Laufey is a contemporary holiday staple thanks to her annual drop of festive songs. This year, she delivered a rendition of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” in a seasonally appropriate jazzy style. She has one again called upon Christmas traditions in a new video for the song shared today (December 4).
It’s presented in a stop-motion animation style, reminiscent of classic holiday specials like Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. It’s adorable: Laufey stars alongside Mei Mei The Bunny as the pair enjoy the magical season in and around the house.
Watch the “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” video above and find Laufey’s upcoming tour dates below.
Laufey’s 2025 & 2026 Tour Dates
12/12/2025 — New York, NY @ iHeartRadio Jingle Ball
12/14/2025 — Boston, MA @ iHeartRadio Jingle Ball
12/15/2025 — Philadelphia, PA @ iHeartRadio Jingle Ball
12/16/2025 — Washington, D.C. @ iHeartRadio Jingle Ball
02/18/2026 — Zürich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion
02/19/2026 — Düsseldorf, Germany @ Mitsubishi Electric Halle
02/22/2026 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
02/24/2026 — Berlin, Germany @ Velodrom
02/26/2026 — Vienna, Austria @ Stadthalle
02/28/2026 — Brussels, Belgium @ ING Arena
03/01/2026 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
03/02/2026 — Paris, France @ Adidas Arena
03/04/2026 — Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live
03/06/2026 — Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena
03/08/2026 — London, UK @ The O2
03/09/2026 — London, UK @ The O2
03/14/2026 — Kópavogur, Iceland @ Kórinn Arena
03/15/2026 — Kópavogur, Iceland @ Kórinn Arena
03/21/2026 — Lisbon, Portugal @ Coliseu dos Recreios
03/22/2026 — Barcelona, Spain @ Auditori Fòrum CCIB
04/12/2026 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Music and Arts Festival
04/19/2026 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Music and Arts Festival
If you’ve never watched an artist drive a car through a media studio, onto the stage, and instantly start performing, then this is for you. Coco Jones — Bel-Air star, R&B revivalist, and 2025 Grammy Award nominee — does all of the above for her UPROXX Visionaries performance of Why Not More? standout, “Thang 4 U.”
Pulling up on the FYI Campus in a head-turning Toyota Crown, Jones doesn’t just park in the lot; she drives through the office, right up to the UPROXX Studios XR Stage, hops out, and starts singing. Meanwhile, the XR does its thing, transforming her performance into a one-of-a-kind visual experience as it scans her movements, vocals, and the beat in real time, evolving based on what she does.
As a seasoned performer, Coco gives it plenty to work with, putting all her performance prowess — well-honed by time spent as a Disney staple, television star, and live entertainer since her childhood — to the task. And when all is said and done, what else is there to do but hop back in her car and drive off into the sunset? Actually, there’s a whole interview with UPROXX’s Chief Visionary Officer will.i.am, which you can check out soon.
Watch Coco Jones perform “Thang 4 U” For UPROXX Visionaries above.
It looks like we got two Lil Baby projects this year, after all. After the Atlanta rapper quietly canceled Dominique, the planned follow-up to his last album, WHAM, it looked like we might not get any more new music from Lil Baby for the year.
However, a week ago, Lil Baby announced The Leaks, a mixtape compiling “full versions of previously teased snippets and leaked songs that have circulated online over the years” spanning his career, after he teased a “WHAM Wednesdays” campaign of new songs every week for the remainder of the year. Following the release of “Try To Love” and “Real Sh*t,” among others, Lil Baby delivered on The Leaks, dropping the album just as the latest WHAM Wednesday came to a close, along with another new song, “Let’s Do It,” featuring Playboi Carti and Skooly.
The new song is paired with a simple video of the rappers recording and shooting the breeze in the studio and in a nightclub parking lot, while rapping verses in wildly different styles that sort of encompass the entire Atlanta scene at once. Playboi Carti trades in his signature squeak for the barrel-chested flow that often reminds fans of Future, while Skooly singsongs his verse. Lil Baby runs anchor, for a track that really shows a lot of range of a short runtime.
The Leaks also includes features from Bino Rideaux, G Herbo, Lil Yachty, LUCKI, Rylo Rodriguez, Veeze, and Young Thug. You can listen to it here, and find the tracklist below.
Lil Baby’s The Leaks Tracklist
01. “Mrs. Trendsetter”
02. “Guaranteed”
03. “Try To Love”
04. “Nasty Girl”
05. “Real Shit”
06. “Violation”
07. “Let’s Do It” feat. Playboi Carti, Skooly
08.”Forever Slime”
09. “Middle Of The Summer”
10. “What She Like”
11. “Get Along” feat. Lil Yachty, LUCKI, Veeze
12. “Superman” feat. Young Thug
13. “St Tropez” feat. Rylo Rodriguez, Bino Rideaux
14. “Otha Boy”
15. “All On Me” feat. G Herbo
Top Dawg Entertainment’s annual holiday concert has become a staple tradition in Los Angeles. Last year’s event brought out guests like Kendrick Lamar (who left the label to start his own imprint in 2023) and GloRilla (who was the traditional surprise guest).
The tradition continues Thursday, December 18, in Nickerson Gardens in Watts, with a lineup including the whole TDE roster: Ab-Soul, Doechii, Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, Lance Skiiiwalker, Ray Vaughn, Schoolboy Q, SiR, SZA, and Zacari. And, as usual, there’s a plethora of surprise guests, in addition to the surprise headliner. Last year, that number included many of the guests from Kendrick’s album GNX, but past pop-outs have included Big Sean, Rihanna, Travis Scott, and more.
The next day, December 19, Top Dawg will host its 12th annual toy giveaway in Nickerson, with toys donated by concert attendees as the price of admission. The event includes a job fair, barber services, youth sports, raffles, and photo services.
In 2024, more than 10,000 attendees donated over $750,000 worth of toys and clothing to Watts residents, along with charitable contributions by Wasserman, Live Nation, Amazon Music Rotation, Interscope Capitol Labels Group (ICL), RCA Records, The Los Angeles Rams, Converse, True Religion, Pro Club, The Shop Men’s Grooming, K-Swiss and more, according to a press release. You can find the flyer and admission info below.
TDE
EVENT DETAILS
Thursday, December 18th — Charitable Holiday Concert
Time: Gates open at 10:00AM PST
Location: 11251 Compton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90059
Access to the concert entrance via 114th St and Success Ave; rideshare is strongly encouraged.
Entrance Fee: Donation Item (unwrapped toys, new clothing/shoes, or other charitable contributions)
Friday, December 19th — Community Giveback
Time: 11:00AM- 4:00PM PST
Location: 11251 Compton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90059
Rosalía has one of 2025’s defining projects with her new album Lux; Uproxx’s Steven Hyden thinks it’ll end up being most critics’ pick for the year’s best album. Fans will soon be able to see it on stage, too: Today (December 4), Rosalía announced the Lux Tour.
The run kicks off in March 2026 and runs through to September. It’s truly a world tour: Along the way, it’ll stop in the US, Canada, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.
There’s an American Express pre-sale for card members for select North American shows, starting December 9 at 9 a.m. local time. More information can be found here. The general on-sale begins December 11 via Rosalía’s website.
Check out the tour dates below.
Rosalía’s 2026 Tour Dates: Lux Tour
03/16/2026 — Lyon, FR @ LDLC Arena
03/18/2026 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
03/20/2026 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
03/22/2026 — Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
03/25/2026 — Milan, IT @ Unipol Forum
03/30/2026 — Madrid, ES @ Movistar Arena
04/01/2026 — Madrid, ES @ Movistar Arena
04/03/2026 — Madrid, ES @ Movistar Arena
04/04/2026 — Madrid, ES @ Movistar Arena
04/08/2026 — Lisbon, PT @ MEO Arena
04/09/2026 — Lisbon, PT @ MEO Arena
04/13/2026 — Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
04/15/2026 — Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
04/17/2026 — Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
04/18/2026 — Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
04/22/2026 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
04/27/2026 — Antwerp, BE @ AFAS Dome
04/29/2026 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
05/01/2026 — Berlin, DE @ Uber Arena
05/05/2026 — London, UK @ The O2
06/04/2026 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
06/08/2026 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
06/11/2026 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
06/13/2026 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
06/16/2026 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
06/20/2026 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
06/23/2026 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
06/27/2026 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
06/29/2026 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
07/03/2026 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena
07/06/2026 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
07/16/2026 — Bogotá, CO @ Movistar Arena
07/24/2026 — Santiago, CL @ Movistar Arena
07/25/2026 — Santiago, CL @ Movistar Arena
08/01/2026 — Buenos Aires, AR @ Movistar Arena
08/02/2026 — Buenos Aires, AR @ Movistar Arena
08/10/2026 — Rio de Janeiro, BR @ Farmasi Arena
08/15/2026 — Guadalajara, MX @ Arena VFG
08/19/2026 — Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey
08/24/2026 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes
08/26/2026 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio de los Deportes
09/03/2026 — San Juan, PR @ Coliseo de Puerto Rico
Lux is out now via Columbia. Find more information here.
Music is the blood that pumps in Uproxx’s veins. It’s the reason we do what we do, the North Star that guides our entire worldview. And, if you’re an active reader of Uproxx or viewer of our content, you likely feel the same way. So, we’ve collected some of the best items someone like you, or us, would love to receive this year for the holidays. Take a look at our picks below, and a happy New Year to you and yours.
King Of All The Land: Mitski by Ebru Yildiz
Ebru Yildiz
Even if you don’t know the name Ebru Yildiz, you’ve undoubtedly seen her photos. She takes promo shots and official art of everyone from Interpol to Neko Case, and has even been featured on this very website. Her work is distinctive, playing with texture, shadow, and often incorporating black-and-white visuals for a stunning, dramatic effect.
Maybe her best-known work is a long-running collaboration with Mitski. Mitski writes the foreword for the collection, which features — clears throat — 109 duotone images presented across 144 pages plus six multi-page gatefolds and a hardbound cloth cover with two tip-in images and debossed type with clear foil. Mitski’s music is so singular and her public image is so adventurous that it makes Yildiz the perfect visual storyteller to bring her image to life, resulting in more than a photodocument, but rather an essential complement to Mitski’s beloved recorded music.
If you’ve been to a concert in the last several years, you’ve likely been through this process: go to the venue’s website, search for the specifics of what kind of bag you can bring in, and then hope that one of your own purses or clutches fits the bill. Hopefully, you don’t arrive and have to take your bag back to the car when rejected by security.
Show Tote is a line of bags created by a pair of concert enthusiasts. The idea is pretty straightforward — stylish bags in a compact size, including clear options to match venue mandates. There’s no reason that going to a concert means having to carry an ugly bag. To try it out, we took “The Handle” in rock n roll crinkle to a recent concert in Los Angeles and my wife was able to feel ready for the occasion with her ensemble and not have to worry about complying with hard-to-master venue specifications. They have a wide line of options sure to fit your own specific aesthetic. Show Tote even has a smart event filter, so you can plug in your venue/event to instantly see which bags are allowed.
Imagine the coolest estate sale ever or an antique store curated by artists. You’ll be close to understanding Ghostnote, but still not quite. Ghostnote is a marketplace where music fans can purchase their own bit of musical history. As the company says, “Each item on Ghostnote is a genuine artifact from an artist’s creative world — something truly one-of-a-kind that was written, played, drawn, or worn during the act of creation.”
If you’ve read our gift guides in the past, you are likely familiar with Soundboks, the giant portable speaker to end all bluetooth speakers. I’ve used it to play music, as well as to screen movies, and it’s been a hit every time.
This year, they introduced a new product: Lightboks. You might have guessed what it is by the name, but Lightboks is anything but a boring old party light. It reacts to the music being played to elevate a karaoke night, a dance party, or just a vibey night with a special someone. Pair it with a Soundboks or let it just exist on its own with whatever sound system you already have. Either way, this is an ideal gift for the music lover in your life.
What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome — The Authorized Biography Of Justin Townes Earle by Jonathan Bernstein
Hachette
Justin Townes Earle wasn’t the biggest artist or the most revered at the time of his passing in 2020 at the young age of 38, but the outpouring of grief and respect from the music community spoke volumes to how he was loved. The son of Steve Earle, the hope was that his story would mirror his father’s, a triumph of exercising demons. But that was not the case, and Rolling Stone editor Jonathan Bernstein tells the story of Earle with the full cooperation of his estate. The resulting book is an ideal gift for the alt-country fan in your life, preserving the legacy of a young artist who hardly had time to build one, but did so nonetheless.
The Guts era might have ended for Olivia Rodrigo, but it can live forever on your bookshelf with the Guts World Tour book. Commemorating one of the most iconic touring runs in recent memory, this collection is packed with photos from Paula Busnovetsky, Miles Leavitt, Jesse DeFlorio, Rahul Bhatt, and Jess Gleeson across 136 pages. Everything about this offering is well-considered, from the die-cut slipcase to the fold-out poster, trading cards and sticker sheets. Rodrigo has always treated her young fans with the care they deserve, and this book is an ideal gift that truly adds to the relationship between the artist and her fans.
Simon Raymonde — In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor And Me
Bonnier Books Ltd
Simon Raymonde might be best known as part of the Cocteau Twins, one of the most iconic and resonant groups of the ’80s and ’90s. In addition, he also led the group This Mortal Coil and started the record label Bella Union, which released music from the likes of Beach House, Dirty Three, and countless others. Needless to say, his experience in the music industry has led to quite an interesting life story, and his recent autobiography shares those stories with the world. An ideal gift for the indie music fan in your life, or anyone that enjoys memoirs from a life as a creative.
We’d be remiss not to mention Bandcamp in any holiday gift guide. The platform promises more than 80 percent of profit from merch sales goes directly into the artist’s pocket, which is about as good as it gets if supporting artists is a key driver in your music-related shopping. There are countless items to get on Bandcamp, from vinyl to sweaters to anything in between. We love this t-shirt featuring artwork by illustrator Joey Yu that was used to launch Bandcamp Clubs. The shirt’s art represents Bandcamp’s mission to make music discovery human, as well as how music provides a connective tissue to other people.
Beats headphones is no stranger to collabs, but this year’s must-buy is a release with Blackpink star Jennie. But it is important to note that this release is more a nod to her solo era for the quite-good record Ruby. The headphones feature a matte red base, “R” and “J” details (for Ruby and Jennie, obvs), and an embellished UltraPlush ear cushion with symbols inspired by the megastar. Even the packaging is thoughtful and fan-focused, while the headphones are finished with an attachable red ribbon tied into a bow. Not to mention the fact that they’re still Beats, which mean industry-best sounds and functionality. The bad news is that these are currently sold out, but the good news is that a little digging can reveal secondary market availability, without too much of a markup in price.
When he’s not playing drums for The Black Keys, Patrick Carney has another endeavor that’s been occupying his time: Dude. Your Team Socks. The brand has a range of great-looking styles, but their latest is a collaboration with American Trench. The latter brand is rooted in American tradition, made fully in the USA using homegrown fabric. This makes for an ideal marriage in the form of the Retro Sock, with its classic striped look and breathable, cushioned fit. Coming in royal, pink, green, and red, these socks are a useful holiday gift with a cool music connection.
An ultimate Beatles gift turns 25 this year, and it’s ready to delight a new generation. The Beatles Anthology comes as a 25th anniversary paperback, featuring interviews with Paul, George, and Ringo made specifically for the book and archival interviews with John to flesh out the content. The book notably contains 1,300 images and photographs from the band’s personal archives, giving the most complete and personal account of their history. With a new docuseries and a re-release of the Beatles Anthology album, it truly is Beatles season.
Whether you have just a few bucks or several grand, Guitar Center remains a one-stop shop for holiday music gifting. And while the shop is known for their musical instruments, we wanted to highlight a couple of other items that require less of an investment.
We love the Hello Kitty x Fender t-shirt collab seen above. The iconic character can be seen holding the legendary guitar in a small front logo while the back gives a large-font reveal of the collab. This comes from a greater collection that features everything from guitar straps to fuzz pedals. But if you’re looking for something more practical, we recommend the record-cleaning kit from Audio-Technica. Audio-Technica is known for their record players, but most people don’t give their vinyl collection proper care, so this is a thoughtful item that people might not know they need.
At Uproxx, we spend a lot of time at music festivals. And if you are a music fan under 30, chances are that you do, too. And while we can recommend tons of items that make fest life better, none might be more important than what you put on your feet. Except for sunscreen.
JD Sports has tons of options, but we really love the New Balance 1000s for a men’s fit and Asics Gels for women’s footwear. Both look cute enough to not signal that they’re comfort-first choices. But that’s the crucial thing, because both are ideal for being on your feet and walking 20,000 steps in a day. We just recommend breaking them in BEFORE you start seeing bands, there is nothing worse than wearing new shoes at a music festival.
We highlighted some of the best NFL collabs and lines this year in our Style Gift Guide, but as we were finalizing our lists, this venture with Tyler, The Creator’s Golf Wang came in off the top rope. Among items in the collection are vintage jerseys, polo shirts, and letterman jackets. It’s all designed with an eye to fashion, ensuring that you’ll look on trend while supporting your favorite team.
Daniel Johnston is one of the most singular artists of my lifetime, and this collection of 16 remastered cassette tapes is the definitive way to experience his music. The set is restored by longtime collaborator Kramer (Shimmy-Disc) and lives in a hand-crafted wooden case, screen-printed with Daniel’s artwork, hand-numbered in a limited edition of 999. It also includes a booklet with liner notes by Marc Masters (a great writer) and an exclusive mystery toy from the New York-based art toy gallery Clutter in conjunction with Lunch Lady Studios. That’s a mouthful and speaks to how meticulously this whole project was put together. If you want to splurge for the music friend in your life, this is a great option.
When I caught up with Nate Amos last month, he was transitioning from one time zone to another. “I’m not jetlagged but I don’t know if I have a really good sense of what time it is,” he said not long before a show in London. Amos was also stuck between musical identities — this tour was with Water From Your Eyes, the anarcho-pop duo he plays in with Rachel Brown. But our conversation was about This Is Lorelei, the long-running solo project set to release an excellent new album called Holo Boy on December 12.
“Things haven’t gotten so busy that I can’t give each project its due diligence, but it’s just a constant thing between the two of them,” the laid-back 34-year-old admitted. “Since Water From Your Eyes just put this album out [2025’s It’s A Beautiful Place], I’m giving that the top spot in terms of touring for this album cycle. But then once this cycle ebbs next summer, then it’ll be Lorelei world again.”
To be clear: Holo Boy isn’t exactly “new.” It’s a 10-track collection of re-recorded tunes from the voluminous collection of Bandcamp releases — nearly 70 in all — that Amos accumulated before last year’s “proper album” breakout Box For Buddy, Box For Star. That LP — one of my favorite records of 2024 — established Amos as one of the most promising indie songwriters of his generation, evincing a gift for melody and songcraft that’s often submerged by the playful experimentation and willful strangeness of Water From Your Eyes. But hardcore fans keeping pace with Amos’ relentless output in the late 2010s and early 2020s were already aware of his preternatural gift for turning out hooky two-minute lo-fi pop songs laced with goofy eccentricity and sneaky melancholy, like a millennial Paul McCartney raised on Blink-182 and Chocolate And Cheese.
Holo Boy is an ideal opportunity to catch up for those who came on board with Box For Buddy. Essentially a “greatest hits” record covering his pre-“indie fame” output, Holo Boy functions as an easy entry point for the scores of dashed-off EPs and quasi-albums he rush-released before, during, and after the COVID era. “It definitely gave me the green light to really do nothing but work on music,” he says now of the shutdown, adding that he also felt little pressure to push those songs to an audience beyond the handful of die-hards paying close attention. But with Holo Boy, he’s finally nudging listeners toward infectious releases like 2019’s Move Around, the original source for one of the new album’s best songs, the wistfully stoned “But You Just Woke Me Up.”
Box For Buddy, Box For Star was one of my favorite albums of 2024, but I hadn’t dug deep into your Bandcamp records, just because that body of work seemed so imposing and huge and I didn’t know where to start. So, I appreciated Holo Boy as a kind of greatest hits album. I looked up all the original recordings and then listened to the records they originated from. It’s a really good guide in that way.
I’m glad that that’s how it led you to approach it, because that was the whole idea with this album, that if someone liked a particular song, they tracked down the release it was from. Then, theoretically, it would be a shortcut to an entire album that maybe they would like. It is supposed to be a cheat sheet that makes the back catalog a little more approachable.
How did you go about picking the songs?
It was like a gut reaction. If I’d chosen 10 songs on five different days, it would’ve come out differently every time. There are definitely some songs that probably would’ve ended up on it every time, but there are certain songs that didn’t end up on it that I feel would’ve landed on it the other four days. A big part of the Lorelei writing process is that there needs to be some component of improvisation. And when you’re working with a bunch of stuff that’s already been written, it’s hard to figure out exactly how to improvise. So, I honestly improvised the process of song selection, since there wasn’t room to do it anywhere else really.
It really does work well as a cohesive album. It made me think about how Box For Buddy as the first “proper” This Is Lorelei record. In an interview around that time, you described the Bandcamp albums as “all the other bullshit” you made on the way to Box For Buddy. How do you think of those records now? Do they feel like rough drafts for something you were able to later refine?
Setting out to make a Bandcamp release and setting out to make a proper album, they’re two different pursuits. In the context of Box For Buddy, when I look back at the earlier releases, I think of them more as mixtapes. They’re not albums that were designed to function in any context larger than just a small Bandcamp following. It was more about documenting little periods of time than about trying to make an album. It’s just a less formal process. I feel like when you’re making an album that’s going to come out on a label and there’s going to be all the fucking hullabaloo around that, that creates a situation where you’re like, “Well, whatever I make right now is going to be one of the defining factors of my life for the next year or so.” So that’s a much more daunting thing than being like, “Whatever I make right now will go up on Bandcamp and then I’ll never think about it ever again.” It’s just lower pressure. It was just a lot chiller, I guess.
If those Bandcamp albums are “lower stakes” releases, like you say, I still think you have a pretty high batting average. Move Around, for instance, is totally legit as a strong, stand-alone This Is Lorelei record.
It’s all there for people to make whatever they want of it. I’m not particularly worried about what people think about the back catalog, but for the people who would be into it, I hope they enjoy it. I don’t really expect that stuff to be evaluated in the same context as Box For Buddy, because it is just a different thing.
It’s clear from listening to the original recordings that you haven’t changed the songs all that much. It’s not like you went to a fancy studio and really blew them out. Is that something you would ever be interested in?
That’s not super high on my list of things I want to do. Part of the reason I didn’t change them a lot was because I felt like the arrangement is part of the songwriting. Though I didn’t really go back and reference the original versions. I tried to do it very quickly. I didn’t really do a ton of takes. In order to glue these songs together when they’ve been written so far apart, I tried to re-record them all in the same moment as if it was a live album, though I was multi-tracking it piece by piece.
You’ve told this story before, but I’m fascinated by this inflection point in your career, where you became obsessed with “All The Small Things” by Blink-182 and it inspired you to move away from experimental music and toward writing pop songs, which is strange, but it also makes sense
You mentioned the Move Around EP; That was the thing that I made at that moment. The albums that I’d put out leading up to that were way odder and darker and more aggressively compositional. When I went through the weird “All The Small Things” thing, I just had a rewire moment where it’s like, “Everything should be short and fast and catchy.” It’s about every second pulling its weight and brute-forcing the engagement of the listener, rather than asking for patience from the listener.
Why did that appeal to you?
I realized that I needed to relax a little bit and have a little more fun with music again. Because I think I had gotten very serious to a point where I felt like in order to progress in the direction I was going, I had to drift further into the void. I wanted to do something that was just more relatable. And in order to break out of the more experimental vibe, I had to set very firm boundaries for myself. Once I had that done, I allowed myself to stretch a little bit more than in this new context. But I had to put myself through pop boot camp first.
The thing I keep coming back to you is your way with melody. There’s just a constant strain of hooks and songcraft in all your work. Where does that come from?
I feel like a lot of it comes from bluegrass, honestly.
That’s interesting. When I think about bluegrass, my mind immediately goes to the instrumental prowess required to play that music. I don’t necessarily think about melody.
To me, all of the catchiest melodies that I’ve heard are from bluegrass. The thing about bluegrass is it has a very particular framework. To clarify, because bluegrass means a bunch of different things now, I’m talking about traditional bluegrass before it wandered the “New Grass” thing. That’s different, and it has a wider breadth of what’s acceptable. But [in traditional bluegrass], you have a set group of chords you’re allowed to use. And the challenge becomes how do you use all these tools and make something that’s unique, while still adhering to those rules? I think it’s a lot more difficult to write a traditional song that stands on its own, than it is to make something that’s crazy, uses a bunch of different chords or experimental textures or whatever. You’re using the same couple of boxes as everyone else. And you have to figure out a way to make it stick out.
I think that has had a big influence on the way that I try to write more traditional songs, because for years and years — and even now with Water From Your Eyes — part of what makes it interesting is the production and the trickery and stuff. But you don’t get to do any of that with bluegrass. The same way you don’t get to do it in classic rock.
That makes me think about “Dancing In The Club,” where you’re taking this electro-pop template and combining it with Bruce Hornsby-like piano flourishes. And then, when MJ Lenderman covers it, you can also hear the folk song underneath it all.
I think that’s a good example. I feel like with the vast majority of songs from the Lorelei back catalog, that same thing could be argued, that it’s just a folk song dressed up in one way or another. I have come to realize that no matter how much it’s disguised, every song I write, it’s either a bluegrass song or a lullaby. There’s not really that much deviation in terms of the core emotions that are being chased.
There’s been a mini-trend in indie rock the past few years where prominent artists have simultaneous solo and group projects. There’s Cameron Winter and Geese, and Lenderman had a similar situation when he was still with Wednesday. But with you, the differences between Water From Your Eyes and This Is Lorelei seem even more pronounced.
It is two very different head spaces. Though I don’t think it’s always been that way necessarily. Honestly, earlier on in Water From Your Eyes, Lorelei was definitely the more experimental of the two projects. But the way things have shaken out, it isn’t anymore. It’s more of a traditional songcraft project. And Water From Your Eyes is more experimental. It creates a situation where I can have a project be a particular thing without ceasing to work in ways that I work that don’t necessarily fit in with that project.
Do you think there’s been any crossover? For lack of a better term, I feel like this year’s Water From Your Eyes record was more “song-y.”
The main thing with the new Water album is that it was written largely on guitar rather than on a computer, so it became a little poppier. And a fair amount of that stuff started off as Lorelei ideas. Like “Blood On The Dollar,” we changed some of the lyrics, but that started off as a Lorelei demo. A lot of the instrumental stuff started as Lorelei stuff. And the guitar riff on “Playing Classics” and the guitar riff on “Nights In Armor” were both lifted from Lorelei demos.
There’s another quote from an old interview I wanted to ask about, where you’re talking about process: “It’s studying classic songwriting but also making fun of it,” which I feel like it’s probably less true on the last record than it may be on these Bandcamp records.
That’s really funny because I would almost say it’s the opposite.
Oh, really?
Well, with Box For Buddy, a big part of that album was poking fun at different classic songwriting archetypes, whereas I feel like with the Lorelei back catalog, I wasn’t doing that in a way that was particularly self-aware. It definitely applies to both because I don’t know what’s the point in making music if you’re not having fun with it. I feel like a lot of musicians take music so completely seriously. And that’s totally fine, however you want to approach it. But at the end of the day, you’re writing and singing your little songs for people, which is inherently a funny thing. I saw this tweet a month ago that made me laugh really hard. It was like. “I was in the car with my coworker Bob, and we were listening to Megadeth and smoking weed. And Dave in the backseat said, ‘You know what? These guys aren’t scary, and I’ll tell you why: because they’re playing guitars.’”
Right, exactly.
So, it’s a funny thing, especially if you’re writing in a “traditional” way. All this stuff has been done before, so poking fun at it is a way to engage with the art form without being all pretentious about it.
I know you’re a Beatles fan, and what you just said made me think of “The White Album.” You can hear them making fun of different genres throughout that record, from country to doo-wop to Music Hall to The Beach Boys.
That album’s a great example of exactly what I’m talking about. And I think that’s why at the end of the day, that’s my favorite Beatles album. It’s self-aware of what it is, in a way that I think is unique to that album.
What’s on the horizon for you? Will there be another “proper” This Is Lorelei record soon?
I’ve been writing. I have the next album of new material finished already. I try to stay at least one or two releases ahead of the schedule all the time.
Holo Boy is out 12/12 via Double Double Whammy. Find more information here.
Sabrina Carpenter’s music career can be broken up into two acts: Her child star days on the Disney-owned Hollywood Records and the mainstream pop star era that followed. Before both of those, though, she was an actor, most notably on Girl Meets World. (Also, who could forget her iconic role in the 2011 video game Just Dance Kids 2?)
Now, Carpenter finds herself in a position where she could make a big return to acting. But, she doesn’t see herself focusing on that over music.
When asked in a new Variety feature if she’ll always prioritize singing over acting, Carpenter responded, “Music is always going to be my true No. 1, but there’s something really special about playing an incredible role. So I would say No. 1 is music and No. 1½ is acting.”
She also spoke about what it was like to feature on Taylor Swift’s album The Life Of A Showgirl, saying, “Ten-year-old me, for so many reasons, could not believe it — to hear our voices together. We definitely realized it was special, but I would have never been like, ‘Hey, bestie, put me on a song.’ She was so gracious to think of me for a song that spoke to our life experiences in such a real, genuine way. It really sums up what so many young women in this industry go through.”
Tyler, The Creator’s le Fleur clothing line has been a useful creative outlet for him, but as he told fans via his Instagram today, the clothing line has run its course. His next le Fleur collection, he says, will be his last, as he moves onto other projects — such as his acting career, which officially launches this month with the A24 sports epic Marty Supreme, also starring Timothée Chalamet.
“Making clothes, my second passion,” he wrote. “I started this back in 2019 as a side project. The goal was to mirror things that matched my personal style. It grew into a very special world of specific colors, shapes, patterns, etc … this has taken me to places I’ve dreamed of. Louise Trotter gave me my first real chance at Lacoste. Virgil helped shape the blueprint on getting things made. Pharrell opened the doors at Louis Vuitton. I’m forever grateful for every helping hand that understood the language. I never wanted to be in the lookbooks or campaigns but for this last one it felt right ( I was the fit model after all).”
“I loved these clothes over the years so so so so so much,” he continued. “Every Pantone picked, every commercial shot, every sample that came in, it fed my spirit in ways nothing else could. It was a language I wanted to create, but now it’s time to slow down on communicating.” Given he’s still designing for GOLF, his other clothing brand, it doesn’t seem as though the second line is quite as needed.
Don’t feel too bad about the end of Le Fleur clothing, though. Tyler promised that the brand will continue to produce its bread-and-butter accessories and fragrances, along with collaborations with other clothing brands. You can see the final lookbook and shop the collection here.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
