A New Chapter in Lovespirals’ Evolution
Long Way From Home feels like a road trip through memory; dusty Americana landscapes, shimmering dream pop horizons, and the emotional weight of distance and longing. Few albums capture a moment in time quite like it. This wasn’t just a collection of songs; it was a testament to artistic evolution, a celebration of independent spirit, and a masterclass in leveraging emerging technologies to reach a global audience.
By 2007, Lovespirals had spent nearly a decade refining their distinctive fusion of dream pop, folk, blues, and jazz. Their third album, Long Way from Home, represented a seamless integration of their earlier ethereal and downtempo explorations with a more organic, Americana-infused approach. The duo—comprising vocalist Anji Bee and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lum—crafted an album that award-winning podcaster C.C. Chapman called Lovespirals’ best work to date. Lum also proclaimed, “This is my finest work, bar none.”
Released on CD in late October 2007 by the band’s own Chillcuts label, with digital distribution by reapandsow, inc., Long Way From Home marked Lovespirals’ second full-length independent release. Earlier that year, reapandsow, inc. had also handled the digital release of the Motherless Child EP, giving fans an early taste of what was to come.
Blending Styles: The Sound of Long Way from Home
Where Free & Easy had seen Lovespirals embracing electronic textures alongside organic instrumentation, Long Way From Home leaned further into the organic, emphasizing guitar-driven songwriting and Bee’s captivating vocals. The result was an album that felt both intimate and expansive, melancholic and hopeful — a reflection of the band’s own journey. “We’re using the same techniques, but we’re trying to make more acoustic records with the same gear,” Lum explained in Re:Gen Magazine. His vision for the album was deeply rooted in a love for analog warmth:
“A lot of recording engineers consider the early to mid-70s the golden era of recording. They can’t make records sound as good as that anymore, even though they have all this really high-tech gear, so we’re trying to go for that. We’re trying to make an audiophile kind of record, to really focus on recording, the mic placement, the signal flow, the gear, the pre-amps, stuff like that, to make a really nice-sounding record. A lot of inspiration came from the ‘70s across the board: the music, the recording techniques, and the production.” (Re:Gen Magazine, 2007)
Bee echoed this sentiment, describing the album as another chapter in Lovespirals’ ongoing balance between modern production and vintage influences.
“There’s always been a sort of tug of war in Lovespirals between jazzy electronica and folky rock. Each of our releases has come upon a different solution to this tension between the modern and vintage sides of our musical personalities. On the one hand, we both love the old vinyl albums we grew up with as kids, but on the other, we’re drawn to contemporary music and production techniques. The thing is, just because we’re using computer-based recording techniques doesn’t mean our music has to sound like it was made with a computer, you know?” (iProng Magazine, 2008)
This philosophy shaped Long Way From Home, from its lush instrumentation to its intimate vocal production. Lum broke down the recording process to Gearwire, providing insight into the technical side of the album:
“Long Way From Home was recorded on our Pro Tools 24 system, which I’ve had for all three albums. Anji’s voice was recorded through our Blue Baby Bottle microphone — the OG one— that goes through our Universal Audio Solo 610 mic pre. Her voice is typically processed with a little bit of compression on the way in with the DBX 160 XT, a little bit of Pro Tools compressor, and then outboard it goes to our lovely PCM70 reverb, which I will not ever give up using. My guitars are varied, many different ones: Les Paul, Strat, Telecaster. “This Truth” has a lot of Strat —typically a Fender American Strat— going through my 1968 Fender Bassman tube head, and then it goes from there into an old Univox amp where I’m not using the amp, I’m just using the old Chicago Jensen speaker out of it, so I have a total ‘60s amp setup.”
The result was a collection of songs that painted rich emotional landscapes, blending bluesy Americana with Lovespirals’ signature dream pop aesthetic. Each track offered its own sonic journey, from the haunting slide guitar of “Motherless Child” to the introspective warmth of “This Truth.”
Matthew Johnson of Re:Gen Magazine described it as:
“The duo’s most intimate album, forsaking house beats and jazz flourishes for understated slide guitar and acoustic strums. It captures Lum and Bee’s warm musical chemistry in a way that previous releases only hinted at.”
The Tracklist: A Journey Through Americana Landscapes
- “Caught in the Groove” – A dreamy blues track with echoes of early ‘70s country-rock that quickly establishes the album’s direction. MusicTap called it “a career-best blues song, with captivating lyrics and extraordinary guitar work.” All Music Guide described it’s “resplendent variety” composed of “a gentle, echoed percussion flow that sounds like late eighties Cocteau Twins, twangy guitars and piano that suggests majestic early seventies country, and Bee’s coolly sweet vocals calling to mind crooners from an even earlier time.”
- “Empty Universe” – A hauntingly beautiful song recalling the Western inspired side of Windblown Kiss with acoustic guitar, hushed vocals, and splashes of Lum’s signature dream pop guitar and Bee’s angelic high harmonies for emphasis. Anji Bee described it as “compact, even a bit spare by our standards.”
- “Treading the Water” – A melancholic Mojave 3-esque song with bluesy harmonica, stately piano, and rich harmonies. AllMusicGuide praised its “wheezing guitar & harmonica background,” while Re:Gen noted its Western Americana influence and “floating background harmonies.“
- “Once in a Blue Moon” – A slow burning, jazzy, blues song that recalls some of Lovespirals’ earlier work, the duo performed this song twice in 2006 (with Michael Plaster’s band, Mr. Meeble, in Phoenix, and at their Blue Cafe show in Long Beach), it was also included it in their 2007 acoustic set in SecondLife.
- “This Truth” – A deeply personal love song celebrating a decade-long relationship, it’s a mid-tempo Rhodes-driven number with warm, soulful vocals, bluesy guitar licks, and an upbeat vibe. This second album single received two remix packages, one of them chart-topping.
- “Motherless Child” – A haunting reinterpretation of the traditional spiritual, influenced by Billie Holiday and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode. Bee’s soulful vocals and Lum’s slide guitar lend the track a ghostly, melancholic beauty. This was the album’s first single, released months ahead of the album, as part of a remix package.
- “Sundrenched” – A nod to their Love Spirals Downwards roots, this ethereal song was praised by Re:GenMagazine for its “hint of the ethereal dreaminess of Love Spirals Downwards.” MusicTap agreed that it recalled “the past musical history of the band.”
- “Nocturnal Daze” – A minimal, beat-less song with “relaxed acoustic strums highlighting jazzy piano chords,” as ReGen described, and “bluesy guitar” with “a distinct ’70s feel,’ as noted by MusicTap. Bee said Lum’s Rhodes melodies, “ended up giving it a bit of a Zero 7/Air feel. I likened the sound to Trip Hop without the beats.”
- “Lovelight” – An upbeat 70’s inspired track infused with spiritual introspection, featuring a laid-back groove and uplifting lyrics. AllMusicGuide noted its “sudden low-key funk,” calling it “very thrilling.”
- “Lazy Love Days” – The album’s sensual closer fully embraces Lovespirals’ signature dream pop aesthetic. Music Tap called it “excellent musically and lyrically sex-soaked,” and one of the tracks that “recall the past musical history of the band.” In Chillin’ with Lovespirals , Lum declared, “I think it’s our best song that we’ve made.”
Lyrical Themes: Reflection, Longing & Renewal
Beyond its rich instrumentation, Long Way From Home is deeply introspective, exploring themes of love, uncertainty, nostalgia, and personal growth. Compared to the bittersweet longing of Windblown Kiss or the self-assured optimism of Free & Easy, this album embraces a more contemplative, sometimes wistful tone—examining relationships, time, and existential musings with poetic nuance.
The Emotional Weight of Distance and Longing
A palpable sense of distance and longing permeates Long Way From Home, adding a layer of emotional weight to the album’s introspective nature. This isn’t merely physical distance, but a deeper emotional and spiritual yearning. This theme manifests in several ways:
Spiritual Longing and Existential Questions:
Perhaps the most haunting track, “Motherless Child,” taps into a deep-rooted sense of spiritual yearning and displacement. A reimagining of the traditional spiritual, Bee’s rendition echoes the pain of longing for home—both literally and metaphorically:
“Sometimes I feel like a motherless child / A long, long ways from home”
Meanwhile, “Lovelight” takes an introspective turn, offering a more philosophical perspective on human suffering and the search for inner peace:
“Our time on Earth is so short/ But our suffering is long/ We all sense secretly/ There’s somewhere else we belong”
Uncertainty and Longing: The Search for Meaning:
While some tracks revel in the comfort of love, others capture its fragility and the existential uncertainty that often accompanies it. “Treading the Water” plays with the metaphor of love as an act of endurance, questioning whether to hold on or let go:
“I’m down for the count/ Time running out/ Treading the water”
Similarly, “Once in a Blue Moon” reflects on the fleeting nature of truly feeling alive, set against the backdrop of passing time:
“Once in a blue moon you feel really alive/ Most of the time we just cover our heads and hide”
This sense of searching—whether for meaning, connection, or reassurance—threads through much of the album, giving it an introspective depth that resonates with listeners.
The Passage of Time: Nostalgia and Change:
Several songs on the album explore the passage of time and the ways it shapes our emotions and experiences. “Nocturnal Daze” delves into the hazy, surreal quality of dreams and memory, blurring the lines between past and present:
“Why do these people follow me/ Through my nocturnal daze?/ Mix up the year, mix up the place/ Mix up the name and face”
Similarly, “Sundrenched” plays with the contrast between light and darkness, longing and uncertainty, as Bee sings:
“Sundrenched afternoon/ Waiting for a word from you/ Dust motes cloud my eyes/ Diamond tears I cry”
These lyrics encapsulate the album’s central emotional theme: the struggle to make sense of love and identity in the shifting landscapes of memory and time.
Love and Devotion: The Strength of Connection
At its heart, Long Way From Home is also an album about relationships—the push and pull of love, the struggle for clarity, and the comfort of deep emotional bonds. “This Truth” stands as a heartfelt testament to unwavering love and commitment:
“And she will never take away from that / No, there’s nothing she can say or do/ To take away this truth/ That you belong to me and I belong to you”
Meanwhile, “Lazy Love Days” captures the warmth of intimacy in its most blissful, unguarded moments:
“The touch of your hands / Soothing my soul / With your caress / I am made whole”
These songs serve as emotional counterpoints to the album’s more melancholic reflections, grounding it in themes of enduring love and connection.
This balance of sorrow and hope, longing and renewal, is what gives Long Way From Home its emotional resonance, making it one of Lovespirals’ most lyrically compelling albums to date.
Pioneering The Podcasting Revolution: Connecting with a Global Audience
Just as Long Way From Home explored themes of connection and distance, Lovespirals used podcasting to bridge the gap between artist and audience, fostering an intimacy that extended beyond the music itself.
Anji Bee, a recognized voice in the podcasting world, played a pivotal role in this strategy. Her established platforms, including The Chillcast with Anji Bee on PodShow, provided a natural avenue for showcasing Lovespirals’ music. But their approach went beyond simply sharing tracks; they actively engaged with the podcasting community, participating in interviews, contributing to the Podsafe Music Network and other online music sites, and even creating their own podcast, Chillin’ with Lovespirals.
Bee’s presence in the podcasting space was undeniable. Podcast Junky ranked her as the 6th most recognizable voice in podcasting, describing her as:
“Sultry with a voice like syrupy silky satin with a marshmallow middle and a honey topping. She could tell you to go to hell and you’d look forward to the trip! I reckon Anji’s voice wouldn’t be out of place in a smoky jazz or blues bar down in a dimly lit cellar.”
Anji Bee’s influence extended beyond music promotion. From September 27-30, 2007, Bee and Lum attended the New Media Expo in Ontario, where Bee accepted a People’s Choice Podcast Award for her work as a co-host of the all-female PodShow talk show, ShowGirls, alongside The RumorGirls, Soccergirl, Cali Lewis, Share of Rock n Roll TV, and The PodChick. The sheer scale of the 2007 Podcast Awards—with over 335,000 people casting over 6 million nominations—underscores the significance of this recognition. This was the third year of the listener-nominated and voted awards, and the second year they held an awards show, marking a huge achievement. PodShow founder Adam Curry accepted the award alongside the cast, solidifying Bee’s role as a leading voice within the rapidly expanding podcasting community. This recognition, achieved during the burgeoning podcasting era, highlighted Lovespirals’ strategic integration of new media for their music promotion.
This high level of engagement allowed Lovespirals to tap into a dedicated audience of music enthusiasts, build relationships with influential podcasters, and create a sense of shared discovery. It also gave them direct access to key platforms that could showcase their music to a global audience. Recognizing this potential, Lovespirals strategically aligned their album promotions with the podcasting world, ensuring that Long Way From Home reached listeners far beyond traditional music distribution channels. This strategy was immediately evident in the promotion of “Motherless Child.”
Strategic Podcast Promotion: The Rise of Motherless Child
Lovespirals strategically leveraged podcasting to build anticipation for Long Way From Home, beginning with early promotion of “Motherless Child.” In May 2007, PodShow founder Adam Curry premiered the track on his Daily Source Code podcast, immediately introducing it to a broad audience. Anji Bee further showcased the song in a half-hour feature on PodShow’s Unwind, with she and Ryan Lum discussing the band’s history and catalog. Bee also featured ‘Motherless Child’ on her popular Chillcast with Anji Bee, exposing it to her established fanbase. In July, the duo revealed on Chillin’ with Lovespirals that ambient music pioneer, Robert Rich, who mastered Long Way From Home — as well as Lovespirals’ 2002 album Windblown Kiss and Love Spirals Downwards’ 1998 album Flux— told Lum this was “his best sounding record to date.” The “Motherless Child” single gained further traction in August, appearing on the Podsafe Music Countdown Top 10, complete with introductions by Bee. This focused podcast promotion ensured “Motherless Child” garnered significant early exposure, setting the stage for the album’s release.
Expanding the Reach with Remixes
To better fit the mood of The Chillcast with Anji Bee and reach a wider range of podcasts and online radio, Bee reached out to musicians she had connected with through her various online platforms to create all-new versions of “Motherless Child.”
The release of the Motherless Child EP prior to the album served as a brilliant promotional tactic. Featuring remixes by Chillcast artists Karmacoda, MoShang, Skip of Beauty’s Confusion, and Hungry Lucy — as well as Lum’s former Projekt associate, Drew Pluta — the EP showcased the versatility of the title track and generated excitement for the upcoming album. Its availability on platforms like Last.FM and the Podsafe Music Network ensured widespread accessibility and further solidified Lovespirals’ presence within the podcasting community. Lum’s own “True Believer Remix” added to the EP’s appeal, a “stunning mix of electronica styles ranging from light to dark, soothing to unsettling, sultry downtempo to upbeat trance.“
This Truth Remix Contest and EPs: A Deeper Dive
In early 2008, Lovespirals partnered with Peace Love Productions (PLP) for a remix contest centered on ‘This Truth.’ This collaboration followed their successful 2003 contest for ‘Walk Away’ from Free & Easy. The contest, hosted by DJ Puzzle of PLP and SynthVox, invited producers to reinterpret ‘This Truth,’ with winners announced on Chillin’ with Lovespirals. Following the contest, Lovespirals released the This Truth remix EP in September 2008, featuring winning remixes by Pomatic and Kambronn, alongside contributions from The Grooveblaster, hEADaCHE, Lthrboots, TT&Yosh, donOesterby, and a special remix by Michael Plaster AKA Soul Whirling Somewhere — a fellow former Projekt Records artists. Plaster had designed Love Spirals Downwards’ logo in 1994, and shared the stage with the band at ProjektFest 1996. Lovespirals had played a show with his new band, Mr. Meeble, the year before. Podcasts such as Dave’s Lounge and solipsisticNATION invited Bee to discuss mixes on their shows, helping to extend the song’s reach within the podcasting community.
Simultaneously, a separate remix project emerged from Anji Bee’s connections in the virtual world of Second Life. Damien S., who had just released the single, “Summerfeeling,” on Loverush Digital, connected with Bee in-game. He introduced her to Mark Loverush, who suggested the idea of releasing a remix of “This Truth” on his label. This led to Damien S vs Lovespirals – This Truth, released on September 6, 2008. This eight-track package included progressive house and trance remixes by Damien S, Juno Synclair vs Craig Bailey, Avatar One, Thomas Oldani, and a chillout mix by Adam Fielding. The release received strong radio and club support from Armin Van Buuren, Denny Dowd, and The PH Factor, leading to impressive chart placements: #2 on the World Trance Chart, #4 on the World House Chart, #10 on the World Commercial Chart on the DMC, and #8 on the Music Week Upfront Club Chart. In mid-2013, Behind The Lyric, which aired on over 40 major FM and internet stations worldwide, featured Bee discussing her lyrics and the creation of this second remix set.
Critical Reception and Industry Recognition
Long Way from Home was met with enthusiastic praise from critics, podcasters, and even fellow musicians.
All Music Guide noted, “For all that the duo’s roots have been seen as being goth, their previous albums touched on a variety of approaches with aplomb… It’s a blend that has a low-key presentation, an easygoing pace, and an ear for unexpected details that change the feeling of a song in an instant.”
Hot Indie News highlighted the album’s “bluesy slide guitar work and layered vocals that sound as though the glancing disaffection of ‘80s and ‘90s dream-poppers has been filtered through an AM radio,” while Green Arrow Radio similarly remarked, “There’s a sense that they traveled with you on similar & familiar roads, tuned to the same left-of-the-dial station.”
Re:Gen Magazine called it “the duo’s most accomplished work to date,” while Opus Zine more casually remarked, “This is music for both late night sessions and noon daydreams, for both listening to at work when you need to escape the pressure of the day and at home when you simply need to unwind with a good book and a glass of wine.“
The album’s success extended beyond critical acclaim. On November 27, 2007, Lovespirals’ live acoustic version of “This Truth” from their Second Life concert ranked as the #1 most played song of the month on the Podsafe Music Network Acoustic Top 10.
The Damien S vs Lovespirals – This Truth remix collection also garnered significant praise and support. The track received extensive radio and club play on shows and stations including Housesssions with Denny Dowd on Juice FM, PH Factor on Energy FM, Club Control with DJ Confusion, and Twilight on Pulse. DJs reported enthusiastic dancefloor reactions and frequent requests.
Here are some specific DJ reviews:
- John McCormick (Deep 6, Fury Murrys, The Hive, Yates): 10/10 “This has created one of the biggest buzzes on the floors I’ve seen in ages. Its an enormous winner and packs the floors everytime without fail. Superb mix package. Top stuff all round!”
- DJ Crispian Aldis (Elemental, Havanah, Paradise): 10/10 “This is good and is causing quite a stir in my sets. Loads of fab mixes to choose from. Top track, top label. I can see big things for Loverush in 2009.”
- Beaker (Berties, Bunters, Divas, Red Square): 9/10 “I love the feel to this track, she has such a haunting voice. You can’t help but hear it. It’s such a smooth chill out dance track that works really well.”
- John J (Club DNA, Liquid Lounge, Wigan Pier): 9/10 “LOVIN THIS! Quality vocal trancer with a wicked package of mixers. Fave is Juno Synclair vs Craig Bailey Remix.”
Conclusion: A Timeless Sonic Journey
Just as Windblown Kiss marked their arrival as a distinct artistic voice, Long Way From Home solidified Lovespirals’ place as pioneers in independent music. More than just a record, it was a testament to artistic integrity and the power of connection; through sound, through storytelling, and through a digital landscape that helped bring their music to the world.
Reflecting on the album’s legacy, Opus Zine’s Jason Moore summarized:
“Lum and Bee are all about creating a mood, a relaxed and blissed-out vibe that should be no stranger to fans of dream pop, chill-out electronica, and atmospheric pop.”