Stuart McLamb Thomas Simpson Autumn Ehinger Eddie Sanchez Jordan McLamb Kris Hilbert
Past members
Christopher Hutcherson-Riddle Josh Pope Kate Thompson Missy Thangs Jeff Chapple BJ Burton Justin Rodermond Nick Sanborn Andy Holmes Ryan Gustafson Justin Williams Ian Lockey Carter Gaj Jodi Burns Skylar Gudasz Josh Moore Megan Glassman Paul Thornley Andrew Lessman Mark Connor
The Love Language began after frontman Stuart McLamb's first band, The Capulets, broke up. Following a breakup with his girlfriend, McLamb went on a drinking binge and then retreated to his parents' house, where he began recording a series of demos.[1] These songs were originally intended to be heard only by McLamb's ex-girlfriend and a handful of friends,[2] but the demos expanded into a full recording project.[3]
Music
McLamb's first album, The Love Language, was released under Bladen County Records. Recorded entirely by McLamb, the album caught the attention of fellow North Carolina rockers, The Rosebuds, who asked The Love Language to open for them. To play live, McLamb formed a band with Kate Thompson (keyboard), Jeff Chapple (guitar), Josh Pope (bass), Tom Simpson (drums), and his brother Jordan McLamb (drums, acoustic guitar).[3]
The Love Language was then signed to Durham-based Merge Records and released their second album Libraries in July 2010. Unlike the first album, Libraries[4] was recorded in a traditional studio with help from producer BJ Burton.
Burton was also recruited to play guitar while touring along with Missy, Jordan, Kevin, and Justin Rodermond (bass).
Songwriting and Recording
Stuart McLamb's songwriting often characterized as autobiographical, he pulls straight from his personal experiences. In various interviews, he discussed how tough times, like breakups, battles with alcohol, and feeling lost about where his life was headed, really influenced the early songs from The Love Language. Instead of trying to hide those moments, he wove them right into his lyrics and music. It became his way of working through those hard feelings and seeing them in a new light. This approach contributed to the emotionally direct quality and heartfelt vibe that critics often noted in the band’s early releases.[5]
McLamb has described his creative process as if he's painting a picture, focusing more on the act of making it than getting everything perfect. He has stated that each album captures a slice of where he was at emotionally and artistically when he recorded it, like a photo from that exact time in his life. As a result, chasing a uniform sound or slick production across records to sell more copies has not been his priority. Instead, shifts in style and mood from one album to the next are treated as he grows and life changes around him.[5]
In terms of making music, McLamb started out mostly doing it all by himself in the studio. He writes the songs, plays all the instruments, and layers them individually, rather than performed by a full band in real time. Even once he put together a group for touring and shows, he stuck with that solo recording style as a core part of how he works. The Love Language ends up feeling more like McLamb's personal recording project than a traditional band with set members. People just come in to help with gigs or certain sessions when it fits.[6]
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