Indie rock group The Lighthouse and The Whaler is set to stop in Chicago on Oct. 13 at Schubas Tavern, 3159 N. Southport Ave., promoting its debut album Mont Royal, released Aug. 28. 

The Cleveland-based band’s frontman, Michael LoPresti, started making music in 2008 with friends who would later join the group, including his brother Matthew LoPresti on drums, Mark Porostosky Jr. on mandolin, keys and synths, and Ryan Walker on bass and synths. After two independent albums, Mont Royal is the band’s first release with a label, Roll Call Records. LoPresti , the band’s frontman, lead vocalist and electric guitarist, spoke with The Chronicle about the band’s current tour, its latest album and the backstory of

its name.

 

THE CHRONICLE: How did you name your band?

MICHAEL LOPRESTI: It comes from the book “Moby Dick” [by Herman Melville]. The name is a metaphor for knowing what your destiny is and running into it, regardless of how hard or difficult it may be.

 

 How is Mont Royal different from your past albums?

We wanted to make this album bigger—the soundscape more expansive—and delve into being better songwriters and make a full album [where] we felt each song complemented itself and built as it went.

 

Are there any songs that you feel really connected to?

“Under” is definitely one of my favorite songs by far. It was one that we started making the album [with]. “We Are Infinite” would also be a personal song I feel connected to.

Who writes your songs? 

I write the skeleton to the songs, but we all contributed in some way.

 

How long did it take for you to complete Mont Royal?

 We wrote it [in] about a year, and then we went to the studio this past February and spent six weeks in Montreal recording the whole thing. 

Where to you pull inspiration from for your music?  

All over the place—experiential. I believe music is closely attached to experience, and it is cyclical. Everything you do in your life has some sort of weight to it that you carry.

 

How would you describe your music?                                                                                                                                    Expansive without being too epic, but intelligent without being pretentious.

What is something unexpected or funny that has happened on tour?                                                                                                       We tend to have this habit of our van breaking down at least one time on every tour. We broke down in the middle of nowhere, Texas. We were in “The Hills Have Eyes”—it was that kind of place. These dogs came and attacked Matt [LoPrenski] and he dove in the window of the van. We had a lot of fun and were very alert. We were there for three hours waiting for the tow truck. I think with tour you have to appraise every situation.

What do you want people to get from your music? 

I don’t want to tell anybody how they should feel, but I hope people leave feeling like they have gained hope or inspiration, and that there is more to life than the existence they find themselves in. You don’t have to worry too much about the little mundane things. There’s something bigger that we can all get behind.