After stints with various acts in the Los Angeles scene from Hobart W Fink to LA Nova, Lauren Lakis has moved on to the singer/songwriting route – with candid storytelling and unique vocal prowess- her debut album Ferocious is set for release June 22nd on Cavity Search Records.
Born in Baltimore, Lakis set to strike out on her own without forgetting the fatalistic spirit of the city she was raised in. “I always aspired to embody those qualities, to strike out on my own, boldly go where no one in my family has gone, to love harder and more passionately” reveals Lakis.
Her songwriting has been culled from years spent around the world, writing poetry with junkies in abandoned warehouses to working as a stripper and teaching yoga in Tokyo. Lakis also helped as a mentor for kids with Autism. According to her, these challenges gave her a whole new understanding of empathy and compassion for others.
All of this has led to her album “Ferocious”, which she calls a product of passion. In collaboration with producer Billy Burke, Lakis chose this moment to share her experiences and personal tragedy. Against a backdrop of shoegaze inspired guitars, haunting synth swells, deep-driving beats, and lyrics imparted with true candor, she narrates the album in stages of grief in chronological order. She also isn’t afraid to say the things most people feel uncomfortable about,”whether it’s a lost love, or a new love that sets me ablaze, both are equally inspiring to me”.
All instrumentals were written and performed by Lakis with the exception of AJ Brown on drums and additional guitars by Chris Garcia and Alex Stills. Additional engineering tasked to the talented Chris Kasych (Adele [Grammy], Phantogram, Cee Lo Green), with mixing and mastering also performed by Billy Burke.
Speaking of which, from the singles i’ve heard, i anticipate her debut at the very least flash a range of styles without veering into boredom. While her shoegaze influences are far from MBV and Slowdive, they do resemble more of Best Coast without her commanding presence. That said the stirring “Ferocious” and her latest single “Lead Us On” seem to lie on the opposite sides, one taking the control of the proverbial mantle at sweeping levels, owing a debt of gratitude to dream pop glory and the other sharing her space with chugging guitars layering over each other, as if she’s just with the band – life continuing its road weary path. We’ll see how all this works out June 22nd.
Until then check out “Ferocious” which is posted above – featuring a choreography between two lovers, which is described as the motions resembling the trials and tribulations that relationships go through.
“Lead Us On” the newest single is posted below.
-Article source from press release
