LINES OF WILDFIRE

SINCE THEIR FIRST SHOW IN MAY, AMERICANA-BLUES-ROCK BAND LEY LINES HAS SKYROCKETED IN POPULARITY ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS, AND THEY’RE BRINGING US ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

WORDS / SOPHIA ORDAZ

PHOTOS / DEEPWOOD MEDIA

As the country tentatively embraces looser pandemic restrictions following the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, we can all think of that band or artist who welcomed us back to live music. For me, that was Ley Lines, specifically with their set at the Momentary in Bentonville in July. It was a typical Arkansas summer day, which is to say it was so humid the air felt like a wet wool blanket. Even sitting 100 or so feet away from the band, I could see sweat trailing down their faces and could count how many drumsticks drummer James Schlecte broke (at least four). Around me, clumsy children twirled like they were tipsy while their actually tipsy parents politely bobbed their heads (such restraint!). Containing my urge to get up and move to the music, I tapped my foot, the only thing anchoring me being the overpriced, sunset-hued margarita in my left hand and a pesky sense of social decorum, thanks to the plastic chairs provided for crowd control and social distancing purposes. (Let it be known, I will go to my grave believing that chairs have no place at rock concerts.)

The art critic Walter Benjamin observed that copies of visual art, whether they be photographs or print reproductions, lack the “aura” of the original work, which he defined as “its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be.” To extend his theory to music, my goodness, does live music have a somatic, even spiritual aura that is impossible to capture in a recording. As a concert-goer, the distance between you and the music is at its closest possible, and the knowledge that what you’re experiencing is unique—particularly true of Ley Lines, who have yet to release recordings—gives you the sense that you’re witnessing something historic or holy, or both. At that concert at the Momentary, Ley Lines brought listeners into their aura, grabbing them by their collars with heavy, dirty blues rock.

Ley Lines’s explosive live presence explains why word of the five-piece band has been spreading like wildfire across NWA. Though their first live show took place in late May, they’ve been asked to play nearly all of NWA’s top summer venues, including Nomad’s Trailside, Holcomb House, Prairie Street Live! and George’s Majestic Lounge—the last of which they filled to the brim, which is no small feat for a fledgling band.

The band may have only played shows together for a handful of months, but the four musicians—Joel Robertson (vocals, guitar), Jared Guinn (bass), James Schlecte (drums) and Valdimar Sigurdsson (keyboard)—have decades of combined playing experience, garnered from playing in church, marching and local bands together, including Drawing Blanks, Fight Dream, Moonsong and Circle of Thirds. Sigurdsson is schooled in classical music, and Guinn in jazz. From such an eclectic mix arises a homespun cocktail of southern musical traditions of blues, country and Americana. Enamored with Led Zeppelin, the five-piece send up rowdy blues rock, but in a split second they can pivot to covering Sturgill Simpson. Nicknamed “Animal” as a kid because of his heavy drumming style, Schlecte is the adrenaline-fueled heartbeat of the band, while Robertson serves as the soul. Like many excellent blues singers, when Robertson sings, it’s as if they tap into a collective well of ancient emotion; their voice feels too huge to be emanating from their slight, lanky frame.

From the first band practice in January, Robertson, Ley Lines’s main songwriter, knew the band was onto something special. The same weekend they debuted at Prairie Street Live! the band performed at Holcomb House, and interest snowballed organically. “I remember the first rehearsal we had. It was rough, but I immediately knew we were going to be good,” Robertson says. “I did not expect for word of mouth to spread so quickly … I knew Ley Lines had good songs, but I did not expect us to be this successful this quick.”

As vaccines became more available and public events grew safer, summer 2021 became an electrifying time to make music in NWA. Ley Lines count themselves as part of a wave of musicians waking the scene from its hibernation. “We’re trying to come up during the pandemic, but I think [the scene in NWA] is flourishing now,” Robertson says. “I feel like it’s kind of a renaissance. A lot of really cool new bands are popping up, and other ones that have been around for a while are being forced to revamp what they’ve been doing, go in new directions, and do new things, which I think is great and good.” Ley Lines have been rotating a collection of five songs in their setlists. Standouts include the crowd-favorite opener “Learn to Love It” and the nine-and-a-half-minute psychedelic roots odyssey that is “Lost.” The band has scheduled studio time to record an EP and expects to release it by the end of spring 2022. But, until then, you can only listen to Ley Lines live and in person. Their aura is beckoning.

// @LEYLINESOFFICIAL