The Welcome Wagon

Rev. Thomas Vito Aiuto and his spouse Monique, both originally from Michigan, shape the sound of Brooklyn-based Welcome Wagon by blending contemporary folk, gospel, and indie pop. The pair first appeared in 2008 via a debut album titled Welcome to the Welcome Wagon, produced by Sufjan Stevens, then kept developing their singular take on gospel across later releases Light Up the Stairs in 2017 and Esther in 2022.

Vito, raised in Michigan, underwent a spiritual awakening at age twenty that prompted a move to New Jersey and enrollment at Princeton Theological Seminary. Monique, likewise a Michigan native, departed her hometown following high school and eventually reached New York, where she pursued studies in art. Once married and settled in Brooklyn, the two transplants from the Midwest began performing hymns throughout their home. Despite no formal training, they composed multiple original pieces; the earliest appeared on the 2001 Asthmatic Kitty compilation To Spirit Back the Mews. The Aiutos persisted in creating their own songs, drawing assistance from fellow songwriter Sufjan Stevens, who enhanced their acoustic arrangements by adding horns and strings. That work yielded Welcome to the Welcome Wagon, the group’s first full-length record, issued in December 2008. Their next album, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, likewise incorporated Stevens’s contributions and surfaced on Asthmatic Kitty during summer 2012. After a fruitful crowd-sourcing effort, the third album Light Up the Stairs came out via Tooth & Nail Records in 2017. Following a five-year absence, the duo resurfaced in 2022 with the homespun, gospel-folk album Esther.