Music Friday: Lake Street Dive's 'Wedding Band' Delivers a Clever PSA
Welcome to Music Friday, when we spotlight songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Lake Street Dive serves up a witty and unforgettable reminder about honesty in relationships with its 2014 release, "Wedding Band."
In the song, lead singer Rachael Price delivers some sassy, no-nonsense straight talk to men who pursue women while conveniently omitting one important detail: they have wives at home.
Price's message is simple and direct: “If you’re married, wear a wedding band / There’s no need for you to whisper in my ear / When you can say it with your hand / If you’re gonna go breakin’ my heart / There’s no need for you to let it linger / When you can say it with your finger / If you’re married, baby, wear a wedding band.”
During live performances, Price often introduces the tune as a playful PSA, or public service announcement, from the women in the band to a certain subset of men in the audience. The humor lands instantly, and so does the point.
Written by bassist Bridget Kearney, "Wedding Band" is a breezy, under-two-minute sing-along that combines sharp lyrics with the band's signature blend of soul, jazz, pop and vintage groove. Price's rich, expressive voice — often compared to legends, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday — gives the song both swagger and charm.
Lake Street Dive formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Founding members Price, Kearney, drummer Mike Calabrese and guitarist/trumpeter Mike "McDuck" Olson were all jazz students brought together by Olson, who hand-picked the lineup. The band's name comes from the dive bars that line Lake Street in Olson's hometown of Minneapolis.
The group first exploded into public consciousness thanks to the internet. A stripped-down street-corner cover of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" went viral after an anonymous fan posted it online, eventually earning millions of views and praise from celebrities including Kevin Bacon. Price later described the experience as "a rocket ship to fame."
One reason Lake Street Dive's music feels so distinctive is its democratic creative process. Rather than relying on one dominant songwriter, the band members collaborate on writing and arranging songs, blending their different influences into a sound that feels both classic and fresh.
The lineup has evolved over the years. Three original members — Price, Kearney and Calabrese — remain with the band, while Olson departed amicably in 2021. Touring guitarist James Cornelison stepped into the role, and keyboardist/vocalist Akie Bermiss officially joined in 2017, expanding the group into a quintet.
The band continues to thrive. In 2024, Lake Street Dive earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category for Good Together. They're also hitting the road extensively this year, with tour stops across the US before heading to Europe in the fall.
Released originally as a Record Store Day double-A-side single, "Wedding Band" remains one of the band's most beloved crowd-pleasers — equal parts catchy tune, sharp comedy and surprisingly practical advice.
Please check out the video of Lake Street Dive’s live performance of “Wedding Band” in Nashville in 2014. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Wedding Band”
Written by Bridget Kearney. Performed by Lake Street Dive.
If you’re married, wear a wedding band
There’s no need for you to whisper in my ear
When you can say it with your hand
If you’re gonna go breakin’ my heart
There’s no need for you to let it linger
When you can say it with your finger
If you’re married, baby, wear a wedding band
You’ve got somebody
That’ll love you forever already (already)
And you owe it to her, and you owe it to me
To hold steady
If you’re married, wear a wedding band
There’s no need for you to whisper in my ear
When you can say it with your hand
If you’re gonna go breakin’ my heart
There’s no need for you to let it linger
When you can say it with your finger
If you’re married, baby, wear a wedding…
Married, baby, wear a wedding…
Married, baby, wear a wedding band
Credit: Photo by Jstengel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
