we’ll admit, indie rock isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when we think of New Orleans music. But Lawn may have just peaked our hope when it comes to the seemingly neglected genre of the deep south.
The duo just announced their sophomore LP Johnny, through Community Records & Muscle Beach Records. They recorded the 9-track LP over three months with local friend & musician Matthew Seferian.
The album is being hailed as a “massive step forward for the band,” jumping from ragged post-punk to gleeful ’90s indie-rock hooks. Add a dash of art-punk through the track “Jane Ryan” to the psychedelic tinge of “Nighttime Creatures,” and you’ve got one intense but seemingly effortless sophomore album.
The aforementioned “Nighttime Creatures” was just recently debuted by online music journal Gold Flake Paint. They praised the track as “equal parts harmonious and sludgy, like glimpses of sunshine on a thundery day.”
Bandmember Mac Folger cites an impressively specific example as the song’s inspiration.
“Nighttime Creatures is about wanting to be at the party but also hating it: my own natural inclination to be extroverted and the overwhelming anxiety of being in a crowd. I wrote the words to this song while watching a group of slightly aged out frat guys yell at each other from my second-story window.”
Mac and bandmate Rui DeMagalhaes made a conscious effort to write all of the songs for Johnny together, relying on the dichotomy of their backgrounds and musical tastes to craft a cohesive blend of styles.
“Mac gravitates toward pop music,” says Rui. “I’m closer to harsh territory. We’re good foils. Musically, we just know how to complement each other. I seldom think of a time when he comes up with something I don’t like. We’re always finding the missing pieces of the puzzle for each other.”
With Johnny, Lawn has created a vital record for modern times: one with a conscience and heart, filled with sing-along hooks to match. Equal parts raw anger and utter joy, the perfect soundtrack to our canceled summer. Be on the lookout for the album dropping September 4th.
Stream the latest single from Lawn, “Nighttime Creatures.” And pre-order Johnny on vinyl here.
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Featured Image via Lucky Bird Media
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