Southern Maine rock band the Lamplighters just released their first album. Mike Gerstner
BIDDEFORD — Fronted by an opera-trained lead singer, Lamplighters has released its first 10-song recording, “Out Of The Woods.”
The album was written, arranged and rehearsed in Biddeford. Recorded and mixed at Acadia Recording Company in Portland (http://www.AcadiaRecording.com; the 10 original rocks songs are now available on multiple platforms that can be accessed via the band’s website, www.Lamplighters.pro. The group formed during the pandemic in 2021, and describes its work as “a modern, fresh take on honest-to-goodness rock and roll. Original music everybody can tap a toe to, and nod along with.”
All six members had a hand in the songwriting. Sure to set the band apart is lead singer Colin Whiteman (www.ColinWhiteman.com), a native of Cape Elizabeth. Whiteman moved back to Maine a couple years ago from New York City to take a sabbatical from his career (bass-baritone) in opera. He spent his early years in southern Maine as a regular performer in community musical theatre, and then made the jump to opera in college. He has completed intensive opera programs at Si parla, si canta in Italy and FAVA Salzburg in Austria. He has studied with Jacque Trussel, earning a master’s degree cum laude in music majoring in Opera Performance and Vocal Studies at Purchase College – SUNY. He played a key role polishing lyrics and melody lines, and helping the band arrive at final arrangements. Improbably, Lamplighters met Whiteman after placing an ad on Craigslist.
“It’s been amazing to watch this guy, in the space of just a year, make the transition to rock and roll frontman,” said Mark Robinson, who plays keyboards in Lamplighters. “That’s not so easy. Singing on mic and leading a rock band is a completely different discipline than projecting your voice, without a mic, during an opera performance. On ‘Out Of The Woods’ he just nailed every song. Had we not met Colin, I don’t think this band or the album exists.”
Other members of the band are Joe Beninati of North Yarmouth on drums, Jay Wentzell of Yarmouth on guitar, Dan Rosenthal of Yarmouth on guitar, Saco native Steve Brunelle on bass, and Robinson, from Biddeford, on keyboards and harmonica.
After recording and mixing, the album was finished at Pat Keane Audio Mastering (http://www.PatKeaneMastering.com), also located in Portland.
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