BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
LEXINGTON — Indie dream-pop duo LÄZERTÄG, comprised of Martin County natives Joe Dean Hinkle and LouRae Stacy, is set to transport listeners to a nearby dreamscape with their debut single “Frolic,” releasing June 1. Now based in Lexington, the duo has crafted a unique sonic blend that balances “creamy and dreamy.”
“Working on this album with Joe has been really great, and in many ways different than other projects I’ve been a part of,” Stacy reflected. “Every step of the writing and recording process has been collaborative, and I like that we don’t take it too seriously most of the time.”
“I find the sound unique and charming with its not quite rock, not quite pop, not quite jazz, somewhere in the middle uncertainty,” said Stacy. “When we first started the album, we had a very clear idea for a haunting jazz album, and I think the spirit of that is still there but it ended up morphing into a sound of its own.”
Hinkle expressed his excitement and gratitude for the forthcoming release as well: “Creating these songs with LÄZERTÄG has been a dream come true. Releasing a collection of songs to the public has been an aspiration of mine since I was a teenager.”
He credited the collaborative environment that the duo has fostered with their producers for their unique sound.
“The collaboration between Lou and I, as well as our producers JT and Drew at Valwood Studios, has led to a product, a piece of art that I’m immensely proud of.”
LÄZERTÄG’s first single, “Frolic,” showcases their lush and evocative style.
Hinkle describes it as a “jaunty little number that devolves into an Alice in Wonderland style affair.”
“Frolic, the single coming out this week might actually be my favorite on the album,” said Stacy. “It makes me think of frolicking through a field of flowers, carefree and happy in the verses, and plunging into a black hole the next moment as the chorus opens up with a spooky shoegaze vibe to it.”
The single serves as a tantalizing preview for their debut album, “Bon Voyage,” set to release June 15. Listeners can anticipate Stacy’s mystifyingly jazzy vocals paired with Hinkle’s “haunted Bossa Nova guitar chords” throughout the album. While reflecting glints of a myriad of influences, LÄZERTÄG carves out their distinct place in the music scene with their unique shoegaze sensibility.
“Really, it’s just nice to be surrounded by such talented people,” Hinkle added, acknowledging the team that has made LÄZERTÄG a reality.
Stay connected with the band through social media and catch their new releases starting June 1 on all major streaming platforms.
