Photo Credit: Mark Eddy

We Found a Lovebird – Five Questions With

Jenna Melanson·September 26, 2024

Vancouver Alt-Rock Outfit We Found a Lovebird Share Breezy and Positive New Single “100%”

We Found a Lovebird excels at trance-like chiming rock. Since 2009, they’ve released three albums, one EP, and eight singles with highlights including a Polaris Music Prize nomination and radio support from CBC and KEXP. Since 2020, they’ve released seven singles from their upcoming long player With Friends Like These.

Despite their Western roots, We Found a Lovebird often have Halifax tastemaker David Boyle reaching for New York comparisons, evoking Television on 2019’s Deluxe Hotel and a more tuneful Richard Hell & the Voidoids here, or perhaps the likes of Lloyd Cole, post-Commotions when he, too, was a New York resident. What it all adds up to is the enduring magic of a rock & roll four-piece with elegant guitar interplay, topped off with evocative lyrics.

The latest track, “100%,” evokes a bouncy, positive vibe with nods to 80’s rock groups like The Smiths and Prefab Sprout. “100%” came about from a finger-picked melody by guitarist Kerry MacPherson, which frontman Larry Lechner realized filled out an old unfinished song he had.

First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Larry Lechner and I’m the singer and principal songwriter in We Found a Lovebird.

Tell us a bit about your recent release.

Guitar player (Kerry) came in with a sweet little finger-picked melody and I realized that an old song I never finished laid right over top of it. It’s got a bit of an 80’s Smiths/Prefab Sprout vibe going on which is a departure for us, so that’s always nice.

How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?

I’ve written 100s of songs and I’m so close to all of them that it’s hard to stand back and generalize. What does seem to recur is references to other artists, the moral conundrums of everyday life, and the ever-present possibility of love. For instance, in this song, the ‘poet’ I’m referring to is Leonard Cohen, who basically embodies all those things. I imagined Leonard Cohen waiting tables cuz he was so broke but he was still writing his ‘dark fables’.

Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?

We’re all looking forward to getting back out there live, for sure. Our new vinyl album With Friends Like These just came out and it features a couple more singles yet to be digitally released. We’ll be pushing those out over the coming months, so watch for that!

Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?

Well, without a doubt getting nominated for a Polaris Music Prize in 2016 was a huge highlight for us. Never saw that coming. Still scratching my head.