Meet Illiterate Light, a band not just making music but creating an experience. In their latest album Arches the band weaves together distorted rock and raw emotion, and explores finding meaning in the struggle. Whether they are electrifying crowds at Brooklyn Made or reimagining live performances with their bicycle-powered stage at Newport Folk Festival, Illiterate Light is constantly exploring new ways to connect with fans and spark change. Read on to learn more about Illiterate Light, their music, and their work.

Where are you based?
We’re based in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. With the Blue Ridge mountains to our east, and the Appalachian mountains to the west. We also consider Richmond VA our home.

What inspired you all to pursue a career in the music industry and join together to form a band?
Our job is simple. We are artists who are dedicated to making music that makes ourselves and our fans feel alive. We have no other option in this life other than to create something we love and care about.

What inspired the name Illiterate Light?
Our band name came from a lyric in the song “Theologians” by Wilco.

How would you all describe the band's music style? Are there certain artists you all look up to as sources of inspiration?
We are shapeshifters. Our roots are in reverb-laden, distorted rock music. We love Neil Young, the Talking Heads, My Morning Jacket, System of a Down. But we spiral and twist and turn towards other genres. We love anything that moves us. Our home sound remains “rock” music, but this is meaningless now. All we care about is feeling and vitality.

Congratulations on the release of your latest album Arches. What was the inspiration behind the album?
Thank you. Arches was born from perspiration. It’s an album about climbing the mountain. It’s about moving forward. The album is a collage of sorts. We don’t write thematically right now.

What feelings or messages do you hope listeners take away from Arches?
I just want people to feel alive. I want to break the numbness.

“Norfolk Southern” is a really fun song. What inspired it?
Norfolk Southern was written in response to a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. A Norfolk Southern train dumped thousands of hazardous chemicals into the waterway, polluting the local river and causing an environmental catastrophe in the town. The song is a tribute to the people of Ohio who endured this disaster. Jake’s drumming is really amazing in that song.

“Payphone” has such a classic vibe. What is the story behind this song?
Payphone was inspired after seeing the Cure live. It’s a song between lovers; a broken and desperate man, and a woman who he relies on. She is comforting him, but the conversation is consistently broken or ruined as the call continues to drop.

How was your recent show at Brooklyn Made?
It was a highlight of the Arches tour so far! It was one of our best New York shows to date.

We love that you run a bicycle-powered stage at the Newport Folk Festival every year, it is such a unique initiative. How does this work? Have you thought about bringing something like this to your other performances?
We are asking the simple question, “What will it look like to be a touring musician in 2045?” We are planting seeds, and we hope these seeds will take root and grow to create a forest. Many of our questions revolve around energy, and what is sustainable and smart. We’re currently only showcasing the bike stage at Newport. There is something sacred and special there, and it’s our ground zero to keep evolving this concept. One of the most special things to see is the way fans light up when they jump on a bike to create energy for the show. Our goal is for art and music to spark change and conversation.

What inspired your commitment to sustainability in the music world?
We ran an organic farm for a couple of years. It was a beautiful time in our life. We worked with our hands, grew our own food, and sold it at the farmers market and to local restaurants. At this time we learned in depth about modern agrarian practices and how we are depleting our soil health. We have traded convenience for health and sustainability. So many farmers and communities are working to change this. We are a modern rock band, but our hope is to draw from our time in agriculture and shine a light on the change that is taking place in the organic food movement.

How do you see your roles as musicians intersecting with activism or environmental consciousness moving forward?
On one hand, I feel a deep call and responsibility to live at this intersection. It’s in my DNA and I’m moved to write about it, and sing about it. Additionally, when not on tour, I make simple small actions to reduce my vehicle use (bike!) and buy local food. At the same time, it’s nearly impossible to make any money as a musician other than touring. And touring is ruthlessly hard on the environment. So we are living in this tension and contradiction. We’re currently just taking small steps and planting small seeds towards a more sustainable future.

Are there any organizations or partnerships you are working with to amplify your humanitarian efforts or environmental advocacy?
The Bike Stage at Newport Folk has been supported by 11th Hour Racing and Jamis Bicycles. Beyond that, most of what we’ve done has been DIY. We respect Reverb deeply and are hoping to connect with them in the future.

How has your creative dynamic evolved over the years?
The main area of growth for us has been in the studio. We know who we are live, but it’s taken a few records to find our footing in the studio. It’s such a different feeling to compose record and create without the adrenaline of the live show. But we really feel like we’re starting to capture our live energy on record. Arches really feels that way.

Are there any upcoming projects you would like to share?
So far we’re playing some of the biggest shows we’ve ever played in 2025. We’ve got several different video series that we’re working on as well. There’s a few little bike-related spin-offs we’re working on but we can’t share too much on that just yet ; )

It has been a crazy past few years, how have you been staying positive?
I exercise and journal almost on a daily basis. This provides both psychological and kinesthetic relief from the craziness of post-modernity. I focus on what I can change, and I try to accept that most of life is out of my hands. Beyond that I choose positivity. I choose hope. I choose to love and I hope people feel their own agency and autonomy to choose how they live and feel rather than to simply react to the times.

What is your motto in life?
Energy follows attention.

To learn more about Illiterate Light please follow the links below:
Illiterate Light
Instagram: @illiteratelight
YouTube: @illiterate_light

Photography by Joey Wharton.

Illiterate Light - Turning Up the Volume, Powering Up the Future