Lanks‘ highly anticipated EP ‘Viet Rose ‘has officially just dropped. This has followed on from a very exciting year that saw the release of his singles ‘Golden Age’, ‘Bitter Leaf’ and ‘Holla’, along with some pretty serious support slots for the likes of Ngaiire, Broods and Safia. Today, he has given us a track-by-track run down of ‘Viet Rose’, giving us a chance to really get to know the man behind the music. The six-tracker features collabs with the likes of Tom Iansek from Big Scary and Airling, and was co-produced by Andrei Eremin (Chet Faker, Hiatus Kaiyote), and believe us when we say it’s a beauty.
Get it in your ears, stat.
Bitter Leaf
This song was written about a friendship that ended. I’d never really had friendships end before, not abruptly at least, only the ones that fade into acquaintanceship. This one ended and I hoped that it didn’t, hoping for reconciliation. Sadly it didn’t, she moved to the other side of the world and after labouring over this song working and re-working it, I am glad that I have this slightly sad and longing memento from a failed friendship.
Holla
This song is a tapestry of ideas woven together over 9 months. There are so many layers and it connects to me in such a deep way, I’m very proud of this creation. It was a long process and there are whole sections that no longer exist anymore, but this song was a great learning experience for me and reminded me how much time you need to spend with something to make it something that you are truly proud of. Andrei Eremin co-produced the whole EP with me and this song is a testament to the musical relationship we have built and his unbelievable maturity and skill, helping me sift through all the ideas I had brought to him, challenging me and refining it into something clear and strong.
April
April features Airling, who is one of my very special musical friends who I met on tour in 2015. The song is written for one of my best friends, Jess, and all the guests on the EP – Airling, Jess Bonnitcha, Tom Iansek singing and Justin Olsson on drums – feature in the bridge of this song. It is kind of ‘the’ special moment on the EP, and epitomizes the connections I have with these people, my friends.
Golden Age
This song was me shaking off the ‘chilled’ tag that had been bestowed on me on past releases. It was my chance to break out of something I had felt was restricting me, and it opened up the palette a bit to other sounds, whilst still maintaining a semblance of what I already was. It’s a deeply personal and emotional song about overcoming the lower points in a relationship and breaking through to re-discover the good.
Sometimes
I tried to make a song Rihanna would want to sing. This is what came out. It is really a song about having a bit of fight when things aren’t right, and determination. When it was still going to be a Rihanna song I asked my friend (and live backing vocalist/synth player) Jess to sing on it. I then cut up her vocals and made the hook in the drop sections from her vocal. Not one person has picked that it isn’t my vocal there.
Kyneton
I went away for a weekend late last year with my girlfriend, and stayed at The Shack in Kyneton, which is this amazing setup with vintage caravan’s and trams turned into rooms. We listened to The Twerps – Who Are you? on a portable vinyl player all weekend (with extra warble added which I dearly miss when hearing the digital version), and on the morning we drove home we were cruising along the road, engulfed in fog and it was this perfect moment where we were alone together. The world was still sleeping and it was just us, it was perfect. I have a photo of it that is printed in my mind (and is also my twitter background), and when my girlfriend left for work the next morning I sat down and wrote this song.
Viet Rose is out today and Lanks will take it out on the road this December. See those dates and stream the entire EP below:
Lanks Australian Tour Dates
Thursday, 1st December
The Basement | Sydney, NSW
Tickets: Official Website
Friday, 2nd December
Miranda Hotel | Sydney, NSW
Tickets: Official Website
Thursday, 8th December
Black Bear Lodge | Brisbane, QLD
Tickets: Official Website
Friday, 9th December
Nightquarter | Gold Coast, QLD
Tickets: Official Website
Saturday, 10th December
The V Room | Noosa, QLD
Tickets: Official Website
Thursday, 15th December
Workers Club | Geelong, VIC
Tickets: Official Website
Friday, 16th December
The Curtin | Melbourne, VIC
Tickets: Official Website
Saturday, 17th December
Rocket Bar | Adelaide, SA
Tickets: Official Website
