Years active 2012–present | Website laluzband.tumblr.com | |
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Origin Seattle, Washington, United States (2012) Similar Ty Segall, Shannon and the Clams, Shana Cleveland & The Sa, Colleen Green, King Tuff Profiles | ||
La Luz is a surf rock band from Los Angeles, California founded in 2012 consisting of Shana Cleveland, Marian Li Pino, Alice Sandahl, and Lena Simon. La Luz has received critical acclaim following the release of two studio albums It's Alive and Weirdo Shrine.
Contents
- History
- Car Accident
- Personnel Change
- First albums
- Move to Los Angeles
- Band members
- Albums
- EP
- Songs
- References
La Luz is known for their "surf noir" style with layered vocal harmonies. Their energetic live shows often include Soul Train-inspired dance contests and crowd surfing.
History
Shana Cleveland and Marian Li Pino (former members of Seattle band The Curious Mystery) formed La Luz in Seattle, Washington with Alice Sandahl and original bassist Abbey Blackwell after being inspired by surf and rock and roll acts like Link Wray, The Ventures, and Dick Dale, as well as girl groups like The Shirelles. After releasing an EP titled Damp Face in 2012, La Luz signed with Hardly Art and released their first full-length album titled It's Alive.
Car Accident
While on tour supporting of Montreal on November 5, 2013, La Luz was involved in a serious automobile accident on the road traveling from Boise, ID to Seattle, WA as their tour van slipped on black ice. After crashing into a highway divider, their van was then hit by a semi-trailer truck. Band members sustained injuries, and all of the instruments and merchandise were destroyed with the tour van and trailer, forcing them to cancel the remainder of the tour.
Personnel Change
On February 4, 2014 bassist Abbey Blackwell announced via Facebook that she was leaving La Luz. She posted "Dear friends and fans, I am sorry to say that I will be leaving La Luz... after a year and a half of being in this incredible band, spending time with these talented women, and experiencing the best and the worst of tour, I've decided that the touring life just isn't for me, and my heart lies in the back of an orchestra and working on my own music."
Two weeks later, La Luz followed up by announcing the addition of new bassist Lena Simon.
First albums
In February 2015 La Luz announced the release of a new album produced by garage rock veteran Ty Segall. After supporting Segall on tour, he offered to produce their next album in his home studio (later moved to a surfboard warehouse). Segall's influence resulted in a live-sounding recording sacrificing technical perfection for a more visceral, organic sound that he felt captured the essence of the group.Segall also encouraged La Luz to introduce the heavy use of a fuzz pedal on Cleveland's guitar.
On August 7, 2015 La Luz released their second LP through Hardly Art titled Weirdo Shrine, and embarked on an international tour to support its release. The album received positive reviews in The Guardian, Pitchfork and The New York Times, whose critic Ben Ratliff wrote:
"On La Luz’s new record, “Weirdo Shrine” (Hardly Art), what first seems blithe and brittle is actually sturdy, passionate, mysterious, fully committed. That guitar playing, from Shana Cleveland, becomes vivid and color-saturated. That light-handed drumming, by Marian Li Pino, swells and intensifies and comes to grips with the small details."
Move to Los Angeles
On December 22, 2015, La Luz announced that they would be moving from Seattle to Los Angeles.
Band members
Shana Cleveland - Guitar and vocals
Marian Li Pino - Drums and vocals
Alice Sandahl - Keyboard and vocals
Lena Simon - Bass and vocals
Albums
It's Alive (Hardly Art, 2013)
Weirdo Shrine (Hardly Art, 2015)
EP
Damp Face (Burger Records, 2012)
Songs
Call Me in the DayIt's Alive · 2013
Sure as SpringIt's Alive · 2013
You DisappearWeirdo Shrine · 2015