Lightning Love's November Birthday

We are incredibly excited to announce the remastered re-release of Lightning Love’s 2009 debut album November Birthday—on vinyl for the very first time!

This special edition features stunning new artwork by Nathan Price (of BRONCHO) and has been remastered from the original mixes using analog gear, preserving the warmth and charm of the original while enhancing clarity and depth for vinyl.

Formed in Michigan by siblings Leah and Aaron Diehl along with friend Ben Collins, Lightning Love carved out a niche with their cheery, keyboard-driven indie pop, characterized by Leah’s expressive vocals and a lyrical core full of raw, relatable honesty. November Birthday, originally self-released in 2009, explored the bittersweet tension of early adulthood with an irresistible blend of minimalism and melody.

Fans of Mates of State, Alvvays, Spoon, and Belle and Sebastian will find plenty to love here—especially in the album’s ability to juxtapose upbeat hooks with darker emotional undercurrents.

AllMusic Guide wrote:

[November Birthday] was a collection of bright, enthusiastic and minimally arranged indie pop coupled with dour, neurotic lyrics that swung from ironically witty to borderline cry-for-help territory… The band's gift for hooks and straightforward melodies proud to be uncluttered and classically streamlined easily outshined the underlying despair.

After the release of November Birthday, the band signed with Quite Scientific Records and released their acclaimed sophomore LP, Blonde Album, drawing praise from Paste, Vice, Under the Radar, and NPR’s World Café. They became finalists in Billboard’s 2011 Battle of the Bands and were featured on Adult Swim and in multiple indie films.

Lightning Love has toured with acts like The Von Bondies, Jamaican Queens, and Tally Hall, and shared stages with Walk the Moon, The High Strung, Mayer Hawthorne, and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. Festival appearances include SXSW, CMJ, Midpoint Music Fest, Mitten Fest, and a Daytrotter Session.

Guitarist Ben Collins has since led Detroit-based band Minihorse (Park the Van Records) and produced records for artists including Anna Burch (Polyvinyl).

November Birthday remains a deeply cherished album—for the band and their fans—and we couldn’t be more thrilled to finally bring it to vinyl. Don’t miss your chance to own this beautiful edition of an indie pop gem.