Austin’s multilingual folk fusion group, Ley Line, is proud to announce a run of Colorado shows starting in November. The band is hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed album We Saw Blue, that saw praise from NPR, Billboard, Brooklyn Vegan, PopMatters, alongside high profile Spotify playlists boosting play counts to 800,000 and rising. Ley Line also received a grant from the prestigious Black Fret organization in 2019 and performed at the esteemed Austin City Limits Festival the same year. In addition, they also released a visual album “We Saw Blue: An audio-visual journey through Brasil” which was filmed & produced by Ley Line, combining footage from their 2017 tour through Brasil with the songs featured on the band’s sophomore album. It’s like a music video, travel documentary, and art film all in one. The band will be screening the visual album at select venues. Full tour dates below.
 
The band has strong ties to Colorado as Ley Line member Kate Robberson attended CU Boulder in the mid 2000s. It was there, where Kate was submerged into Brazilian music and culture, since her neighbor was the one who invited her to do an exchange program in Brazil. Kate’s Grandpa also attended CU Boulder and her Dad was born in Denver. Ley Line first crossed paths in Colorado in 2013 at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. This eventually led to the two duos merging into Ley Line (Austinites Kate Robberson and Emilie Basez and twin sisters Madeleine and Lydia Froncek). In 2018, Ley Line performed again at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival with Bonnie Paine of Elephant Revival. With these roots, it make sense, on why Colorado has been such a key market for the rising Ley Line band.
 
We Saw Blue is in many ways the origin story of Ley Line. Bandmembers Kate Robberson and Emilie Basez met in Brazil in 2012 and travelled the country playing shows, learning traditional folk songs and writing their own music along the way. When twins Madeleine and Lydia Froncek joined their duo project in 2016, much of the band’s repertoire was influenced by the sounds and experiences Kate and Emilie had gathered during their time in Brazil. In 2017, Ley Line decided to return to where it all began. They raised money to buy a van and took off for a four month long tour from the south of Brazil to the Northeast. Their self-managed tour included stops around the country playing venues, cultural centres, leading workshops in schools and all the while staying with new and old friends they met along the way. We Saw Blue is comprised of songs the four women learned and composed in Brazil and songs written after their return home. Kate explains, “Not only was this adventure a way to dive deeper into our study of Brazilian music, it was also an opportunity for the four of us to solidify our bond by experiencing the rewards and challenges of traveling together.”
 
The album carries a strong connection that runs through the songs and highlights the name We Saw Blue. Maddy elaborates, “The theme of water is central to the album and has become a metaphor for both the process of creating the songs and the experience we hope to offer to our listeners. Water has the ability to make its way around any obstacle, as Margaret Atwood said, ‘Water doesn’t resist, it flows.’ The process of making We Saw Blue has been a winding journey but the intention has always been to connect deeply with each other and the world around us. This album documents Ley Line really refining our unique sound through an exploration of Brazilian folklore and the spirituality embedded in nature.” Emilie adds, “Water is universal and symbolizes the connection every human on earth has to each other and the natural world. Music has that same ability to connect across language and culture. In the story of Ley Line, our travels have always revolved around visits to oceans, rivers and waterfalls and we sing of our reverence for water in songs like ‘Sereia’ and ‘Oxum.’ The songs on this album speak to the way we integrate our surroundings and our influences into the music we create.” Lydia echoes the sentiment, “Our hope is that listeners will be transported to the adventure, beauty, growth, and healing that inspired this album.”
 
COLORADO TOUR DATES:
11/03 @ Sherbino Theater - Ridgeway CO*
11/05 @ The Contemporary Theater – Basalt, CO*
11/06 @ eTown - Boulder, CO
11/07 @ Swallow Hill – Denver, CO*
11/11 @ Aggie Theater – Fort Collins, CO*
11/12 @ Lulu’s Downstairs – Manitou Springs, CO
11/13 @ Ivy Ballroom – Buena Vista, CO*
 
*Screening visual album
 
MEMBERS:
Emilie Basez: Guitar/Vocals
Madeleine Froncek: Upright Bass/Vocals
Kate Robberson: Ukulele/Vocals
Lydia Froncek: Percussion/Vocals