The Crane Wives

The Crane Wives are an Indie rock band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They debuted in 2011 with their first album “Safe Ship, Harbored” with 12 tracks that gave the world a glimpse of how they would flourish with their future career. The band consists of 4 members, Emilee Petersmark on vocals and guitar, Kate Pillsbury who is also on vocals and guitar, Dan Rickabus on drums, and Ben Zito on Bass Guitar. If you’re interested in music like Yaelokre, The Cranberries, Or Mitski, I highly suggest listening to The Crane Wives. At the beginning of September 2024, they released a new album, “Beyond, Beyond, Beyond” which includes 11 beautiful tracks. My top song from this album is Arcturus Beaming. 

Arcturus Beaming in my opinion is the best most angelic song on this album. Arcturus Beaming is a song about searching for meaning and connection. The music video that goes along with this song is absolutely beautiful. It depicts a series of almost dreamlike scenes, in some moments it feels like this video is a fever dream. I noticed a lot of similarities between this music video and the coming-of-age psychological horror movie, I Saw The TV Glow. The bright colors in both give off an engaging vibe that drags watchers and listeners in. I would say that Arcturus Beaming is a way of The Crane Wives telling their fans to live their lives to the fullest and truly find themselves and not let time or anyone get in the way of who they truly are no matter what. The Crane Wives seem to know their audience and know what they might need to hear. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to see The Crane Wives on tour in Columbia MO in June of 2024. I can confidently say that was the best concert I’ve been to, even topping Paramore and The Smashing Pumpkins. All of the members were so incredibly kind, Pillsbury signed my double LP vinyl and had such a welcoming aura. I admire their creativity when it comes to their music videos and the passion they have for music in general. When they were performing you could feel their passion for what they do, it was mesmerizing.