NEW NOISE: LAUNDRY DAY
The NYC-based band share their origin story ahead of their debut album release and discuss their plans for the future.
When it comes to incorporating the music tastes of five artists into a collective album, it really is survival of the fittest. Coming out on top, LAUNDRY DAY storm into new music Friday with their major label debut album We Switched Bodies. Blending the diverse interests of each member, the ten-track effort incorporates '60s psych-rock with twists of electronica — an exemplar of their unique and exciting soundscape.
While "Don't Blow Yourself Up" samples sultry symphonies, fan favourite "Did You Sleep Last Night" interposes head-bopping rock elements with ease. Changing things up, the synth-laced melody of "Little Bird" offers the feel-good vibe of nostalgia, offering music fit for every mood.
Co-produced by the minds of BROCKHAMPTON's Kevin Abstract and Roil Hemnani, along with veteran rock producer Brendan O'Brien, We Switched Bodies is a project full of artful minds and stratospheric skill. To celebrate the release of the album, LAUNDRY DAY will embark on a North American headline tour next month, the details of which can be found on their website here.
Before the festivities begin, we spoke with the band directly to understand how such an explosive album could be put together, and all of their plans for the near future. To stream the album and read the interview, head below…
Hi guys, how are you all? Where are we speaking to you from?
Jude: Hello! I'm sitting on my toilet in Lower Manhattan.
Henry: I just landed in London for the annual Big Ben Commemorative Banquet.
Etai: Posted up cooking eggs.
Sawyer: My parents basement
HP: Beneath my dogs
Let's start at the beginning, where did you all meet?
Jude: In 2016, none of us knew each other, but we all got into the same two high schools in New York City. A public school, Beacon High, and a performing arts school, LaGuardia. We all chose Beacon. We all met within the first two days of school. It was destiny. We started making music by October.
Sawyer: 2016. Freshman year of highschool. I'm rocking this pair of adidas NMD's to school which I thought were so sick at the time, and right in front of the main entrance is this kid in a pink shirt wearing the exact same shoes as me. We get to talking and he tells me he writes music. I know how to produce. We started working during lunch and eventually some other kids came and helped us. Those other kids were Etai, Hp and Henry and Jude was the kid in the NMD's.
Who had the idea of forming the band?
Jude: It couldn't have happened more naturally. I have this lyric "make a name for band that I created" on our song Bulldog and I still feel guilty that I said that cause we really all came together so naturally. It wasn't until the five of us had been in a room making music together for months that we were like, "Oh, this is a band!". It was never a flyer on the school corkboard situation.
Sawyer: We just all loved making music and that's how it started. We were just making music for Jude originally, then for me, then we decided that it was actually a different thing. It was it's own special thing ya know.
You have a very unique name! What is the meaning behind the name?
Henry: When writing our first song, we wanted a place to inspire us to create something really unique. Being that we were in the city, we knew we needed to take a road trip in order to change the scenery. Where did we go? A farm. We went to "Sungrows Farm" in Massachusetts and started writing music. Along the way, we started volunteering at the farm. Working with the pigs and cows, it was all very dirty. One day, we realized we were out of clean clothes. We needed to do some laundry. We made a big deal out of doing laundry, and it was a core memory from starting the band. From then on, we made an inside joke out of the phrase "Laundry Day" and when it came time to pick a band name, there was really only one option.
Sawyer: I can still smell the fresh farm air now!
You have your new album dropping soon! How are you feeling about the world hearing it?
Etai: The day can't come soon enough. We have been working on it for so long. To me, it's flawless! It's like I've been sitting on the toilet for two long years and I'm just starting to feel something. The fruit of my labor. I hope that when people hear this album they get a confident and clear sense of who we are. That's what we were striving to achieve. I am greatly looking forward to all the memories people will make while these songs are playing.
Sawyer: We've had these songs with us for so long and it totally feels like the right time to put them out into the world. It represents a genuine period of our lives and that's all that music really is. It's a window into our world and I think this window is huge and insanely intricate.
Is there are particular theme to the album, maybe an overarching message that you want portray?
Etai: The task of making this album came to us at a very fragile and volatile point in our lives. The daily studio laughter was probably the only thing keeping us sane. All external forces were testing us severely, and it took all our energy to keep ourselves together and stay determined. As a result, the main theme of the album is definitely leaning on your loved ones to get through difficult times. We were too focused on powering through to make songs about anything else.
And, Kevin Abstract and Romil Hemnani of Brockhampton produced the album, which is amazing! How was it working with such talents?
HP: Everyone knows how good their work is, but getting to see their beautiful brains in action was a gift. They taught us a lot about intention.
Jude: We love them so much. And they love us too. There's a mutual respect there that we really cherish. Big brothers.
Previously you have toured with the 1975 and Clairo! Who would you want to share the stage with next?
HP: There are countless big names I would set my hair on fire to open for, but truthfully my dream is to find other young bands in NYC and share the stage with them, come up as a community. I think that's something I'm missing outside of LD. Community.
Apart from the album drop, what are you looking forward to in 2022? Do you have any other projects are you working on?
Jude: Getting back on the road. We've missed touring so much. And we're a band band. We gotta be on stage, playing our instruments LIVE. It's the greatest feeling in the world.
Henry: I've been working for years to earn my scuba license. I think this year is the year I finally reach that goal. I also just started writing a book about the relationship between corporate workers and the economy. I'm doing a lot of research at the moment but I think that's going to be a big part of my 2022 as well.
New Noise
Premiere: Patrik Gryst – "Transportør"
New Noise: Alexander 23
Holding nothing back, singer MEI bares all on her soul-stirring EP "The Hard Way Around The Sun".
Hackney-born rapper GIO talks not fitting into the UK scene and building a core fanbase.
East London-hailed rapper Arz is proving why he is a one to watch.
Pop-rocker The Kut gets candid on females in the rock world, standing her ground and being so honest in her music.
YouTuber turned Rapper DDG breaks down his mixtape "Die 4 Respect" and his love for the UK music scene.
Breakout artist Au/Ra overcomes the weighty expectations of adolescence in new single "Plz don't waste my youth".
Cupid comes early as Yaz drops her fairy-like single, "Mr Valentine".