (Brandon Lancaster, Jeremy Spillman, Ben West)
4. “Greatest Love Story” (Brandon Lancaster)
5. “We Do” (Brandon Lancaster)
6. “Trouble Maker” (Brandon Lancaster, Jay Joyce, Jeremy Spillman)
7. “Singin’ at the Stars” (Brandon Lancaster, Jeremy Spillman)
8. “Win You Over” (Brandon Lancaster)
9. “So Long (I Do)” (Brandon Lancaster, Melissa Fuller, Jay Joyce)
10. “Middle of the Night” (Brandon Lancaster)
11. “Hallelujah Nights” (Brandon Lancaster, Jay Joyce, Jeremy Spillman)