An indie rock band deserving of a bigger audience, Lakefield Temple are a new discovery to excite any music lover.
Initially the bedroom project of singer and synth player Randa Tobing – influenced by new wave, Bruce Springsteen, '00s indie rock and modern shoegaze – Lakefield Temple are intent on creating sonic landscapes to lose yourself within.Joined by guitarist Ben Szabadics, drummer Isaac Woodland, the multitalented Sam Dawson and newcomer Brook Craig on saxophone, Lakefield Temple explore themes of regret, hope, love and loss.
After a trio of singles the last 12 months, highlighted by last month's sprawling, atmospheric post-rock burner 'The Fear', the Boorloo group return with another offering, 'The Days That Surround My Throat', highlighting their potential to breakthrough at a national level (and beyond).
Bright, spacious, gleaming indie rock with the swagger of art rock, the texturised instrumentation draws you in with its hypnotic beauty, swirling in a push-pull between quieter, shimmering moments and more frantic, energised sections.
Then there's Randa's vocals, a moody concoction of familiar tones intertwined with a jangly edge that adds to the song's melody, enchanting to the ear despite the bleakness of the lyrics that paint a picture of predestined hopelessness that can consume all thoughts.
"This track is about feeling that sense of hopelessness and frustration when you know you need to change something but don't have the power to," Randa says. "On the other hand, it's also about letting go of that feeling, your entitlements and your regrets, to reach a new sense of purpose."
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (22 November), today scenestr is delighted to premiere 'The Days That Surround My Throat'. Enjoy.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Tav Bartlett from Lifetime Warranty, Randa is excited by the addition of 'The Days That Surround My Throat' to the band's arsenal. "I think my favourite thing about this track is how immediate it feels. It really feels like everyone firing on all cylinders. It's my favourite song to do live, as well."
The song also came about slightly differently than the band usually create new music. "Where a lot of our tracks were born from structured demos," shares Ben, "this one happened far more organically, and I think that rawness really comes through.
"We wrote this in one session without Sam (our bassist) – we decided it would be perfect for a gig the next week and surprised him with the new track at the rehearsal two days before.
"Somehow it came together, without even a second verse fully written and with a completely improvised solo section, and our audience loved it, so we fast-tracked it to the studio (Isaac's basement)."
The band also seem to have infused the ethos of bands from yesteryear, intent on letting the art speak for itself rather than curating a sound to fit today's hectic, attention-greedy social feeds.
"We do a lot of things the 'wrong' way – our songs are pretty long, we make full length music videos more than short form stuff," admits Ben, "and we're sticking with a traditional album format for whenever that gets finished – but we love doing it."
