On August 29th, popular electric-folk band The Crane Wives will play the final show of Ann Arbor’s Sonic Lunch, the summer-time festival that featured over 20 artists over three months.
Musically and creatively, The Crane Wives are unapologetically emotional, turning deeply personal struggles and hard-earned experiences into relatable lyrics accompanied by fun or sometimes stripped-back instrumentation.
Led by members Emilee Petersmark (guitar/vocals), Kate Pillsbury (guitar/vocals), Dan Rickabus (percussion/vocals) and Ben Zito (Bass), the Grand Rapids-based band released two albums, “Coyote Stories” (2015)” and “Foxlore” (2016). Both of which earned critical praise for their progressive instrumentation and creative storytelling.
Throughout the 2020s, The Crane Wives have maintained a national touring schedule, bringing fans energy-filled renditions of their songs. While the group released several live albums, musically, they would only provide a sporadic host of singles, such as “Sowing Seeds” in 2019 and “The Well” in 2023, a song capturing moments of unspoken vulnerabilities layered by thick acoustic melodies and soft harmonies.
Their performance at Sonic Lunch, however, will mark the start of a new era for the group since it comes just weeks after the release of their latest singles, “Bitter Medicine,” “Arcturus Beaming,” and “Scars” which will serve as a precursor to their new album, “Beyond Beyond Beyond,” their first album in eight years.
Petersmark explains the album title comes from a line in their lead single “Arcturus Beaming.”
“This record is called ‘Beyond, Beyond, Beyond,’ and it is from a lyric in ‘Arcturus Beaming.’ We liked that because Arcturus is a big turning point in the record,” Petersmark said. “It’s the first song where you get that glimpse of the other side, that there is potentially more to the story than just being hurt and feeling pain.”
According to Rickabus, fans who attend the show will be in for a treat, as their Sonic Lunch performance will be the final performance before the release of the new album on September 6.
“It’s exciting to have that feeling of showing this is who we are now,” Rickabus said. “It’s exciting to show up with fresh energy and excitement that the fans have no idea what they are in for. For a majority of the new album, they have no idea what’s going to happen.”
Petersmark calls the album a showcase of growth, acknowledging that healing from trauma is part of its message.
“The platform has gotten so much bigger. I want to make sure that my messages are clear and appropriate. You’re trying to say more than this hurt me,” Petersmark said. “I feel like this new record is allowed more of that perspective of the grown-up Crane Wives, having gone through the hardships, having navigated a lot of the trauma, and not erasing that or saying that it doesn’t still hurt, but also saying there’s this extra thing that can also exist, which is hope for things getting better.”
For their upcoming performance happening at the corner of Liberty and Division in downtown Ann Arbor, the band said they were excited to perform in Ann Arbor, calling the city a musical joy.
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“Ann Arbor is one of those cool, underrated music spots. I think people like music a lot there. People come to listen, and they come for the overall performance experience,” Petersmark said. “It’s always like such a joy to perform for an Ann Arbor audience.”
Regarding what fans should expect, The Crane Wives will be coming off a two-week run of shows, so expect what Rickabus calls “energetic fun.”
“We’re going to be a little fried, but that always lends to a lot of fun unpredictability, so I bet the energy will be good, ”Petersmark said. “We’ll be tight from two weeks of playing together. And I believe that we will put on a kick-ass show.”
For more information on The Crane Wives upcoming performance from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., visit the Sonic Lunch website.
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Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. His coverage of music festivals and interviews with local celebrities appeared in The E-Current Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, RichMagDigital, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.
