Caught in the Carousel

Loch Lomond

By Liz Imler

Although far from the body of water to which they owe their name, Oregon's Loch Lomond shares several similarities with their geographical equivalent. Scotland's Loch Lomond (the lake) is surrounded by nearly 60 islands and considered one of the largest lakes in Great Britain, while Portland's Loch Lomond (the band) holds vocalist and guitarist Ritchie Young at its core, with multi-instrumentalists Scott Magee and Jason Leonard, vocalist Jade Eckler, and bassist Dave Depper serving as the group's musical islets. Just as the lake's encompassing islands contribute to the vast beauty of the Loch Lomond landscape, each member in the band unveils the complexity of every arrangement as they play to Young's dynamic vocal range.

Loch Lomond

Born as the brainchild of Ritchie Young in 2003, Loch Lomond have since released two full-lengths and two EPs via In Music We Trust and Hush records, the latter serving as the former home of indie folksters, The Decemberists. Though line-up changes may disturb the flow of other artists' work, the ease with which the current quintet harnesses Young's humble yet strikingly powerful delivery is something to be awarded. With lyrics best compared to a Juan Rulfo novel or a Salvador Dali painting, Young intertwines meaning within the magically realistic stories he sings, all while the band strategically adds bells, viola, and delicately placed percussive beats to elevate the lead man's vocal and lyrical content.

Loch Lomond

Now, without further ado, please allow CITC to introduce one-sixth of Portland's folk heroes, Loch Lomond.

FULL NAME: Dave Depper

HOMETOWN: Portland, Oregon

WEBSITE: www.lochlomondmusic.com

RECORD LABEL: Hush Records

DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN ONE SENTENCE: Castrati unicorn lovemaking grooves.

PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: Playing to 4000 people in NYC the day after Obama won the election was pretty wonderful.

STRANGEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: It's all strange after a while.

THE SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN: "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" - Prince

FIVE MUSICIANS YOU ADMIRE: David Bowie, Prince, Talking Heads, Stevie Wonder, Emmit Rhodes

ALBUM YOU CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO: Currently anything Funkadelic-related.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A KID: Hyper, unhappy.

LAST TWO BOOKS YOU'VE READ: "Eating Animals" - Jonathan Safran Foer, "Chronic City," Jonathan Lethem. I only read books by Brooklynites named Jonathan.

THINGS WE'D FIND IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR: A bass amp. A bottle of Purell.

FAVORITE MUPPET WITH A BRIEF EXPLANATION: Gonzo. What is he?

HARDEST PART ABOUT BEING A MUSICIAN: Lots of work and little pay.

FAVORITE LATE NIGHT TV SHOW: I don't really watch much TV.

IDEAL BREAKFAST: Two eggs (sunny side up), two Morningstar veggie sausage patties, and one-half toasted bagel with plain cream cheese, please. People owe it to themselves to do the research on how important it is to eat a big breakfast.

DRINK OF CHOICE: Kombucha.

BEST ALBUM TO PLAY AFTER A BREAK-UP AND YOU'RE HOLDING A BOTTLE OF VODKA AND SOMETHING SHARP: I don't drink vodka.

INDULGENCE YOU REFUSE TO GIVE UP: Spinach artichoke dip.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: "Start as you mean to go on."

Loch Lomond