Laveda

“ some magnetic detours into pop songwriting. [“Troy Creeps”] conjures a delicate balance between creeping anxiety and iridescent hooks” UNDER THE RADAR
 

New York City dream-pop duo - LAVEDA - have unveiled “Troy Creeps”, the fourth track to be taken from their awaited second album ‘A Place You Grew Up In’.

Balancing slacker-rock rooted guitars with spiralling otherworldly synths, “Troy Creeps” sees Laveda counter some of their more introspective moments into this sleek indie-rock pearl. 

With a nostalgic aura that feels as though it was plucked straight from the greatest cult coming-of-age film to never hit the silver screen, the new track brings to mind the intimate storytelling and grunge-laden intricacies of Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy and beabadoobee while seeing Laveda firmly chart their own interstellar course.

Said to embody “a long night spent alone with your thoughts” according to vocalist Ali Genevich, bandmate Jake Brooks adds of how the track earned its unconventional title:

“When I made this demo I had just moved to a small apartment in Troy, NY. You could always hear everyone’s conversations if they were outside on that street. People were screaming at each other about something while I was recording so the name stuck.”

Perching on the line between anxious and euphoric, “Troy Creeps” is the fourth single from Laveda’s much anticipated second LP ‘A Place You Grew Up In’ — due 14 April 2023 via VT/NY-based label PaperCup Music.

Tapping into all the angst and anxiety that accompanies coming-of-age during bleak and uncertain times, the new record evokes a range of themes: from the loss of innocence to the struggles of coming to grips with reality. Genevich explains:

“”A Place You Grew Up In” is like a time-capsule in my memory. 2020 and 2021 felt like adulthood had crawled out from a dark cave somewhere in the woods to slowly flood my mind with 24/7 anxieties. It began with the pandemic, then Jake’s mom who had been battling stage four cancer got worse. She passed on New Year’s Day 2021. There was a lot of grief paired with drinking. Many days felt monotonous, though some were filled with writing and demoing.” 

With the album seeing the two piece venture into brave new territory musically, ‘A Place You Grew Up In’ also traverses a range of influences from The Sundays and Slowdive to The Cranberries and Radiohead. “I had newly become obsessed with Broadcast’s record ‘Tender Buttons’ and Mr Twin Sister’s ‘Colour Your Life’ EP while we were recording,” says Genevich. “The eerie soundscapes of those groups definitely inspired me from both a writing and production standpoint.” 

“I was listening to a lot of Low while writing the record,” adds collaborator Jake Brooks. “‘Double Negative’ broadened the way I think about production altogether. it sounds as if they ripped apart fully-finished songs during the recording process. I was also heavily influenced by a band called Hotspit, and had “IKIF” by Dirt Buyer, “I Want You To Love Me” by Fiona Apple and “Gold Soundz” by Pavement bouncing in my head at the time.” 

Featuring earlier singles including the sun-drenched “Surprise”, antsy and ethereal “F***” and recent single “Clean”, almost all of the songs on ‘A Place You Grew Up In’ were written between late March 2020 and summer 2021, before being recorded by the band while staying on a ranch just outside of Los Angeles. Genevich explains:

“We were able to find new meaning in a lot of the songs while out in California. It ended up being this very therapeutic process and I’m extremely grateful for it.” 

Produced by Dylan Herman (Beck, Pynkie), the album also features Laveda’s full live band, including Dan Carr (bass) and Joe Taruone (drums).

Founded by duo Ali Genevich (vocals/guitar) and Jake Brooks (vocals/guitar/synths), Laveda released their polished debut album ‘What Happens After’ in 2020. As complex as it was colourful, the LP saw the band compared to the likes of The Sundays and My Bloody Valentine as they attracted glowing praise across the US and beyond.

An album that draws experience from the darkest of times and reflects in the half-light that comes with the dawning of adulthood, Laveda’s sophomore album ‘A Place You Grew Up In’ presents 12 shimmering, sensory, and sensitive tracks to savour. The album is released everywhere on 14 April, via PaperCup Music.