Biography

The Welcome Wagon is a married couple, the Reverend Thomas Vito Aiuto and his wife Monique, who execute a genre of gospel music that is refreshingly plain. Their hymns are modest and melodic takes on a vast history of sacred song traditions, delivered with the simple desire to know their Maker—and each other—more intimately. After marrying and settling in Brooklyn, the two Michigan natives got their start singing hymns around the household. A lack of formal training didn't hinder them from writing several original songs, the first of which was featured on “To Spirit Back the Mews,” a compilation from Asthmatic Kitty Records, in 2001. From there, the Aiutos continued to write their own material, with fellow songwriter Sufjan Stevens lending his help to the cause. The resulting album marked the band's full-length debut, “Welcome To The Welcome Wagon” in December 2008. The follow-up, “Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices,” also featured contributions from Stevens. It arrived on Asthmatic Kitty in the summer of 2012. The duo's third long-player, “Light Up the Stairs,” was distributed by Tooth & Nail Records in 2017. “Esther”, their upcoming fourth full-length album is due out Nov 4, 2022 via Asthmatic Kitty and was born out of a wellspring of creativity and homecoming, exploring the profound knowing and equally profound mystery in both family and faith. In “Esther,” the questioning is the destination, and it is one where peace can be found and home—and art—can be made.