LA Priest breaks down every song on new album 'Fase Luna'
LA Priest, the solo project of Sam Eastgate (Late of the Pier, Soft Hair), just released his third album, Fase Luna. Like on 2020’s Gene, you can feel the residual influence of his Soft Hair collaborator Connan Mockasin in the liquid effects that coat nearly every sound on the record. Made in Mexico and Costa Rica, it’s a chill trip, and breezy bangers like “It’s You,” “Star” and “Neon” are both familiar and foreign, hard to resist, and stick with you. You can listen to the whole album and watch the video for “It’s You” below.
On
This is a song I wrote while snorkelling in the sea for the first time after being alone at a reef for a couple of hours. I thought there needed to be more music that sounded good under water. Songs for fish.
Silent
This song was influenced by Malayalam and Tamil music from southern India. I was listening to lots of it because the melodies are very ornate and beautiful but it also has bizarre early techno sounds and distorted fuzz guitar. The lyrics are about voices lost in time.
It’s You
This song was written to replace one that didn’t sound right at the last minute. It’s about a guy who falls in love with a sea mermaid or water spirit and has to choose between life on the land or the ocean. Some of it sounds like he’s on the edge of madness. It could also pass as a traditional love song.
Misty
A double interlude – the first is an Indian inspired tune and the rest is something intended to start slow and calm and end loud and fast to contrast with the intro of the next song.
Star
While I was living in Mexico I felt a bit like a ghost and nothing seemed real and it made me think of people I missed. I walked on the streets at sunset and at night with a dog that I found there and made up this song.
Sail On
A little Spanish song about fairies. it’s a bit inspired by ’90s Japanese psychedelic pop.
Neon
The oldest song on here. This was from when I had flu in 2009. Sort of a fever dream idea the night before and then the words were going round in my head the next day. I recorded this really mental version at the time and then thought I would rework it a bit smoother for this record. I still like the other version but I don’t know if it will ever get finished.
Ocean
Another old song. I used to play a fake sax solo on it as a live interlude. A bit of music for the beach.
No More
The other side of the story of the song ‘It’s You’. In this song the character has been living under the sea and has to return to a life on land. I thought of it after diving down to the coral reef on my own a few times and seeing a shark in the shadows. The currents were strong and the sea seemed dark and dangerous and I didn’t feel like going back again for a while.
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Sam was nice enough to give us a track-by-track breakdown of Fase Luna which reveals a few themes, including the ocean and the influence of Indian music on the album. You can read that below.
LA Priest have in-store appearances in London next week and will tour the UK and Europe this fall. After that he’s got shows in Los Angeles (The Echo on November 7) andn NYC (November 9 at Baby’s All Right) and Los Angeles. All dates are listed below.
LA Priest – 2023 Tour Dates
May 18 – Rough Trade, Nottingham
May 19 – Rough Trade East, London
September 25 – Paradiso (Small Hall), Amsterdam, NL
September 26 – Berghain Kantine, Berlin, DE
September 27 – Hebebühne, Hamburg, DE
September 29 – Trix, Antwerp, BE
September 30 – La Boule Noire, Paris, FR
October 2 – YES, Manchester, UK
October 3 – The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, UK
October 4 – Headrow House, Leeds, UK
October 6 – Corsica Studios, London, UK SOLD OUT
October 7 – Dareshack, Bristol, UK
November 7 – The Echo, Los Angeles
November 9 – Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn
