New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Six-piece indie-rock ensemble Lakes have announced their new album Start Again, which is set for release on July 30 via Know Hope Records (US) and Big Scary Monsters (UK). Recorded over the course of nine months and various lockdowns-and produced and mixed by Neil Strauch (Owen, Owls, Joan Of Arc, Slow Mass)-Start Again is a testament of the human condition, as it explores themes such as mental health, addiction, break-ups and cutting out toxic friends.
The lead single and title track "
Start Again" is available to stream here. The track addresses collective suffering as a result of COVID and subsequent lockdowns, with lead singer Roberto Cappellina hitting the reset button after spending the summer self-medicating in order to deal with panic attacks. Cappellina explains, "During lockdown last year my mental health was really suffering, and as a result I had been self-medicating pretty hard. There's a collective suffering right now which makes it harder to relate to an individual's story, but this was my outlet."
Of the album as a whole, Cappellina shares, "This batch of songs has been a vehicle for healing for all six of us in some way, so there are a lot of different, but raw themes throughout the record. Even though we're currently all isolated from each other, the one person you can't escape is yourself. We've been to some dark places between us, but ultimately, 'Start Again' is about coming out the other side. This record is about facing that darkness, owning it and letting go of the past. It's about being at peace with it and moving forward and saying that it's actually OK to start again." Pre-order Start Again here.
Founded by drummer and writer, Matt Shaw, Lakes have evolved immensely over the past four years. Maturing from a mini, bedroom side-project to a fully fleshed out math rock group, they continue to grow in groundbreaking new ways.
With the release of The Tahoe EP in 2018, The Geneva EP in 2019 and The Constance LP in 2019, Lakes were praised by the likes of Rocksound, BrooklynVegan, AltPress and Washed Up Emo, who referred to the group as "Your new favourite band." The band's spell-binding and triumphant live show saw them out on the road with UK label-mates Orchards and Nervus, and unexpectedly spread their reputation halfway across the globe, with Tower Records Tokyo profiling the band in-store, and Friend Of Mine Records in Japan and Know Hope Records in the US welcoming the group to their rosters.
Now, Lakes are ready to release Start Again, which features profound melodies, improved basslines and poppy choruses. Creating their own unique blend of prolific math rock and captivating pop, Lakes turn traditional, twinkly emo inside out.
Lakes are Roberto Cappellina (vocals, guitar, percussion), Blue Jenkins (vocals, glockenspiel, keys, percussion), Matt Shaw (drums, guitar, keys, percussion), Charlie Smith (bass), Rob Vacher (guitar) and Gareth Arthur (guitar).
