Laura Molinelli (Cinematica) and Bennie Osenni (Saint Albums) first met in 2011. In the aftermath of tropical storm Irene, Bennie returned to Jamaica, Vermont to salvage his flooded home and eroded riverbank. There, he met Laura, a member of the legendary Southern Vermont bluegrass band the Bondville Boys. Shortly thereafter, he was invited to join the band on the merits of his strong vocals, instrumental dexterity, personality and dashing good looks. While playing bars, festivals and parties throughout New England with the Bondville Boys, Laura and Ben came to realize that their shared love of harmony, adventure, melody and improvisation must necessarily take them beyond the strictures of the traditional bluegrass idiom. Enlisting Jesse Howard and Collin Parliman, two talented young players on Vermont’s indie rock scene, they forged the dream pop ensemble known as Luminous Crush.