Michigan-based indie folk rock band The Crane Wives will perform in Oklahoma City Monday, marking the band’s second time in the Sooner state.
The four-person band got its start in 2010 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Vocalists and guitarists Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury, a duo at the time, befriended drummer Dan Rickabus, bassist Ben Zito and former banjo player Tom Gunnels. Initially a friendly musical rivalry, the group eventually put their musical talents together.
“I think that somewhere along the way, we realized that (rivalry) was really stupid,” Pillsbury told OU Daily. “We joined forces and we started putting it together, and we never looked back.”
The Crane Wives have been producing music since their formation, but began finding their audience around 2022. Around this time, previously released albums such as “Coyote Stories” and “Foxlore” hit their stride, heightening the band’s popularity.
Known for their lyricism and intricate harmonies, The Crane Wives are influenced by artists such as Radiohead, Hozier and The War On Drugs. Despite the band’s rise to fame, its members have stayed true to their writing style while moving outside their comfort zone with their newfound audience.
“I think for me, I had to have this mini reckoning of like, ‘Wait a minute, what do we do now that we have this huge following?’” Rickabus said. “We've always just tried to be as authentic as possible and try to create the song as naturally as possible.”
Released on Sept. 6, “Beyond Beyond Beyond” is the band’s first album since 2016. Evolving their sound in new ways, the band released the single “Arcturus Beaming,” in June, a hopeful piece about balancing grief and gratitude while looking to the future.
“I think societally, we're kind of at a point where a lot is changing, and there's a lot of tension and conflict in the world,” Pillsbury said. “‘Arcturus Beaming’ kind of has some of that energy where it's … imagining some sort of radical change and radical hope.”
"Beyond Beyond Beyond" album cover.
Monday marks the band’s first return to Oklahoma since performing at Lions Park in 2017 as part of The Depot’s Summer Breeze Concert Series.
“Our only experience with Oklahoma was really good,” Pillsbury said. “Oklahomans seem really nice.”
Monday’s show, set to be held at Tower Theatre, will be the band’s second stop on its album release tour and is shaping up to be a high-energy mix of old favorites from previous albums and songs from the new album.
“It's really exciting for this particular tour to play a lot more of ‘Beyond Beyond Beyond,’” Rickabus said. “It's really fun to play them because they feel really fresh to us.”
Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps, another Michigan-based indie artist, will open the show.
“Beyond Beyond Beyond” is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. The show will begin at 8 p.m. Monday at Tower Theatre, at 425 NW 23rd St. in Oklahoma City. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online.
This story was edited by Shelby Emery. Andrew Paredes and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
