It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard new music from Detroit indie rock trio Bonny Doon, but after almost five years, the group is back with a brand new album that pushes their sound to great heights.
The album is called “Let There Be Music,” and that’s exactly what it is. After a long hiatus of not releasing music, that’s what Bonny Doon has done. Let there be music.
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We got to catch up with guitarist and vocalist Bill Lennox to talk about the new album, what the members of Bonny Doon have been up to and how working with Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee formed a musical partnership that will last a lifetime. Crutchfield even lent her voice to backing vocals on a lot of the songs.
Local 4: What was making this record like? I see that you guys aren’t all in Detroit anymore. Did that make it difficult being in different parts of the country?
Lennox: The last record was in 2018 and we were all still living in Detroit. Bobby moved to California for a few years, so we were doing these little retreats with each other. We had a lot of these little ideas and not complete songs. We really did a lot of experimenting and these little ideas that we came up with together. They eventually turned into the songs that are on the record.
Local 4: Why was there so much time between records? Did the pandemic have anything to do with it?
Lennox: It did, but we also all had some health issues that we were dealing with. Having these setbacks helped us heal and get through all of that. It made us a lot closer.
Local 4: This album sounds like there’s been a lot of growth since the last time you put music out. It sounds really mature and confident. Can you talk about finding this sound a little bit?
Lennox: That’s really good to hear, thanks. We’ve been a band for almost 10 years now, this is our third album, and you can hear the trajectory of us growing and finding our sound.
There is a lot of restraint, and very few effects. This is what our band sounds like in a room, and it’s the way we wanted it to sound. The layers were peeled back and the simplicity of what we thought were really good songs. It feels like the right evolution of our sound.
Local 4: I have to ask about your collaboration with Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee. Her 2020 album, “Saint Cloud,” got me through some really dark days of lockdown during the pandemic. I had no idea you guys worked on that album, and were her touring band in 2021. Tell me about your relationship with her. It feels like “Saint Cloud” and “Let There Be Music” almost have a connective tissue between them.
Lennox: She’s just the best. Katie has been orbiting our world for a while now. Bobby has known her for a long time.
When our second record came out, she was a big fan of ours and championing our band a lot. We went to Kansas City in 2018 on tour and she asked if we could be her backing band. We’ve done five tours together in the last few years.
Local 4: What was it like when she was recording “Sant Cloud?”
Lennonx: Recording that record was pretty life changing.
Local 4: Katie is just such a pro. Did you learn anything from her after spending so much time with her?
Lennox: Oh, absolutely. Working with someone at that level, who is so confident, it boosts you and makes you a better player. It made us a better band in the long run.
Local 4: I’m sure it’s got to be such a relief to get this record out. What are you most looking forward to once the tour starts?
Lennox: This feels like our first real US headline tour, and it pretty much is. We’ve done a lot of touring with supporting other bands like Snail Mail and Band of Horses, but we are just finally ready to get on the road and do our thing.
I’m also really excited to play some venues that we never have before. We get to play the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, and Thalia Hall in Chicago. These are iconic venues.
Plus, to see the fan base grow in this grass roots way is really fun to watch. It’s going to be a great time.
Bonny Doon’s tour kicks off Friday, June 16 in Detroit at MOCAD. Click here to get tickets.
To see if Bonny Doon is coming to a city near you, find their entire tour schedule by clicking here.
