Chicago – L.A. trio LANY released a music video for the single “Where The Hell Are My Friends.” This is the first official music video released by the band, which is comprised of Paul Klein (lead vocals, keyboard, guitar), Jake Goss (drums), and Les Priest (keys, guitar, vocals). The video was directed by Nadia Marquard Otzen and features lead singer Paul Klein. In the video, Klein navigates through a hip, Cali party, feeling disconnected from everyone around him, struggling with the ins and outs of living in Los Angeles. Klein sings, “Am I starting to hate California? / Why am I in L.A.? / Forty million in California. / No one cares if I stay.”
In discussing the making of the video, frontman Paul Klein said, “There needed to be vibe but not at the expense of narrative. I was insanely lucky to work with Nadia on piecing together a concept that delivered both.” The video glows in hues of red and blue, illuminating Klein, who is dressed all in white. During the blue scenes, Klein finds everyone around him frozen in time, while during the red scenes, it is he who is motionless. In the end, strobes erupt, bringing everyone together, dancing along to the catchy electro-pop, with 80s vibes and hints of R&B, and then suddenly Klein is left alone in a dark room… Where the hell did all his friends go?
While Klein may be wondering where his friends are, he doesn’t have to look far for fans. LANY has been growing a strong fan base since the band released music online, on the down-low. Since then the band has been a little less secretive and has toured with artists like Troye Sivan, X Ambassadors, Ellie Goulding, and Halsey. In an interview with Best New Bands, for a Featured Artist piece, Klein said touring with Halsey taught the band “the power of a fan base.” When Best New Bands caught LANY’s live show in Chicago, it was clear that fan base would only continue to grow, given the band’s outstanding performance and Klein’s interaction with the audience. The band’s loyal fans have sold-out all twelve shows on the upcoming Make Out Tour, which will be the first headlining tour for LANY. The tour is in support of the band’s most recent EP, Make Out. Fans who snoozed on tickets can catch LANY at several festivals this summer:
5/14: Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
5/27: George, WA @ Sasquatch!
6/5: Cincinnati, OH @ Bunbury
6/9: Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
6/16: Dover, DE @ Firefly
6/26: Rothbury, MI @ Electric Forest
7/22: Oro-Medonte, ON @ WayHome
8/5: San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
A full list of LANY’s tour dates can be found on Facebook, including the upcoming Make Out Tour. The single “WHERE THE HELL ARE MY FRIENDS” and the Make Out EP are available for purchase on iTunes.
Photo Credit: Alessio Boni
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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