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LANY Discusses Touring, Their EP, “Kinda”, Writing Music and More!
Photo Credit- Alessio Boni
Los Angeles based genre-bending band LANY (pronounced LAY-NEE) will embark on a 30+ city tour this fall in support of their recently released EP kinda out now. PRESS HERE to purchase the EP on iTunes. The Kinda Tour kicks off September 27th in Portland, Oregon and will bring LANY’s entrancing live performance to shows in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, New York City and more!
LANY recently concluded their first headline tour which SOLD OUT well before the band played the first show, with the demand to accommodate fans resulting in extra dates being added and rooms extended. With performances at Bonnaroo, Sasquatch and Firefly, as well as 14-dates opening for Oh Wonder already under their belt this summer, the trio will also be performing at Outside Lands and Life is Beautiful later this year.
LANY (comprised of Paul Klein, Les Priest and Jake Goss) happened organically. It began when the former school friends collaborated on songs that Klein had written and within days they had created a clutch of anthems that were too good to ignore. Even at this early stage, their songs have connected on a large scale: the blissful dream-pop of “ILYSB” made big waves when they put it online and has over 15 million Spotify plays so far. Their single “Where The Hell Are My Friends” is already nudging 4 million plays in a matter of weeks. LANY create music that makes the intimate feel universal and connects them indelibly with their growing fanbase.
Learn more about LANY in the following All Access interview:
Thanks for your time! Now that we are more then half-way through 2016, what are some words you would use to describe it? What were some of the highlights of 2015 for the band?
Demanding, rewarding, exciting and productive. It’s a little hard trying to remember 2015… I know that sounds crazy. We signed to Polydor, moved out of our one bedroom apartment, supported Halsey for 4 dates… Those shows were massive and we played our first few festivals.
Can you talk about how LANY was first formed? How did you all meet each other? Where did the band name come from? Why do you think you all work so well together?
We all met in Nashville and we were just friends and never worked on music together. I then moved to Los Angeles on my own. After i moved, Jake and Les started making music together. I asked if I could fly back and just see what we could come up and that’s how LANY began. LANY represents the span of the country… From Los Angeles to New York. I think we’re good together because we’re genuinely fans of each other and each other’s ideas.
How was your first headline tour? What was it like? What were some of your favorite venues and crowds? What upcoming shows and festivals are you looking forward to the most?
The first headline was really cool and totally sold out. It was only 10 or 11 shows, but some standout cities were Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Houston. We’re currently on our second headline tour which is around 60 dates. We are looking forward to playing Paris and Amsterdam and playing cities in the US that we have yet to headline in.
What was it like learning that you were the most streamed artist though the Spotify’s Discover Weekly feature?
That is so rad! I love Spotify. We have the coolest relationship with them and we always swing by their offices when we’re on tour.
Let’s talk about your new EP, “kinda.” What was the inspiration for these songs? How did they all come together?
I guess the inspiration is just emotion. I think I’m starting to realize that I feel things pretty deeply… Like I’m hypersensitive. In every day life, it actually kinda sucks. (Laughter) But i’m learning to channel it and put that emotion and energy into my artistic endeavors. “kinda” is just a collection of songs we’ve been making out of our little house in Malibu.
Who are some of your favorite artists? Who would you love to work with in the future?
I’m all over the place. I grew up loving and admiring John Mayer. I’m not really a guitar player, but the way he’s mastered his craft and continues to do so really inspires me. I also think he’s one of the greatest songwriters alive right now. But as far as collaborations… I’ve tried a few co-writes and stuff like that and I just really just like working with the boys. However, there are so many artists I’d love to be friends with and have relationships with and share ideas and just hang.
At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope listeners take away from your songs?
I guess I just hope that our music elevates them from whatever position they’re currently in. Music should always build up, improve, heal and never tear down or destroy. I hope people become better versions of themselves after listening to us.
