Lutalo - "Ocean Swallows Him Whole"

Photo by Patrick McCormack

Vermont's Lutalo has released a new single from their debut album, and it's a must listen. "Ocean Swallows Him Whole" dances between the lines of 90's style indie rock and a dark version of post-punk. The song is brimming with the DIY appeal of bands like Sebadoh and Guided By Voices while having the undercurrent of dance friendly music like She Wants Revenge. Plus, there's a touch of modern, pop focused singer-songwriter in there. By borrowing from the past, Lutalo has crafted one of the more unique sounds in indie music today.

Lutalo says of their new single:

“'Ocean Swallows Him Whole' is a partial Icarus reference. It is more widely about interacting with a place, environment, or person with preconceived intentions. Going into that interaction with the thought of ‘what can I get out of this’ or ‘how can this serve my personal image.’ This ultimately consumes their true self as a means to fit in or gain personal standing. Something that is rooted in our culture, and an observation I’ve made about how people engage with popular cities and people they project ideas on to. It makes sense given our society so I want to make it clear that this isn’t a position of judgment, simply observation."

You can watch the video for "Ocean Swallows Him Whole" below. The Academy is due out September 20 on Winspear, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Lutalo, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

08/17/24 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival
08/31/24 - Brighton, UK @ Brighton Psych Fest
09/01/24 - Manchester, UK @ Manchester Psych Fest

Supporting Nilüfer Yanya
09/28/24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
09/30/24 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
10/01/24 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
10/02/24 - Boston, MA @ Royale
10/04/24 - Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe
10/05/24 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
10/06/24 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
10/07/24 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
10/09/24 - Nashville, TN @ Basement East
10/10/24 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
10/11/24 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
10/13/24 - Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
10/15/24 - Denver, CO @ Meow Wolf
10/16/24 - Salt Lake City, UT @ State Room
10/18/24 - Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre
10/19/24 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
10/20/24 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
10/22/24 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
10/24/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda