If you’re looking for the heartbeat of the hollows, you’ll find it in the steady, acoustic strum of Thad Granger & His Lantern Boys. This trio is the soul of 1940s wasteland folk, playing instruments that have survived more “final storms” than the people holding them. They don’t sing about grand plans or bunker politics; they sing about the things that are still standing when everything else has come undone—like a general store with no glass in the windows or the specific, sharp scent of diesel on a cold morning.
Meet the Boys—the lantern-bearers for the stories the world almost forgot.
The Lineup of the Lantern
The group is anchored by Thad Granger (Left), whose gravelly baritone and steady banjo-picking provide the foundation for their sound. Behind him stands Caleb Reed (Center), the quiet backbone of the group who keeps the rhythm as tight as a sealed bunker door. To the right is Elias Thorne (Right), the lead guitarist whose melodic runs cut through the static like a signal flare.
Together, they specialize in “Diesel Folk”—songs that smell like kerosene and sound like home. Their tracks are a ledger of wasteland life, featuring titles like “Bitter Grounds and Bunker Blues,” “Elect Me I’ll Evacuate Ya,” and the haunting “She Kept the Light On.”
The General Ledger of Survival
Their most requested anthem, “Mason’s Still Got a Store,” is a tribute to the ultimate wasteland landmark. It’s a song about a place that “don’t stock much but means a bit more,” where a “fair compromise” might involve a squirrel with two extra eyes and a dented can of sap.
To Thad and the Boys, Mason’s isn’t just a shop; it’s folklore. It’s the place where you trade your week’s hunting just to hear the fizz of a Zap-ola Cola and feel, for one fleeting moment on a cold tile floor, like you’re rich once more. They remind their listeners that as long as the bell still rings when you call a name, the wasteland hasn’t won yet.
Behind the Microphone
The Lantern Boys record live and raw, often in one take to capture the natural “burrowing hum” of their surroundings. Their music isn’t about perfection; it’s about “Steady as a Lantern”—a light that flickers but never quite goes out.
- “Mason’s ain’t heaven but it ain’t come undone.” – Thad Granger
- “If the shelves don’t kill ya, the glow might warm… it’s the only place still open since the final storm.” – Thad Granger
Tune in to hear Thad Granger & His Lantern Boys’ “Velevet Sky, Cracked Earth” sessions in the Vinyl Vault.