lavender have released their debut album we’re having a barn dance, out now on Night Time Stories. lavender are Oskar Rice and Adam Jackson; friends since school, one a DJ/producer, one in an indie band, their burgeoning friendship saw them bonding over Elliott Smith as much as J Dilla. Their debut EP garnered praise and appreciation, with lead single peppermint currently on 22 million Spotify streams. Recent singles from this album havewon a plethora of support from DIY, Clash, Wonderland, The Line Of Best Fit, DMY, BBC 6Music and more.
On their debut album, lavender say –
“After years of making music together, this album felt like the natural realisation of what lavender could be as a creative outlet and as marriage of instrumentation, sampling and songwriting culminating in something that feels more than the sum of its parts. It’s a deeply personal work, a journey and reflection on transitions of love, home and the duality of companionship/isolation. There are layers upon layers lovingly sewed into this record and we hope it’s an album to live with and continues to unravel over time!”
we’re having a barn dance is the story of one tumultuous year of living, loving (and the falling out thereof). The songwriting is a diary of an eventful 12 months. “We had a big chat about what this all means to us,” explains Oskar, “And we boiled it down to this: it’s about love, but not necessarily romantic love. It’s about all of those competing emotions and how, if you love one thing, it might detract from loving something else.”
“We were pretty perfectionist,” says Oskar. “Took a while tweaking everything and making it right. And it really documents, I think, that year in a really nice way.”
we’re having a barn dance is an album that is manifestly ambitious both in its production sound and as songwriters clearly finding greater confidence in their future pathway.
1. lowlight:slowlight
2. (ifnotnowthen)when
3. you & me
4. we’re having a barn dance
5. cowboy pancakes
6. lowlight (reprise)
7. missing you
8. way over
9. cowboynowboy (life in the quadrant)
10. harlequin/los días azules