“We are a lot more open now to bringing a more raw song to the group, and knowing whatever they do with it is going to be amazing… Earlier on, we were more ambitious with our ideas, but maybe had too many ideas, whereas now we’re more efficient,” says Ashley Eriksson of indie pop outfit LAKE, with her partner and bandmate Eli Moore adding, “We’ve been a three-piece for a while, whereas we used to be like a collective, now we’re more of a band-band.” Last month, the Washington state-based band released Bucolic Gone, their 10th full-length, first in five years (but apparently they have lots of unreleased music they’re hoping to get out soon), and debut for Don Giovanni Records. “I would say this one is the next stage, but a little more produced in some ways, and a little more direct in terms of emotions,” Moore tells me during a March phone chat.
The band – who are perhaps best known for writing the end song to Adventure Time — are currently celebrating their 20th anniversary and also embarking on their first batch of live dates in quite some time. Last month they played a Record Release Show in LA, prior to an Arizona date and a handful of SXSW performances, and this week they hit the road for more than a month of headlining shows, which includes an April 27th stop at Johnny Brenda’s. I ask about some of the highlights of their two decades making music and they both admit that touring is something very special for them. “Travelling to places we never would’ve gone, like Poland, Norway, Japan… And the friendships have been long-lasting… We did our first tour in 2006, but we met some people back then that we still know,” Moore tells me, while Eriksson adds, “You get to connect with people around the world with similar interests, and that’s so cool.”
“It’s just a three-piece. We might try something for the first time, with samples that the drummer is triggering… It’s more like a rock trio, heavier in some ways, but more stripped,” Moore tells me of the live show, with Eriksson chiming in, “Philadelphia will be amazing!” But she tells me she’s excited for every show, including some in slightly smaller cities: “Fargo, we played twice when we were a really young band and haven’t been back since… Then there are these places that have kind of been like sister cities, like Athens, GA feels like home, but in a completely different place.” Moore also mentions first-time visits to Ottawa and Butte (which was opening night of the April dates) as being something they’re extra excited about.
Moore and Eriksson also tell me that they’re a big fan of their current label, Don Giovanni (who have released amazing records by PHILTHY phriends like Kari Faux, Laura Stevenson, and Worriers), although weren’t necessarily always aware of that… “I wasn’t familiar with the label, but I was driving and listening to a record by Anna Fox Rochinski, and I was like, ‘Whoever put this out might like our record,’” says Moore, before Eriksson clarifies that they did actually turn out to know a bunch of people there, including Jeffrey Lewis. They also tell me that co-founder Joe Steinhardt was apparently already familiar with LAKE, which helped make the transition easy. “He’s really nice and his expertise is really wonderful,” Eriksson tells me, with Moore adding, “Yeah, his technical, digital knowledge or whatever [laughs].”
Bucolic Gone currently has four tracks with their own official music videos (most recently “Ferrari,” whose video dropped earlier this week), which I find out is something Moore has a background in: “I did film school. I was really into experimental documentaries, like Jonas Mekas and Stan Brakhage… I’m inspired by videos that look really cool and you wonder how they did it, but it doesn’t cost a million dollars, like I love Chick Strand. I like film to be fairly immediate.” He goes on to note Clyde Petersen’s Even Hell Has Its Heroes, Sean Baker’s The Florida Project, and the work of Guy Maddin as things he’s particularly enjoyed in recent years, telling me that cinema tends to be his favorite way to relax: “I watch movies a lot. I love to take a two-hour bath and watch Criterion!”
*Get your tickets here.
