Biography
Emerging initially as an offshoot from Vancouver heavy rock institution Black Mountain, the dark and synth-friendly indie rock duo Lightning Dust eventually shifted into the members' main endeavor. Their atmospheric and brooding rock sound evolved across multiple releases, incorporating greater electronic influences on the 2013 album Fantasy, the 2019 album Spectre, and the 2023 album Nostalgia Killer.
Amber Webber and Joshua Wells, both founding members of Black Mountain, established Lightning Dust during the mid-2000s. On the self-titled 2007 debut the pair adopted a subdued and folkier style that stood in contrast to Black Mountain's loud and sinister guitar rock. While maintaining activity in both groups they issued the elegant and meditative follow-up Infinite Light in 2009. Curator Matt Groening selected them to appear at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in 2010. Fantasy, their third album, surfaced in 2013 and signaled a move toward minimal electronic beats, with synth textures enhancing the group's sophisticated songcraft. Webber and Wells withdrew from Black Mountain in 2017 so they could devote themselves to Lightning Dust exclusively. They devoted much of the subsequent year to composing and polishing Spectre, an album that explored more experimental directions within their electronic framework, before issuing it in late 2019. A planned tour alongside David Berman's post-Silver Jews project Purple Mountains collapsed after Berman's death only months prior to the scheduled dates.
After more than a decade together romantically, Webber and Wells ended their personal relationship later that year, placing Lightning Dust on hiatus. The two ultimately chose to sustain their creative partnership and tracked their fifth album separately from home studios. With contributions from guitarist Rob Butterfield and violinist Meredith Bates, Nostalgia Killer appeared in 2023 and presented an inventive, inward-looking collection of potent synth-rockers.
Amber Webber and Joshua Wells, both founding members of Black Mountain, established Lightning Dust during the mid-2000s. On the self-titled 2007 debut the pair adopted a subdued and folkier style that stood in contrast to Black Mountain's loud and sinister guitar rock. While maintaining activity in both groups they issued the elegant and meditative follow-up Infinite Light in 2009. Curator Matt Groening selected them to appear at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in 2010. Fantasy, their third album, surfaced in 2013 and signaled a move toward minimal electronic beats, with synth textures enhancing the group's sophisticated songcraft. Webber and Wells withdrew from Black Mountain in 2017 so they could devote themselves to Lightning Dust exclusively. They devoted much of the subsequent year to composing and polishing Spectre, an album that explored more experimental directions within their electronic framework, before issuing it in late 2019. A planned tour alongside David Berman's post-Silver Jews project Purple Mountains collapsed after Berman's death only months prior to the scheduled dates.
After more than a decade together romantically, Webber and Wells ended their personal relationship later that year, placing Lightning Dust on hiatus. The two ultimately chose to sustain their creative partnership and tracked their fifth album separately from home studios. With contributions from guitarist Rob Butterfield and violinist Meredith Bates, Nostalgia Killer appeared in 2023 and presented an inventive, inward-looking collection of potent synth-rockers.
Albums
Nostalgia Killer
2023
Wrecked
2023
Different War
2023
Material Life
2020
Spectre
2019
Fantasy
2013
Infinite Light
2009
Lightning Dust
2007
Singles
