Prāta Vētra: Artist You Should Know

Prāta Vētra is that of best friends who grew up together, went to the same school, shared the same dreams and together fulfilled them.

They come from a unique generation. Born in Latvia which was then part of the giant Soviet Union, they experienced a Soviet upbringing, the battle for freedom and were part of the first generation to embrace the new possibilities that freedom brought. Experiencing these two radical systems has shaped their musical style.

Around 2000, Prāta Vētra conquered the hearts of music lovers in their native Latvia and became a household name. They are now filling 45,000 seat stadiums and taking a chance on reaching audiences beyond their borders.

Their new album “Another Still Life” was written and recorded in Hudson, upstate NY, and was mixed in a small studio beneath Radiohead‘s management office in Oxford, England. The lyrics for the album’s title track are made up entirely from the titles of paintings, rearranged and formed into a cohesive song. In English, Prāta Vētra means Mind Storm.

“So Low Lullaby“, available here for as an exclusive US download, was written in response to a BBC article about the epidemic of insomnia caused by the financial crisis the world is suffering. It’s a gorgeous song — check it out.

Stream “So Low Lullaby” and download it here:

They have supported bands like R.E.M., The Rolling Stones and Depeche Mode and world-known photographer Anton Corbijn has contributed photos for three albums and designed the band’s logo. He says “There is this beautiful thing that great bands have… identity. PRĀTA VĒTRA has that.”

Enjoy!

Xo, Liza Richardson