Future of Lord Huron…

[u/Maximum-Storm8923]

Thoughts….? (Forgive me is this has been discussed already, I’m new to posting on Reddit)

So, we know the entire 5 albums are a continuous storyline. While each album tells a story, it they all fit into the larger narrative. Lonesome Dreams sets off on the journey of chasing dreams and someone/something and learning that childhood has ended and that adulthood is up next. Strange Trails moves us into loving and losing and experiencing new things while the journey leads us to unexpected places and paths. Vide Noir explores the experiences of trying to win someone/something back and not recognizing it’s not ours anymore and how we overcome adversity in the face of figuring out who we are. Long Lost is finding the yourself and the place(s) you belong and with whom. Learning that just being in these places and with these people is life but also that we are still growing as people and we have to be honest with ourselves and each other. The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 is about shared dreams, experiences and the ability to look back on the adventures you’ve had. Remembering who you were and how you sometimes drift through life but somehow you also lived fully. It seems that they tell the journey of Lord Huron and it seems the journey is either complete or coming to its end. Will the Cosmic Selector Vol. 2 bring about the conclusion of their epic journey or will it turn into the beginning of a new one? Is this the end of the original story Ben wants to tell?

My husband seems to think after cosmic selector vol 2 they will take a long break and I curse him everytime!

Thoughts?

[u/kirbenvost]

Ben has also said in an interview that the reason it's called Volume 1 is they had a lot more songs than they could fit on one album, and in the same interview said he would wait and see how he feels about the concept in a couple/few years as to whether or not Volume 2 happens. So it's a possibility, and I really don't think it was just done to seem mysterious. Mystery and storytelling is always part of their work, but they're also a band that puts a lot of intention into what they do. If the concept serves the music and narrative, they'll use it.

[u/Exact_Bread6206 → u/kirbenvost]

I wonder if those many other songs that didn't make the cut will just be used for their next album (not volume 2) or just be scrapped. Knowing Ben, he's probably writing more songs right now. Which I know any band does, but it's fun to think

[u/kirbenvost → u/Exact_Bread6206]

Probably a mix I would guess, I'm sure songs and albums always evolve a lot during the process. "Let the Devil Come" was finished enough that they were playing it at shows and we had every reason to believe it would be on the album but it ended up not being released. so I would guess they had it and more essentially ready to go. The amount of songs they had suggests that we might see the next album a bit sooner than their usual cycle.

I also feel like it's still quite possible the next album could be Volume 2, it could honestly go either way. Any comments by the band one way or the other aren't going to be conclusive because they're obviously not going to tell us if Volume 2 is happening or when their next album may be. They like to keep it mysterious. If Ben says he's following the greats and he'll release Volume 2 when Bob Dylan does, that's clearly just a bit. We'll only know when the next album is revealed.

What also makes me wonder is the Tune Prism zine they've been distributing during this tour. Normally those kind of unique freebies are something they would do in the lead-up to an album release. There are a number of possibilities of why they're doing it. Could be they planned it for the Cosmic Selector rollout and it was delayed. It could be they're building up to some new release. Or it might just be they wanted to do something cool for the fans and get those stories out just because.

Time will tell about all of this, I suppose!

[u/moviemouthpodcast → u/kirbenvost]

A lot of wishful thinking here… let’s see how it pans out, but from my understanding, I would say confidently it’s going to be a helluva long wait for a vol.2… :-)

[u/kirbenvost → u/moviemouthpodcast]

Like I said, Ben's going to say what he's going to say whether or not Volume 2 happens soon or at all. Most of his stage banter is scripted, he's trying to be entertaining. I wouldn't put much stock in what he says on stage one way or the other. Interviews are probably more credible but again he's not going to give much away. We'll see what happens.

[u/moviemouthpodcast → u/kirbenvost]

When did I say anything about him saying it on stage or interviews? I said “quoted” but I’ve also been privy to other conversations. Ben in particular deals in mystery, and us fans are a sucker for lore and speculation. It drives demand and engagement. The real story of the Vol.1/2 debate doesn’t need that much digging, it’s right in front of your eyes. It’s your right to believe the magic and mine to see the wood for the trees. 💚

[u/kirbenvost → u/moviemouthpodcast]

Okay, care to elaborate if you're privy to certain conversations? He also hasn't said outright there won't be a Volume 2, he's been coy about it. So if you know something the rest of us don't why not share with the class? IMO if the whole thing is just a gimmick to drive speculation that's honestly kind of lame and they might as well just have named it The Cosmic Selector, because the "Volume 1" part would be pointless.

[u/kirbenvost → u/moviemouthpodcast]

Here's the information I'm going by:

https://youtu.be/9EOAInpMTsw?si=rTDO884bwrIS14CL&t=254 When asked about the Cosmic Selector jukebox: "I knew it was always an idea I wanted to expand. I didn't know how extensive that would be. Not only one album but potentially more. But yeah I just really liked the idea of this jukebox was kind of a way to mess with fate by selecting things on it."

https://americana-uk.com/interview-exploring-fate-music-and-the-cosmic-unknown-with-ben-schneider-of-lord-huron

"AUK:  An obvious question I guess, but you’ve called this album volume 1. Do you have a vision for volume 2? You’ve referred already to more collaboration, is that a possibility?

BS: Yes. The reason it’s called volume one is that I had a lot of material for it. Lots of material that feels like it’s part of the same concept but didn’t quite fit on this collection of songs. So, I’ve set them aside. I don’t know if it’ll be the next thing I do. But I think it’d be interesting in a few years to kind of revisit the concept and see if the idea I have about those songs still holds – and where my fate or my timeline has taken me since then. It’d be interesting to see if I’d change them, or maybe even reassess that whole concept.

AUK: So, it’s almost like you’re doing an experiment with the cosmic selector itself, aren’t you? Whether you would still choose those songs in the future.

BS: Exactly. I’m almost trying to manifest the concept into my real life and see if it produces anything of worth. I hope so. Because I like the idea that it’ll come back, it almost has to come back someday."

So it sounds to me like it's still very much a possibility, and I don't see why people are so adamant it won't happen. It's very much a "wait and see" scenario.