With just a couple of weeks until Love Inks release their third album Exi, the Austin trio reveal sleek album standout track Regular Lovers. The band has also just announced a string of EU dates later this year including a show at The Shacklewell Arms in London on December 2.
Regular Lovers sees Love Inks at one of their most stripped back to date; it’s a powerfully sincere work that holds a whole load of emotion as Sherry LeBlanc’s silky vocals echo, ‘We’re regular lovers and it feels good’. In the words of Sherry herself: “It’s a dark, predatory love song hidden under seemingly blasé lyrics.”
Love Inks are a minimalist group making music that harkens back to early 80’s UK (Marine Girls, Young Marble Giants) and David Lynch’s Roadhouse. The group’s sleek, needle-precise sound comes distinctly from Austin, Texas.
The trio use a combination of delicate guitar sounds, played quietly as if from a 12-foot deep well, alongside a bass, creating both tension and melodic release, in conjunction with an electronic drum machine. The triangle is only completed by Sherry LeBlanc’s voice which leads the listener through every song whether it be mellow or dark. These three elements come together in synchronised dignity to make Love Inks.
The band’s use of silence and approach to instrumentation makes their music direct and sincere harking a real testament to that little old saying, that sometimes less really is more.
Love Inks new album, Exi, is set for release on September 8 2014.
After recently announcing news of their new album Exi, which is due Sept 8 via Republic of Music, Austin trio Love Inks have revealed a trippy new video for the second single from the record.
Directed by Detroit artist Aaron Valdez, the video for Sky Machine is a mesmerising work. It matches an array of vintage shots and scenarios with the delicate tones of Love Inks which makes for an incredibly beautiful pairing showing just how sleek this band’s sound truly is.
Speaking about the track, bass-player Kevin said: “The song is a reference to Yoko Ono who has always been the main inspiration of Love Inks. Her positivity through 40 years of public scrutiny has made her a higher level person – she turned a lot of hatred into beauty and love. Sky Machine is a homage to her.”
Love Inks are a minimalist group making music that harkens back to early 80’s UK (Marine Girls, Young Marble Giants) and David Lynch’s Roadhouse. The group’s sleek, needle-precise sound comes distinctly from Austin, Texas.
The trio use a combination of delicate guitar sounds, played quietly as if from a 12-foot deep well alongside a bass creating both tension and melodic release, in conjunction with an electronic drum machine. The triangle is only completed by Sherry LeBlanc’s voice which leads the listener through every song whether it be mellow or dark. These three elements come together in synchronised dignity to make Love Inks.
The band’s use of silence and approach to instrumentation makes their music direct and sincere harking a real testament to that little old saying, that sometimes less really is more.
Austin trio Love Inks are delighted to announce news of their new album Exi which is set for release on Sept 8 via Republic of Music. It sees the group return to that minimal sound and aesthetic that fans discovered with their debut back in 2011. They’ve shared the first single from the album online now.
New track Shoots 100 Panes of Glass showcases the bands’ forthcoming album with a delicacy that is so subtle it takes a whirlwind of class to execute. Lead singer Sherry Le Blanc’s caramel vocals take you on a gentle journey into the hypnotising world of Love Inks.
Love Inks Exi album artwork
Love Inks are a minimalist group making music that harkens back to early 80’s UK (Marine Girls, Young Marble Giants) and David Lynch’s Roadhouse. The group’s sleek, needle-precise sound comes distinctly from Austin, Texas.
The trio use a combination of delicate guitar sounds, played quietly as if from a 12-foot deep well, alongside a bass, creating both tension and melodic release, in conjunction with an electronic drum machine. The triangle is only completed by Sherry LeBlanc’s voice which leads the listener through every song whether it be mellow or dark. These three elements come together in synchronised dignity to make Love Inks.
The band’s use of silence and approach to instrumentation makes their music direct and sincere harking a real testament to that little old saying, that sometimes less really is more.
Following the release of their second full length album Generation Club late last month, Love Inks have unveiled a new video for album track Time.
The video was directed by friends of Love Inks, Kat Clements and Andrew De Francesco in Essex and Cullercoats, England, who said: “It is about the inability to understand and be understood by those closest to us; not being able to be together creates a desire for togetherness. Being physically far apart opens an avenue for psychic closeness.”
Bassist Derek Brown added: ‘‘We love the video and think it encapsulates the song perfectly.”
Love Inks
While on a budget and lacking truly believable acting skills, the black and white video tells a poignant story of a struggling yet salvageable relationship, making the most of a desolate seaside townscape. The track itself has real appeal, sweet female vocals and interesting construction that makes a replay essential, like a prettied up Blondie song.
Love Inks’ 2011 debut LP E.S.P received praise from NME, Dazed & Confused, The Stool Pigeon, Grazia and many more for its “…sparse yet sweet hazy summer anthems”. Now Love Inks, comprised of couple Sherry LeBlanc & Kevin Dehan, accompanied by Derek Brown on bass, present the fuller album Generation Club.
All their recordings are done on a half-inch tape machine by the band in their home-town of Austin. This time they were mixed in an analogue studio by Matt Oliver at Big Orange Studios using methods inspired by Kraftwerk & Brian Eno. Sherry said: “…there’s no auto tune or cutting and pasting within the tracks.” It works very well.
Love Inks are set to release their new album Generation Club on 23 September through Monofonus Press. The record shows off lead singer Sherry LeBlanc’s distinctive caramel vocals as they glide over backdrops of playful percussion and soothing synth sounds.
Love Ink’s 2011 debut LP, E.S.P, received praise from NME, Dazed & Confused, The Stool Pigeon and Grazia for it’s sparse yet sweet hazy summer anthems. Now Love Inks, comprised of couple Sherry LeBlanc and Kevin Dehan accompanied by Derek Brown on bass, present the fuller yet equally mesmerising Generation Club.
LeBlanc explains: “There’s a lot of loneliness and isolation… and time is mentioned a lot. Time passing slowly is a theme for some reason. Austin is a lazy town and time goes very slowly, we love it here but people don’t really hop to it, so to speak.
Love Inks artwork for new album, Generation Club
“To get the record done Kevin didn’t talk to anyone for a long time and just focused on recording.
“Isolating himself really angered all of his friends who thought he was being weird which furthered the level of isolation… Overall it’s a positive album but it is very reflective.”
With the record’s conception pointed at their first European tour and time spent in Berlin, it makes sense that Generation Club was created with their live show in mind, this time with a focus on creating a slightly fuller sound.
LeBlanc added: “E.S.P. was so short and minimal, our live performances felt like we were reading poetry at a music venue. This time we wanted to add some mid-frequency tones to help balance out the quiet on stage. The album is still minimal and sticks with what we do best. We’re always going to love drum machines more than live drums for this band, it just fits better.”
As with all of their recordings, Generation Club was recorded on a half-inch tape machine by the band in their home-town of Austin but this time mixed in an analogue studio by Matt Oliver at Big Orange Studios, using methods inspired by Kraftwerk & Brian Eno.
“It’s a labour of love when someone does that,” Sherry muses. “It’s about their rhythm and timing and even muscle memory. It leaves very little room for error on the musicians part and adds very distinct fingerprints from the person mixing– there’s no auto tune or cutting and pasting within the tracks.”
Track one, Hold Out, introduces Love Inks’ knack for producing repetitive yet soothing melodies. With the drums and bass starting things off, the synth slowly seeps in and eventually LeBlanc’s sexy vocals make their appearance, “Come and sit where I’m standing/There’s a fire I’m sending/There’s a chance that I’m holding/There’s a chance that I’m holding out.”
Love Inks have unveiled a super sweet new video to go alongside new single, Outta Sight. Outta Sight shows what Love Inks do best – simplicity in melodies. The warming new video goes hand in hand, giving an insight into the personal lives of the Austin-based trio. It shows the group embarking on an array of glorious summertime adventures complete with great friends and family, emphasising the importance of those things that make life oh-so-sweet.
Night Lunch is a wonderful track filled with LeBlanc’s angelic yet super sweet and sexy vocals which sing, “Tell me/Where you want me to go/Tell me now/Before I already know/Here we are/Walking through the halls/Here we go/We’re about to fall/You can tell me now/Or you can tell me tomorrow…” The repetitive drum beat and synth sounds could become dull but Love Inks always manage to make every song interesting, mainly due to LeBlanc’s unusual vocals. She has a breathless way of singing which keeps you actively listening. Her voice is naturally good, she never struggles or tries too hard to impress. LeBlanc’s vocals always seem to have that singing around the house quality – she seems to just sing with no effort as if no-one is listening and it comes out perfect.
Previous single Solar Diary appears on Generation Club and will never fail to sound new every time.There will always be something refreshing about Solar Diary. The lyrics, “Tell me where you’re coming from/Is it something that’s real?” will always have that dreamy, sleepy effect on the listener.
Time is one of the strongest songs on the record albeit one of the shortest. As LeBlanc sings, “Time/Time don’t need nothing but time/Nothing but time/Why/Why are you running away/Running away/Tell me something I don’t know/You can find in the front door/Keep it all to yourself now…” you start to hear another side to Love Inks. Time’s tempo and dynamics are different from the other tracks on Generation Club – it has a happier feel to it and leaves behind the album’s sombre tones. It’s also slightly Blondie-esque. It’s a song that picks the listener up out of the dream world that the other songs have eased you into and places you slap back into the middle of reality. You feel awakened when you hear this track.
Secret Tattoo is another of the best songs on Generation Club but is again one of the shortest. LeBlanc comes straight in with the lyrics, “I’ve got your name/I’ve got your name tattooed on my brain” which are heard frequently throughout the song but they never become boring. Secret Tattoo is again another track that’s more uplifting than the previous numbers. It’s definitely true to say that the second half of Generation Club is more interesting and sustainable than the first.
Waiting On A Plane is the last track on the record and brings it back to the hazy, chill out music Love Inks are renowned for. The lyrics “The last time that I saw you we were holding/On to something no-one could explain/All romantics meet the same…” pay a small amount of homage to Joni Mitchell’s The Last Time I Saw Richard (“All romantics meet the same fate…”).
There’s really not much going on musically on Generation Club but for some reason that is what makes it such a great record. You can relax and become involved in the music without there being too many distractions from special effects and layers upon layers of instruments. Generation Club is out on 23 September through Monofonus Press.
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