We tend to get into everything Alex Lahey does in these parts. However, there's just a little extra something in her songs lately. The Australian singer/songwriter has always leaned into pop, but the last few songs lean a little more into rock while still being pop. Her latest, "The Sky is Melting," stays pop, but just barely. This song sounds kind of like a hybrid of Lucy Dacus and Courtney Barnett. It's an epic mid-tempo power pop song that is just begging to be played in large festivals. It's catchy, but in a not completely obvious way. You're pretty much guaranteed to be humming the melody to "The Sky is Melting" in the back of your head even after just one listen, and you'll be completely ok with it.
Alex Lahey says of her new song:
“I went to the desert and did a bunch of edibles and wrote a song about it. Definitely not the first person in the world to do it. But maybe it’s the first song to reference both Michael Bolton and an unnamed verified AirBnB host in the same verse.”
You can listen to "The Sky is Melting" below. The Answer Is Always Yes is due out May 19 on Liberation Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Alex Lahey, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
Fri. May 19 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room Sat. May 20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon Sun. May 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill Tue. May 23 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall Wed. May 24 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lous Fri. May 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sat. May 27 - Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Tue. May 30 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street entry Wed. May 31 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Fri. June 2 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Sat. June 3 - Cleveland, OH @ Mahalls Sun. June 4 - Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground Tue. June 6 - Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom Wed. June 7 - New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right Fri. June 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas Sun. June 11 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Mon. June 12 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Tue. June 13 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Purgatory Thu. June 15 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Upstairs Fri. June 16 - Austin, TX @ Parish Sat. June 17 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Tue. June 20 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge Wed. June 21 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Alex Lahey has always skirted the line of being too pop for my own personal taste, but has stayed just barely on the right side for my inner music snob to enjoy her music. Her latest single, "They Wouldn't Let Me In," might just be her more rock yet. It's still a pop song by far, but there are some strong elements of early 80's more rock based New Wave, and even some post-punk guitars to keep things interesting. It's like a bizarre mixture of Blondie, The J. Geils Band, and Mission of Burma, but... you know... pop, that should not work at all, but does in a spectacular fashion. As with all Alex Lahey songs, "They Wouldn't Let Me In" is an absolute auditory blast that won't even require you to check your snobbery at the door.
Alex Lahey says of her new single:
“After watching the brilliant tv series ‘Heartstopper,’ I spent a lot of time thinking about my own experiences growing up as a queer teenager. Although I was extremely lucky that the majority of my experience was filled with joy, acceptance and love, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. This song is inspired by those tougher moments - not being allowed to attend my high school girlfriend’s school formal, being excluded from conventional romantic rites of passage, moments of isolation and feeling like I couldn’t relate to anyone around me. ‘They Wouldn’t Let Me In’ is by far the most direct song I’ve ever written about this time.”
You can watch the video for "They Wouldn't Let Me In" below. The Answer is Always Yes is due out May 19 on Liberation Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Alex Lahey, check out the artist on Facebook and Instagram. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Fri. May 19 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room Sat. May 20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon Sun. May 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill Tue. May 23 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall Wed. May 24 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lous Fri. May 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sat. May 27 - Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Tue. May 30 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street entry Wed. May 31 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Fri. June 2 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Sat. June 3 - Cleveland, OH @ Mahalls Sun. June 4 - Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground Tue. June 6 - Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom Wed. June 7 - New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right Fri. June 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas Sun. June 11 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Mon. June 12 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Tue. June 13 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Purgatory Thu. June 15 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Upstairs Fri. June 16 - Austin, TX @ Parish Sat. June 17 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Tue. June 20 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge Wed. June 21 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Australia's Alex Lahey have always leaned pretty heavily into the pop side of power pop, and her latest is no exception. But "Good Time" starts leaning heavily into some fairly unexpected territory. This new song perfectly captures Lahey's humor. It also has a little of fellow Aussie Courtney Barnett's vocal delivery, but instead of a retro 90's indie rock sound, "Good Time" has a 70's power pop meets funk vibe, but filtered through Sheryl Crow. That may sound like too many genres all crammed into one song, but Lahey pulls this one off expertly. At this point she's becoming a veteran songwriter that we're always thrilled to hear new music from.
Alex Lahey says of her new song:
“This song was inspired by a night out I had at the pub with my friend soon after Melbourne came out of lengthy lockdowns. We were watching all these strangers around us have this ‘whatever it takes’ attitude towards making the most of the night (aka getting lit). It was a bit of a shock after being cooped up for so long, but also kind of invigorating.”
You can watch the video for "Good Time" below. The Answer is Always Yes is due out May 19th on Liberation, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Alex Lahey, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Fri. May 19 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room Sat. May 20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon Sun. May 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill Tue. May 23 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall Wed. May 24 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lous Fri. May 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sat. May 27 - Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Tue. May 30 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street entry Wed. May 31 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Fri. June 2 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Sat. June 3 - Cleveland, OH @ Mahalls Sun. June 4 - Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground Tue. June 6 - Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom Wed. June 7 - New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right Fri. June 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas Sun. June 11 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Mon. June 12 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Tue. June 13 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Purgatory Thu. June 15 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Upstairs Fri. June 16 - Austin, TX @ Parish Sat. June 17 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Tue. June 20 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge Wed. June 21 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
