Laveda has today released their new video and single titled ‘Strawberry’, from their upcoming album ‘Love, Darla’, dropping September 12th via Bar/None Records. This is music in all of its glory. Experimental is the comfort zone for Laveda, and ‘Strawberry’ is the perfect gateway for what to expect when ‘Love, Darla’ drops next month. Expect nothing and everything, because you will get one depending on how ‘Strawberry’ sways you.
An aural assault on the senses, like a suckerpunch to the cajones of inspiration, this is a track that takes that guitar out of the closet and makes you want to join a band. Never letting you up but always letting you in, this is what I now expect ‘Love, Darla’ to be. Everything all at once.
And, while the video may feel like it was co-directed by David Lynch and Tim Burton, who ended up getting into a fist fight on set, the chaos blends into beautifully crafted yins and yangs coming together into an anthemic anarchy blessed by the original creativity of four musicians destined to be together.
About ‘Strawberry’
“Strawberry” follows the band’s gripping singles “Heaven” and “Cellphone,” each revealing a new shade of the band’s ever-evolving palette. Where “Heaven” summoned the neon-streaked chaos of late-night wanderings and East Village nostalgia, and “Cellphone” dissected digital burnout with jagged guitar lines and punk smirks. “Strawberry” bridges the two – a woozy meditation brimming with atmosphere, honesty, and sonic abandon.
Set against the jagged concrete of their current home just outside of Manhattan in Queens, NY, and the soft glow of its city’s late-night subway platforms, Laveda’s third LP Love, Darla presents their most experimental and emotionally resonant work yet. Co-written and performed by founding duo Ali Genevich and Jake Brooks, with contributions from bassist Dan Carr and drummer Joe Taurone, the album trades the pastoral tones of their Upstate NY roots for the frayed edges and fractured beauty of New York City.
“’ Strawberry’ was an integral part of discovering the landscape that the other songs on the album would eventually live within,” says Jake Brooks, guitarist of NYC-based noise rock/shoegaze outfit Laveda, on the band’s newest single/video from their anticipated third album, Love, Darla. Evolving organically from a spontaneous session, “Strawberry” captures Laveda at a formative point in their creative evolution – where raw ideas, tested live on tour, gave way to a fully realized sonic identity.
“Strawberry started as a jam between Ali [Genevich, lead vocalist] on bass and me on guitar,” Jake adds. “We sent it to Joe [Taurone, drummer] and he completely expanded it into this sick drum part.” Performing the song at live shows and essentially workshopping it on stage, the band worked this and ‘Heaven’ during live sets and evolved it into full songs. “Playing unfinished music live helped us discover what made the songs tick. We made tweaks over time and eventually ended up with something much more refined. It was an integral part of shaping the entire record.”
For Ali, writing “Strawberry” meant diving deep and mining her psyche for inspiration. “It’s about trying to escape from your inner demons. It’s incredibly inspiring to create art in NYC, but the noise – literal and figurative – makes it overwhelming,” she explains. “Social media doesn’t help. People say messed-up things in comments. It bums me out. I guess I consider myself to be whatever the opposite of a parasocial is.”
In addition, Laveda is also announcing a tour across the States that will see them perform in major markets such as Chicago, IL; St Louis, MO; Nashville, TN; Austin, TX; Los Angeles, CA, and San Francisco, CA, with more shows to be announced in the coming weeks.
‘Love, Darla’ Tracklist
- Care
- Cellphone
- I Wish
- Dig Me Out
- Strawberry
- Heaven
- Highway Meditation
- Bonehead
- Tim Burton’s Tower
- Lullaby