The story of Cleveland, Ohio’s The Lighthouse And The Whaler is one of perseverance and determination; of personal, cumulative growth and maturity. Formed in 2008, the current trio of Michael LoPresti, Mark Porostosky, and Ryan Walker have released three full-length albums and headlined tours from coast to coast, picking up accolades from the likes of Rolling Stone, NPR, and many more outlets along the way. They’ve been described, at various times over the past decade, as a folk, alternative, and rock band – and the truth is they’ve dabbled in all these areas, and more – but fitting into one box has never been a defining factor for them. “For me, our sound is more like a concept or an existential experience than it is a specific genre,” LoPresti says. “If you have to boil it down that’s fine, but I want it to be more than that: I want it to be a way of understanding oneself. I can find something about myself that I didn’t realize was there, or I can go and feel emboldened to be the person that I want to be and am trying to be.” For LoPresti and co, it’s about making a positive impact – of making a difference in people’s lives – and nowhere does that mission come to bear more clearly than on the band’s buoyant and intense long-awaited new single, “Way Back.” “I love that song – it just has this energy,” LoPresti says. For him, it’s a song of returning; of “finding your way back to who you were.” “When we started the band, there was this sense of optimism and a carefree attitude. Sometimes that’s when the best art is made – when you’re not trying to make it for any other purpose than yourself. I thought that really stamped what this record is about: It just hits you in the face. It sets the tone for the whole record.” This is The Lighthouse and the Whaler that we always wanted it to be. There’s something there for you in the songs. There’s something you can find for yourself, no matter where you are in life, it came from a place where we were finding that for ourselves as well. We tried to make every single moment worth the listen, so that people will want to go on that journey again.

Alena Ciera is an American Pop Artist, Songwriter, Guitarist and Actor from Maryland. She has collaborated with several artists, including David Byrne’s American Utopia, Yolanda Adams, Cee Lo Green, Bela’ Dona and many more. She has enjoyed the privilege of performing at The St. James Theater, Jamming Java, Snally Gaster Festival,The National Stadium, The Eagle Arena, The Audi Stadium, Pearl Street Warehouse, The Capitol Jazz cruise, and many more. Alena's artistic development has been greatly impacted by the DC music scene, where she  currently resides. She is able to command and enthrall an audience with her voice, ripping guitar notes, and engaging personality in each performance. Alena frequently draws on her life experiences for her songs and her extensive musical background enables her to captivate in genres including Rock, Pop, and R&B.