After three years of inactivity, Southwest Indie rockers Lydia’s set for a spring pre-album tour, a new album this summer, and to enter their name in the music industry record books.
We’re looking forward to seeing the Arizona-based band in Philadelphia at the TLA March 16, this Friday. To buy tickets for the tour, click here.
“We actually just finished writing and recording a brand new album,”Lead Vocalist Leighton Antelman said. “We put a wrap on that very recently so that actually is done right now. The release date hasn’t yet been announced. But should be hearing some songs off it soon.”
On March 8 the band officially announced its album release date, simultaneously with pre-orders for album merch.
Excited to announce that our new album Liquor will be released on July 13th via Weekday Records! Listen to our new song “Goodside” at https://t.co/wjrHcnoTh1 pic.twitter.com/QBnCpBZg9K
— LYDIA (@LYDIAmusic) March 8, 2018
Check out all our #Liquor pre-orders at https://t.co/wjrHcnoTh1! pic.twitter.com/xp6vbCtBMa
— LYDIA (@LYDIAmusic) March 8, 2018
Lydia, a band of five comprised of a vocalist, a drummer, and guitarists, announced their spring tour alongside emo Brit band Moose Blood on Twitter December 5.
Missed you guys in 2017 while making this record. We’ll see you soon! This spring 2018 on a North American tour with @mooseblooduk #newtunes #suphomies #cantwait pic.twitter.com/rgvdyzqqgs
— LYDIA (@LYDIAmusic) December 5, 2017
While the two bands have no history, Antelman said Lydia’s looking forward to their North American tour run together.
In fact, the band gave Hypfresh an exclusive listen to their upcoming single “Let it Cover Me Up” in addition to their latest single “Goodside” (Let’s just say their post-tour album”ll be worth the wait).
“I think that’s something we try to stay pretty consistent on, experimenting as much as possible,” Antelman said. “The new record is definitely more of that. I would hate to put out the same record twice.”
Antelman initially started Lydia with band mates William Bradford, Evan Arambul, and Steve McGraw, all having started composing music in middle school.
“I think I got into it from sneaking out to concerts when we were around 11 or so,” Antelman said. “Not really sure how we got in but we found a way. Then In Junior high it was simply the logical step, so we’d hang out in garages and make terrible music whenever we could.”
The initial band broke up, but McGraw stayed on. A couple of new members would join and the new band ended up winning a contest that got one of their songs on the Atticus: …Dragging the Lake, Vol. 3 album.
“We actually had a friend that randomly entered us into a contest,” Antelman said. “We didn’t even know he had done it but ended up winning a spot to open up for Sum 41 which was a massive band then and we had barely played pizza parlors.”
While unverified and having under 20,000 Twitter followers, the band’s been able to pair that with approximately 65,000 Facebook like since the contest.
In 2010, three albums into their discography, the band completely broke up. But in 2011, a reincarnation of the band resurfaced again, the current band. At the time of the break up, no one was on good terms.
“Matt had started playing in Lydia before the group actually prior to the break,” Antelman said. “And then Shawn was pretty close after we started back up again, so it was that we had all already wanted to keep playing and that Lydia seemed like a great vessel for that.”
Since reuniting, the band’s released three more album under the Lydia imprint. The curent band consists of Antelman, drummer Evan Chapman, and guitarists Matt Keller, Justin Camacho, and Shawn Strader.
Antelman said his influences vary from 40s swing tunes to what’s playing on the top-40, and anything in between. In the music industry era where most verse exchanges between rappers have a sent from my iPhone at the bottom of it, Lydia’s creative process is that in theory (Essentially before class, every band member must do their homework).
“We have a rehearsal space but it has always fit our personalities far better to record and start our own songs in our separate studios before bring them to the group,” Antelman said. “I don’t knock people that write (as a band together in the studio), more power to you.”
“Shawn is down for every adventure,” Antelman said. “That guy has the lookout for how the world turns. I think me and Matt just agree when he wants to go somewhere on the road. We’re both pretty aggressively low key.”
It’s been three years since Lydia’s last release, so anticipation is high. The band’s looking to build on its just under 2,000 Soundcloud follower base, while offering positive sentiments to those they may inspire to write music.
“I think if you’re going to make music you are going to do it regardless if you want to make it a career or not,” Antelman said. “I think that’s how any creative profession works. Thanks for listening y’all.”
