We thank our musical lucky stars anytime a nationally touring artist agrees to make a metaphorical (and sometimes literal) detour from their travel plans and join us for a Studio Milwaukee Session. We’re doubly thankful, though, when said detour happens early in the tour — which was exactly what we got when La Luz visited Friday afternoon.
The Cali-based quartet were just a few hours removed from the very first show of their North American sojourn and just a few hours away from stop number two at High Noon Saloon in Madison. Like our session back in June with Sam Beam of Iron & Wine (who kicked off his tour with a Milwaukee show the same day), the members of La Luz seemed to have a little extra bit of sharpness that results from prepping new material for the road.
The four-pack of tracks they played from new album News of the Universe carried that music-melding quality psych-adjacent bands like La Luz specialize in. It was most evident in the tight harmonies from Shana Cleveland (guitar), Maryam Qudus (keyboard) and Lee Johnson (bass) but just as impressive in their individual contributions that blended with Audrey Johnson’s quick and crisp drumwork.
The end result presents as a complex endeavor. Yet, as Cleveland shared during the mid-set interview, the new music came together relatively fast on the heels of some big life moments that included a breast-cancer diagnosis two years after her son was born.
“We wrote this album really quickly, and it was kind of before I thought I was going to be ready to write an album,” Cleveland said. “But, for me, this is the one album La Luz has made that I really haven’t stopped listening to.
“Usually, we’ll write and record an album, and I’ll take a break from it. I’ll be like, ‘I don’t want to hear these songs for a while,’” she added with a laugh. “But this album just felt really fresh to me — always. I kept listening to it, and I think it’s because it was written so fast from such an intense place for me emotionally that, every time I hear it, I kinda hear something new. I was kind of figuring out where I was at in real time on these songs.”
Cleveland’s insight is even more interesting because of how easy it is, as an outside listener, to get completely lost in La Luz’s performance. Hear for yourself using the player at the top of the page, and by picking up News of the Universe on Bandcamp or wherever you get your music.
If you’ve always wanted to check out one of these Studio Milwaukee Sessions in person, we’re opening two upcoming performances to the public: Oct. 4 with Yard Act and Oct. 11 with Nada Surf. Come on down to Radio Milwaukee HQ either of those Fridays, experience a session live and become a member before you walk out the door (or right now!).
Set list
- “Close Your Eyes”
- “Strange World”
- “Always in Love”
- “Easy Baby” (non-broadcast performance)
