What if every version of yourself still lives in the place where you left it? The town you left behind, the bad relationship, or even the happy version of yourself before tragedy hit.
AJ Lipton writes songs that live in those places... backstage rooms, long drives, kitchens, firelight, small towns at night.
Lipton leads The Light Aluminum primarily from the piano and organ, grounding the music in rhythm and feel, while also moving easily to guitar when the song calls for it. His approach is groove-first and song-centered.
Vocals are delivered conversationally, shaped by phrasing and timing with the just occasional dash of brute emotional force where needed. The band plays with attention and space, leaving room for parts to lean into one another. The focus is on musicianship in service of songs that work in a room and hold together over time.
He has just finished his first record released under his own name, co-produced by Jim Weider (The Band) and Jason Robert Blum. The album was recorded over several sessions at a residential studio in the Catskills, with the musicians coming back together every few months as the seasons changed.
Weider’s playing and production favor clarity and economy, shaping the arrangements without crowding them. Brian Mitchell, whose credits include Levon Helm’s Dirt Farmer, appears throughout on piano, organ, and accordion, while different rhythm sections gave each session its own character, with Jeff Hill (Rufus Wainwright, Shooter Jennings, Steve Earle) and Aaron Johnston on earlier recordings, and Andy Hess (Gov’t Mule) and Josh Dion on a later session. The record is now complete with an EP set to be released on July 31st.
Lipton continues to perform regularly in Austin alongside The Light Aluminum, with a monthly residency at the Saxon Pub and shows throughout Central Texas.