Oklahoma City indie rockers THE LUNAR LAUGH and Big Stir Records are proud to bring you an all-new album of originals – the band's fourth studio collection and second full-length for BSR – that marks a new creative peak for the already-beloved quintet. IN THE BLACK, featuring the global indie radio hit “Born Weird,” the forthcoming single “Fake It Till We Make It,” and the first album appearance of the much-loved 2021 standalone track “Allegiance,” hits record stores on CD and streaming services worldwide on November 3 and is up for pre-order and pre-save now:
Torchbearers for the rich tradition of inventive and groundbreaking guitar-based pop from the American midwest, THE LUNAR LAUGH are in a class of their own. Rightly considered part of a newly emerging generation in the genre, they've already come a long way since their self-released 2015 debut APOLLO, recorded in their original duo configuration of singer/songwriters Connor Anderson and Jared Lekites. Then as now, THE LUNAR LAUGH intertwined their modern pop and rock song structures with hooks heavily under the influence of power pop masterworks of the '60s and '70s. But since the 2017 addition of fellow singer/songwriter Campbell Young and over the course of two more critically acclaimed albums, the band has become a true collaboration of the kind not often heard on the pop scene. Now they take it a step further, harnessing the remarkable chemistry developed as a five-piece live band encompassing bassist Triston Lightner and drummer Levi Sherman, and fielding material that's grown ever more sophisticated and mature without losing the buoyant melodic charge at its core.
Never has that rare blend been more apparent than on the band's new album IN THE BLACK. What you'll hear across the record's ten tracks is something that's often hyped, but rarely delivered: a group of young songwriters and musicians seamlessly weaving the sounds of the entire history of pop music into one compelling, coherent, and captivatingly modern whole. Just listen as the opener “Born Weird” – equal parts '90s pop punk and Pet Sounds – gives way to “Allegiance,” whereupon late '80s Phil Collins/Bruce Hornsby production rubs shoulders with '70s-rooted Coral sitar lines. Then it's on to the stomping Sweet-meets-Badfinger working class glam of “Fake It Till We Make It,” the Merseybeat-tinged “Timeless Time,” and “Stranger Than Oz,” where the '70s mellow AM sounds of America blend with Byrdsy jangle. It all sounds of a piece, as the album stakes out a unique space and, yes, timeless time all its own.
Elsewhere, “So So Long” blends a strong Fleetwood Mac vibe with 21st Century indie rock production touches, “Still Gets To Me” is Springsteen-inspired but plays like a Motown ballad reimagined via postpunk jangle, and the closing “Picture Perfect” blends sweet pedal steel, banjolele and cello, blurring the line between alt-country and chamber pop. There's also room for the fascinatingly haunting half-waltz “Pour Votre Santé” and the sweet shuffle “Out Of Love,” a song written by drummer Sherman's late father with some present-day additions (a new bridge and some delightfully anachronistic synth lines). THE LUNAR LAUGH's extraordinary, inimitable harmonies drape over nearly all of the songs, hitting sweet spots which evoke The New Pornographers and The Beach Boys in equal measure.
“I think our growth as a functioning band unit is audible,” says Lekites. “In The Black is a ‘band’ album. That is, we all pitched in and the music came out all the better for it. Growth also comes with natural aging and, naturally, we are all older than we were when we first started making music together. There’s a sense of maturity in the songs that we probably couldn’t have pulled off in our early 20s.” True though that is, it's not just the sophistication of the songs that leaps out at the listener on a bracing first listen; it's also the depth of the collaborative spirit driving it. Lekites, Anderson and Campbell don't only lend empathetic support to each other's tunes, they co-write on a granular level, often trading off lead vocals within each song – on “Born Weird” alone, each one steps up to take a lead vocal, and the album continues in that vein. It's a step beyond the superb harmonies and instrumental alchemy that, in any other band, would be dazzling in themselves.
That sense of communal creativity is reflected not just in the apparent joy the three songwriters take in inspiring each other – each one hits enough melodic and lyrical high points here to carry three solo records – but in the sweetly encouraging sentiments which emanate from IN THE BLACK, belying the bleakness of its title. That's partly by hard-won design: the three-year recording process coincided not only with the global pandemic, but the passing of Lekites' father and brother in the space of four months. At times, imperfect takes reflecting the emotional realities of the times were preserved, and that rawness can be felt as an underlying grit and Stonesy looseness playing against the modern pop sheen. But THE LUNAR LAUGH consciously and collaboratively push toward the uplifting. “It was somewhat therapeutic and/or cathartic to construct the lyrics to a very positive, pep-talk of a song like 'Born Weird' as we put it together during the height of the pandemic,” offers Lekites. And of the session for “Out Of Love”: “Just days after losing my brother, I was adding my parts to this song and trying desperately not to completely fall apart at the seams. It felt nice to be doing something with a loving message to it.”
The resulting record delivers that message repeatedly and resoundingly. With its ten-song, 37-minute run time, it's an absolute rush of hooks and uplifting but nuanced turns of phrase, often unflinching about the emotional realities of of loss and challenging times but always leaning toward hope. And that hope is amplified by the communal spirit that makes IN THE BLACK not only one of the most engaging and thrilling guitar pop records of 2023, but also quite possibly THE LUNAR LAUGH's masterpiece. “If we never make another album, I would be satisfied going out on a high with this one,” says Lekites. While longtime fans and those newly discovering the band will surely hope there is more to come, IN THE BLACK is without a doubt a new high water mark in the already celebrated career of THE LUNAR LAUGH. Long may they shine.
credits
released November 3, 2023
Produced and Arranged by The Lunar Laugh
The Lunar Laugh:
Connor Anderson
Jared Lekites
Triston Lightner
Levi Sherman
Campbell Young
Mastered by Jamie Tate at The Rukkus Room, Nashville, TN
Band photography: Lauren Makay Smith/Lomo Lo & The Lunar Laugh
Cover illustration: Lane Faglie
Art layout and band logo: Steve Stanley
Special thanks to the fine folks at Empire Slice House in the plaza district for allowing us to pose in your fine establishment.
A big yee-haw and howdy to our co-producers and co-conspirators in the creation of this music. It wouldn’t have been as fun without you riding along. Thanks from all of us to our BIG STIR RECORDS family! We are so grateful to have you in our corner. Lots of big hugs to our loved ones, families and dear friends for their unwavering support of our music. Finally, to you dear fan and loyal listener: we know you have waited patiently to hear this album. Thank you for sticking with us.
In Memory of:
Joseph Paul Lekites (1958-2022)
&
Joel Raymond Lekites (1981-2023)
____________________________________________________________________________
1. BORN WEIRD
(Connor Anderson/Jared Lekites)
Co-produced by Johnny Manchild
Recorded by Johnny Manchild and Ethan Neel at Wasted Space, Oklahoma City, OK
Additional recording and mix by Taylor Johnson at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Connor Anderson: lead vocal (verse), backing vocals, electric guitar
Jared Lekites: lead vocal (chorus and bridge), backing vocals, electric guitars, tambourine, KORG MS-10
Triston Lightner: bass, backing vocals
Levi Sherman: drums, backing vocals
Campbell Young: lead vocal (bridge), backing vocals, electric guitar, electric solo
Johnny Manchild: Wurlitzer
Taylor Johnson: additional keyboards
2. ALLEGIANCE
(Jared Lekites)
Co-Produced, recorded and mixed by Taylor Johnson at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Additional recording by Campbell Young at LaCroixs In The Attic, Edmond, OK
Connor Anderson: backing vocals, acoustic guitars
Jared Lekites: Lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitars, acoustic drums, string arrangement
Campbell Young: backing vocals, electric guitars, solo, electric sitar
Taylor Johnson: bass, keyboards, drum programming
Jeremy Sheets: cellos
____________________________________________________________________________
3. FAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT
(Campbell Young)
Recorded by Campbell Young at SHITSVILLE USA, Oklahoma City, OK
Mixed by Taylor Johnson at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Connor Anderson: backing vocals, electric guitar
Jared Lekites: backing vocals, handclaps
Triston Lightner: bass
Levi Sherman: drums, handclaps
Campbell Young: lead vocals, electric guitar, keyboards, handclaps
__________________________________________________________________________
4. TIMELESS TIME
(Jared Lekites/Campbell Young)
Co-Produced, recorded and mixed by Taylor Johnson at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Jared Lekites: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Triston Lightner: bass
Levi Sherman: drums
Campbell Young: electric guitars, piano
_________________________________________________________________________
5. STRANGER THAN OZ
(Jared Lekites)
Co-Produced, recorded and mixed by Brine Webb at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Connor Anderson: electric guitar, percussion
Jared Lekites: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, percussion
Triston Lightner: bass
Levi Sherman: drums, percussion
Campbell Young: electric guitar, guitar solo
_________________________________________________________________________
6. POUR VOTRE SANTÉ
(Connor Anderson/Jared Lekites)
Recorded by Campbell Young at SHITSVILLE USA, Oklahoma City, OK
Connor Anderson: electric guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (first half of bridge)
Jared Lekites: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
Triston Lightner: bass, backing vocals
Levi Sherman: drums, backing vocals
Campbell Young: electric guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (second half of bridge)
Peter Collins: piano, organ, keyboards
__________________________________________________________________________
7. SO SO LONG
(Jared Lekites/Campbell Young)
Co-produced and recorded by Ethan Neel at Wasted Space, Oklahoma City, OK
Mixed by Taylor Johnson at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Connor Anderson: backing vocals, electric guitar
Jared Lekites: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
Triston Lightner: bass, backing vocals
Levi Sherman: drums, backing vocals
Campbell Young: backing vocals, electric guitars, solo, keyboards
Peter Collins: electric piano
___________________________________________________________________________
8. STILL GETS TO ME
(Jared Lekites/Campbell Young)
Recorded by Campbell Young at SHITSVILLE USA, Oklahoma City, OK
Mixed by Taylor Johnson at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Connor Anderson: electric guitar, backing vocals
Jared Lekites: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitars, percussion
Triston Lighner: bass
Levi Sherman: drums
Campbell Young: backing vocals, electric guitar, solo
___________________________________________________________________________
9. OUT OF LOVE
(Richard P. Sherman II/Levi M. Sherman)
Recorded by Campbell Young at SHITSVILLE USA, Oklahoma City, OK
Mixed by Taylor Johnson at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Connor Anderson: lead vocals, electric guitar
Jared Lekites: acoustic guitar, backing vocals, tambourine
Triston Lightner: bass
Levi Sherman: lead vocals (bridge), backing vocals, drums
Campbell Young: backing vocals, electric guitars, keyboards
Peter Collins: electric piano
___________________________________________________________________________
Co-Produced by Johnny Manchild
Recorded by Johnny Manchild and Ethan Neel at Wasted Space, Oklahoma City, OK
Additional recording by Steven Stark at Galloping Cat Studios, Oklahoma City, OK
Mixed by Taylor Johnson at Lunar Manor, Oklahoma City, OK
Connor Anderson: backing vocals, electric guitar
Jared Lekites: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Triston Lightner: bass, banjolele, backing vocals
Levi Sherman: drums, backing vocals
Campbell Young: electric guitar, backing vocals, solo
Isaac Stalling: pedal steel guitar
Steven Stark: string arrangement and cellos
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