Love Letter To A Record: AKA Lui On Tame Impala’s ‘Lonerism’

July 9, 2019

Many of us can link a certain album to pivotal moments in our lives. Whether it’s the first record you bought with your own money, the chord you first learnt to play on guitar, the song that soundtracked your first kiss, the album that got you those awkward and painful pubescent years or the one that set off light bulbs in your brain and inspired you to take a big leap of faith into the unknown – music is often the catalyst for change in our lives and can even help shape who we become.

In this series, Music Feeds asks artists to reflect on their relationship with music and share with us stories about the effect music has had on their lives.

AKA Lui – Tame Impala, Lonerism

I still remember the first time I heard this record. I had just finished school, I was going through my first break-up, I moved out of home and through a strange turn of events I ended up living in a small caravan in the bush.

Adjusting to the change was pretty intense, and I can still remember making my weekly trip into the post office, and finally there it was… Lonerism on CD. I thought, surely a sprinkle of Kevin Parker could lift my spirits. Returning home for a cuppa and first spin… and there it was, the opening track, ‘Be Above It’ which, simply put, catapulted my brain into a new world where I sat above my problems, and they were suddenly only as big as I imagined them to be.

When ‘Why Won’t They Talk To Me’ came in at track 6 I thought maybe Kevin had written this album for me… As the tracks rolled out, massive feel after massive feel, I became aware that I was experiencing a perfect moment. Untainted by the darkness, untouched by the conceited. Just pure expression. And although I was quite far down the psychedelic void, I still recognise that moment as ‘bliss’.

Not only had Tame Impala created a timelessly relatable and important piece of art that would shape my musical progression and my own self-belief, but it also instilled an undying faith in my creative journey. I had followed Tame Impala since the EP days, and I related heavily to Kevin’s process. He proved to me that anyone can make amazing music, and music that is relatable to the world. But he also taught me that you can actually write your own rules and make music however the fuck you want. Thanks Kev x

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Following on from the release of his critically praised debut single ‘Hey! I Don’t Want That Anyway’, Byron Shire-based indie-dance artist AKA Lui has just revealed additional tour dates and the accompanying music video, shot in Ocean Shores and Brunswick Heads on a $0 budget.

The satirical visuals are hilariously endearing and the song itself is a certified toe-tapper. AKA Lui delivers irresistible chill-funk grooves with effortless cool. Watch and listen below.

Meanwhile, AKA Lui has also announced plans to join Bootleg Rascal on their upcoming East Coast tour in August and September, with performances in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Check those dates below too!

https://youtu.be/fYUvjo_snQQ